Thread: Ideas wanted - disk sander table

Hi from first time poster. I am also heading down the path of a diy Sander only a' la Hoover washer. I am trying to source a hub/connector/faceplate to join the motor to a magical MDF 12" disc. Any recommendations or suppliers around Sydney would be greatly appreciated. The West Farmers House of Male Fantasy has nothing remotely feasible.

Hi Peter

You could always just get a Triton 9" aluminium plate/sanding disk. Glue on a velcro (hook-and-loop) face, and exchange positions with your saw blade when needed. All parts should be available from Timbercon or Carba-tec (I did this many years ago). Both sell the sandpaper disks.

Regards from Perth

Derek

I'm thinking at the moment of an MDF disk, and a table made of 2 MDF pieces at right angles with triangle braces - they would obviously need cut outs for the disk. I could rout out a track for the mitre gauge. This wouldn't give my and angle adjust on the table, but I'm not sure I'd use that all that much anyway. Guess I can cross that bridge if I ever come to it. I did look at the Triton disks but I couldn't find any. Not sure if they still make them.

Peter

Hi Peter,

Many years ago I made a disk sander using a 9" angle grinder disk. I glued the 80 grit paper on with bears disk cement, don't know if they even make that stuff anymore.

Derek's suggestion of starting with a triton aluminium disk is a better one. The local bunnies should have them. or see... http://www.triton.com.au/product.php?id=51

Once you have the disk, the rest is pretty straightforward.

Regards
Ray

My 16" face plate sander is here https://www.woodworkforums.com/showth...ghlight=sander

I built a 12" disk sander, based on my lathe. (originally my old heirloom, but later modified to fit Nova 3000)

It is in frequent use.

Disk was 5mm (1/4"?) ally plate. Marked out and cut with metal blade in jigsaw. Drilled to match a spare faceplate, and threaded to take M6 machine screws. Once it was attached, ran the lathe, and trued up the edgs using scraper. Originally I would put it on the stove to heat up, and prime with hotmelt, before applying disk, and allowing to cool. Now replaced with Velcro, (convenient but not as secure.)

I would not worry about your bolt holes. I made up a table of ply and melamine chipboard, which sits on the ways of the lathe bed, with a threaded rod down through the ways to a crossbar to secure.

To set up takes ~ 2 min.

Melamine table was routed to take an ally channel, in which slides a "mitre", in fact just at rt angles to the sanding disk.

Has served me for some 10 years.

If I can find the camera, I'll post some piccys tomorrow.

regards

Two things:

• If the machine develops any serious amount of RPM, I'd seriously think about using ply instead of MDF. I've used both as faceplates on my lathe and when MDF lets go it tends to disintegrate big time in one instantaneous "OUCH!"
  
  Ply will often give warning that it's about to let go (eg. it may start vibrating during use), enough that you can hit the stop button and step to safety. Also, even after it lets a piece go, most of the disk will stay on the machine. MDF doesn't.
  
  
• Before adding the sandpaper, switch the machine on and true up both the disk's rim and face with a scraper/sanding block. If you can do this on a lathe, all the better, but it can be done "in situ" with a bit of creativity (and a modicum of terror.)

Originally Posted by murraystewart

Hi from first time poster. I am also heading down the path of a diy Sander only a' la Hoover washer. I am trying to source a hub/connector/faceplate to join the motor to a magical MDF 12" disc. Any recommendations or suppliers around Sydney would be greatly appreciated. The West Farmers House of Male Fantasy has nothing remotely feasible.

Hi Murray,

Welcome to the forum,

Have a look for a belt pulley, if large enough it can be used to mount the mdf disk,
Just screw through the pulley on to the back of the mdf disk. More screws is better.

You might be able to scrounge one if you are looking at old washing machines, and see if you can find one that has a hub that fit's the motor shaft.

This one (now about 20 years old) originally used an angle grinder disk later upgraded to use a triton disk, and is screwed from the front (with 3mm cs screws) still works fine. I remember trueing the pulley by running the motor and holding a sanding block
against it. (be careful)...



The funny looking fluff is from the buffing wheel that sits just in front of it.

Total cost for motor and pulley was zero. Just ask nicely at any washing machine repair place.

A 12" disk might need a bigger motor than the 1/3 hp washing machine motor.

Regards
Ray

Edit: I think I cross posted with Skew, but I agree, a good quality ply is a much better choice than mdf.

Originally Posted by RayG

The funny looking fluff is from the buffing wheel that sits just in front of it.

Thought it might have been a poor pussy that got grabbed and met up with some 40 grit.

Thanks all. You've given me food for thought. Skew (or anyone else) what would be a good thickness of ply for a 12" disk to make sure it doesn't flex? My machine has a 1hp motor so power shouldn't be too much of an issue. I do have a lathe to true is all up. I think I will probably try and use the bolt that will actually bolt the disk in place and hold it in a drill chuck in the lathe for this job. Should work. What are thoughts on using a 12" velcro pad on this disk? Worth it or should I just glue the paper on and be done with it?

Thanks

Peter

Originally Posted by Waldo

Thought it might have been a poor pussy that got grabbed and met up with some 40 grit.

Outch!



Meet "Fluffy" hiding in a remote corner of the shed.

Yep, another free washing machine motor.

Regards
Ray

Originally Posted by petersemple

Thanks all. You've given me food for thought. Skew (or anyone else) what would be a good thickness of ply for a 12" disk to make sure it doesn't flex? My machine has a 1hp motor so power shouldn't be too much of an issue. I do have a lathe to true is all up. I think I will probably try and use the bolt that will actually bolt the disk in place and hold it in a drill chuck in the lathe for this job. Should work. What are thoughts on using a 12" velcro pad on this disk? Worth it or should I just glue the paper on and be done with it?

Thanks

Peter

G'day Peter,

19mm would do the trick., wouldn't need thicker than that. To attach my discs I got a mesh backing whatyercallit to the size of the velcro backed s/paper, glued it to the disc which makes changing paper as simple as.

OK thanks. I have a bit of 6mm ply hand, so I may look at laminating 3 thicknesses of that. Cheaper to use what I already have to hand.

Peter

Thanks Ray looks like scrounge time begins. I love how safe we all operate, obviously guards removed for photo on your machines....