Thread: another basic thickness sander

Ok I have been looking for a way to take my 1/4 inch wood slabs down to 1/8th so I can use them for scales. I know you can order 1/8th stock from rockler and places like that, but sometimes you find a particularly fine piece of wood that isn't the right size and shape, but would make a great set of scales if worked properly... Well today, I hit the shop and it dawned on me that I could set up a jig to use the drill press with a drum sander to accomplish my goals. So, I took out my phone and took pictures of my (very basic) setup so I could share with you guys (I was very excited to share the idea). I logged on to SRP to post and to my surprise I found this thread by Randydance where he already did the same thing (and his is a more sophisticated setup on top of it all) Anywho... randy said I should post my setup just to share ideas. Here are my pics. I really like randy's jig, but mine works really well for me too despite the simplicity... take a look

1. Before pic (1/4 thick)
2. Jig
3. Jig in use
4. After (1/8 thick)
5. smooth surface after reaching desired thickness

That is a good way to do it! Uncomplicated, inexpensive and quick to setup. Good thinking!

My set up is like yours, Randy has the super delux model. Nice job and good thinking.

Mine is a block of wood with two pairs of vice grips holding it to the drill press table. I tap the block with a hammer to adjust it. Tap take off a hair, Tap take off another hair.

I think these type set ups are great especially for bone or wood with wild grain.

Thanks for the pictures and thread.

Charlie

The only caution that I'd add, hopefully everyone has thought of this, is that a drill press does not take to lateral forces very well. The bearings on the quill are not as stout as say on a milling machine.

Take only small cuts, very thin cuts and do not try to hog off a quarter inch at a time. Eventually your drill press will not want to play that game any more, make odd noises, and drilling regular holes will start to get strange.

I wonder how this kind of fence would work on one of those vertical bobbin type of sanders? Like this: Buy Jet Benchtop Spindle Sander Model 708404, Jet Benchtop Spindle Sander, Seems like those would be build for lateral forces a little better.

Kudos to everyone for being creative with tooling. These are all admirable "make-do's".

Originally Posted by Mike Blue

The only caution that I'd add, hopefully everyone has thought of this, is that a drill press does not take to lateral forces very well. The bearings on the quill are not as stout as say on a milling machine.

Take only small cuts, very thin cuts and do not try to hog off a quarter inch at a time. Eventually your drill press will not want to play that game any more, make odd noises, and drilling regular holes will start to get strange.

I wonder how this kind of fence would work on one of those vertical bobbin type of sanders? Like this: Buy Jet Benchtop Spindle Sander Model 708404, Jet Benchtop Spindle Sander, Seems like those would be build for lateral forces a little better.

Kudos to everyone for being creative with tooling. These are all admirable "make-do's".

That's a good point Mike... also I'll add that you have to go slow and take small passes. If you push a piece through quickly it will flex both the mandrel and the drum so your thickness will not be uniform. You have to go very slowly. Doing this on a spindle sander would probably be a better long time solution, but if you have a piece that is begging to be turned into scales this might get you by.

I agree, just a little bit at a time. I just spent $425 for that drill press and I do not want to mess up the bearings. Thanks for the reminder.
The oscillating spindle sander is on my wish list!
But first I have to build another garage!

I'm a little slow in seeing this, but I'm thinking it would work better on a router, as it is better designed to handle the lateral force.

Originally Posted by Utopian

I'm a little slow in seeing this, but I'm thinking it would work better on a router, as it is better designed to handle the lateral force.

Routers turn WAY too fast.
I tried putting a drum sander in a router once. After patching the hole in the wall where the board went in, I decided that high speed sanding may not be as efficient or safe as previously thought.

Okay...
Scratch that idea.
Thanks.

Thanks for this, I wasn't aware of Randy's thread either. Both are useful!
Bearing (eh, heheh) in mind all the issues with sideways pressure on mandrels/machines not directly designed for such, I'm going to try this using my Dremel in it's new drill press workstation.

-Kern