U can call me crazy. The making of a drum sander (long)

[bmyers]

In need of a drum sander, I'm surfing craigslist and find a Delta drum sander for $400. I contact the seller and eventually setup a time to meet with him. I drive over an hour to get where he is and walk in to his shop. I see him and another guy carrying off the drum sander. He says "Sorry, it's been sold"..

I say nothing, I get back in my truck pissed off and drive over an hour back home for nothing! The guy couldn't wait 5 minutes to meet at our agreed time (I arrived early). I figured anyone with scruples like that, I don't want to buy anything from them. That cost me $20 in gas to find out.

So now I've got this pent up energy about a drum sander. Flipping through shop notes, I find the Feb. issue with a drum sander on the cover. For those messed up reasons, I decide to build one.

Surfing woodnet.net for drum sander, I find plenty of Performax and Delta references, and a few about making a drum sander. Seems like nobody had built the Shopnotes drum sander electing to buy one instead. Not me, I'm too smart for that!! (ha ha) If I build it, flat boards, they will come.

The ShopNotes version runs off your table saw. I have a 6' wide mobile BT, I'm not going to be able to reach from the end of the thing to feed boards and turn the crank to run the stock. I'm going standalone with an old BT stand.

I have around literally tons of MDF. I always scope out the cull bin at HD when I'm there for cutoffs for 50 cents or 2 bux.. This sander is made almost completely from MDF. Some parts are maple, and a couple of 1/2 BB pieces. Already in stock in my shop.

Thumbing through Mcmaster-Carr to get the steel bars, a real nice crank handle for $25(yeah, i know..), pulleys, brass sleeves and incidentals, $75. 1.5 HP motor and pillow blocks, $35. I'm up to $110. Plus the $20 to find out the other guy was a jerk, I'm counting that towards my machine, so $130.

I find it a challenge to build tools and jigs because your tolorences are tighter when you are building something like that. It makes you a better woodworker. Call me crazy I know, I just enjoy it. When I build stuff, it's mostly for other people, and always free. I'll make a chair, or a table for someone else no problem. But I don't make much for myself. I don't need a chair. If I going to make myself something, I'll make a tool.

Some interesting points so far are the drum discs for which I made a purposed jig to cut 5 1/16" MDF discs (23 of them) with a 3/4" shaft hole. Using a drill press to install threaded brass inserts into parts, straight. Tricks when working with MDF.

Here are some pictures of my progress to date. I prolly have 12-14 hours in it. Lucky for me, I work for cheap...

I posted pix on blogspot and they don't always show up here so I'll just give the url.

billswood.blogspot.com


Bill

[Ken Weaver]

You're a better man than me Bill! Looks like its coming together. I hope its everything you want it to be.

[LCHIEN]

http://www.bt3central.com/showthread...ht=drum+sander

Looks like its a little late, but did you look at this design, for which many parts are available?

[bmyers]

Sure, now he tells me.. []

Thank you Loring, I did see that. The kit is about $200 or so for just a drum, belt and some pillow blocks. The finished product isn't really what I am looking for. I need to be able to thickness thin narrow stock. That setup looks great for cabinet door, but I wouldn't want to slide thin narrow stock across that by hand.


Bill

[jarhead]

Bill,
You should have beat the $20 out of that guy . The drum sander is coming together nicely. Does the BT have enough HP to turn the drum sander?
BTW, this thread on WoodNet may be of interest.

[Ken Massingale]

It's looking like a strong unit, Bill. I'm sure you will make it do what you need.
ken