Thread: Sturdee Laminate/veneer Roller.

For some time I have been interested in getting a laminate/veneer type pushdown roller. Although I have seen them in overseas books and magazines I have been unable to find one locally.

When I was cleaning out the shed for my finishing room I found an old portable typewriter that I haven’t used for about 30 years but never thrown out (I am a hoarder too, Jackie ).
This gave me the idea of building my own using this old typewriter roller.

The roller is 240mm * 32mm diameter and after a good clean up with metho looks as good as new. At one end has a ¼ inch hole and the other end has a 5/16 size hole which allows it to be fixed to a handle with cut of coach bolts.


The first picture shows the various parts used. Dimensions are dependent on the roller used but mine has an overall size of 290 * 155 mm.

The second picture shows the cut of bolts fixed to the sides. On both sides of the timber sides I used double nuts tightened against itself and a washer.

The third picture shows the sides being glued and clamped against the handle. At this stage you have to fit the roller over the bolts before gluing. Whilst I used the worlds best glue (Garrett Wade’s 202GF) these joints will have considerable pressure on them so after the joints were dry I drilled at each side two dowel holes and glued in 8mm dowels making in effect double round through mortice and tenon joints. See picture no 4.

Picture no 5 shows the details of the way the roller is fixed to the cut of bolts , on the outside a covered the nuts with a rubber chair stopper.


Peter.