Thread: linisher/belt sander Advice/homebrew

Hi Clinton,
Sould be a good project, one to keep you occupied for a while! I have some plans stashed somewhere at home, but from memory they are simple wooden things.
As for your contact deck, the ones at work are only pressed metal (maybe one has a cast alloy bed?) but they have a graphite based pad stuck on them to reduce friction. I have replaced them over the years with a roll of adhesive backed sheet, simply cut to size. I'll try to find out where we bought it, but I think it'll be the least of your worries. The main thing will be to get rollers aligning correctly and incorporate tracking adjustment. That, and correct pulley speeds, but all of it can be nutted out by passing an eye over commercial ones!

Cheers,

You need to take a trip to Carbatec + Hare & Forbes to look at the pro machines on display.

They do cost more but have features like full length adjustable angle and height work tables, independantly adjustable spindle shaper tables on the end, belt oscillation - all that good stuff. If nothing else, it should give you some ideas for what you make/get built. Take a camera & sketch pad

I have a good set of plans from a knife maker (when I was thinking about building one).

I have sent you an email so you can contact me if you want the message forwarded...

Thanks fella's.
I've had a look about, and seen a fair range of options.

While I would like top of the range, there is no chance.

My major concern is

to get rollers aligning correctly and incorporate tracking adjustment

- on the mark Andy.

Ideally I'd like a 4 roller arrangement, allowing a section of the belt to be used "unbacked", and the return to pass over a bench so I could lay wood on that and have a slide pad that presses the belt onto the wood. (or a design that I can scale up to this)

Ideal machine:
Without drawing it, 4 rollers, two rollers at each end. The end rollers are in-line vertically. Belt passes over the flat bed table (top section), and then over the drive roller, no. 1; then vertical down to roller 2, with a removeable backing plate in the vert section. This backing plate allows a flat surface behind the belt for backed or unbacked freehand sanding with the belt running vertically (sort of like a disk sanding machine).
Belt then runs over a table for "press down sanding" , and then over two return rollers, rollers 3 and 4.

What is feasable: simple belt sander.

Hi Clinton,
Its getting more interesting every post! I have tried nutting it out with a simple drawing (attached). My only concern really, apart from aligning 4 rollers instead of 2:eek: , is the actual height of the machine. I have used one of those flatbelt sanders (with a handheld friction pad and a hand operated bed) to smooth out tabletops, and for it to be a comfortable operating height would place the top path of the belt way out of reach, even for a strapping lad such as yourself ! Don't forget you need space inside the belt path to reach in with out fouling your arm or head. Of course that also means you have a good length of the vertical path for sanding, but places the top up higher. Maybe a movable frame, preset for certain tasks??

Good luck,

Andy, what's the "workpiece underbelt" for?

How do you make use of this area? I'm guessing "push down sanding" pushes the belt onto the work via some hand-held roller jig, but won't that gouge the surface? Can I see a pic please?

Surely you guys want it nice and flat. The only other use I can figure is that you raise the work to the belt using packing or have a chain driven rack to raise and lower the whole assembly in small increments.

As a reasonably new owner of a belt sander, a little more explanation could provide big benefits to me.

Now I'm thinking that you "polish" the work using the underside of the belt. Where do I learn more?

Knurl,
You use a flat pad, appropriate to the size of the piece that you are sanding, it has a slippery surface. Used for having more control over where you are sanding. As you use a pad, and not a roller, it does not gouge. Its old style, been around a long time. Graphite pad would be used now. Guess you would use a hand held belt sander or ROS now.

Hi Knurl,
In the days before wide belt sanders that operate like thicknessers, there were machines like I've drawn, but with a huge belt and bed big enough to take table tops...often shop made. The bed had some height adjustment, and rolled in and out on tracks. The work was placed on the bed and pulled in and out with one hand, with the other you pressed a pad something like an iron onto the belt and forced it down onto the work piece. The belt in its unpressed position was marginally above the work, the pressing brought the two into contact. By moving back & fwds with the pad and in & out with the bed you were able to sand the whole surface. Of course they were wild machines with unguarded belt several metres long flying past your head:eek: . I think Clinton is proposing a small version in compination with a more normal linisher.
Hope that helps !

Andy - yep that drawing is the ticket, and it would have to go on an adjustable table. I've a bench that can be adopted (cheaply) to serve. Also I'm thinking safety covers to stop getting sucked into the machine!

This idea is why I need to nut out the alignment and tracking, if I can skip paying someone to design it, I might be able to stretch to getting the "holy grail" instead of the "it'll do...just" option. On the flip side, I don't pay a designer, spend $500 and end up with a vibrating, belt throwing, bench destroying device.

I'm thinking of a metal 'top flat surface' because the less give, the better. I'll be chasing a sanded and polished dead flat surface in the end result. At the moment I think a thin steel sheet over 1" or so MDF might be the go. Round the ends of the mdf where the belt runs on and off it.
Cam PM'd me and in some stuff he sent the "flat plate" is called a platen, and it is covered with glass.

Cam: thanks for the plans. Got them. I'll post the link to the site you included. Its a bit different to what I'm after, but I'll take a good look and see how they do things, maybe it'll be the ticket.
http://www.mstarling.com/belt_grinder.html
Andy, you will like this site, espesh the "salt pot controls" page. See the comment about deer. From the main page, go Craft, Tool Plans.

Good point. I should have posted the link here, but I wanted to be able to send the extra pics too (which I didn't think were necessary for this site).

I hope that you get it sorted out - and post a few pics of the result!

Cam

Clinton

Have a look at the article I wrote on my Belt Sander Grinder (the MkII version).

The belt sander I got from Carba-tec was only $329 and has been superb. This is a CAST IRON machine, VERY heavy, VERY powerful. I work metal on it all the time.

SB609] CARBA-TEC 6x9 Belt Disc Sander150mm belt width. 230mm disc. New model features graphite slip pad and dust extraction outlet. Powerful 3/4 hp motor will not stall under pressure. Disc table tilts to 45 degrees. Belt platen swivels for horizontal or vertical sanding. Quick-release lever makes for fast belt changing. Stand and mitre guide included.

Pic below.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Derek, that carba-tec 6x9", what does the 6 x 9 refer to?
is it 6" wide by 9" long flat useable belt surface?

I checked, and they have a 6" x 48" linisher, $399 but only a 3/4 hp motor, next step is 1.5 hp for $899.
I think 3/4 hp will lack the power I need.

Thanks, some things to look at.

They still make sanders like Andy Mac described - they are called 'stroke sanders' nowdays & cost $$$$$$$. Gregory Machinery (Woodman Group) sell some - now the platten is moved by the machine rather than by hand across the surface to be sanded at the same time the belt is pulled past the platten. Big and I did mention $$$$$$.

Clinton - I though you were looking for a linisher style machine. The designation 6 x 9 means 6" wide belt and a 9" sanding disk - you have to get the manual to find out the belt length, but it will usually be 36" or 48" (900 or 1200) long, unless they want to to have to buy custom belts.

I picked up my LS Barker stroke sander for $350.00. I had to hire a car trailer to get it from Newcastle to Blue Mountains, and I had to buy a 4hp 4 pole motor to get it going, because I don't have three phase pwr anymore. Good deals can be had if you are not in a hurry. I fitted a hydraulic rise and fall to it, and it works a treat. (father in law owns hydraulic business )
Bloody heavy machine though.