How wide should a drum sander be.

[Sturdee]

I finally have started to build my drum sander and am making the drum. I thought of making the drum 600mm wide.

What do you think would be the best width of the drum? Is 600mm enough or should it be more ?


Peter.

[silentC]

I'd make it wide enough to sand a table top. 1200mm sounds good :D

Then I can bring the top of my parent's dining room table that badly needs restoring down one weekend ;)

[Sturdee]

Would be nice to have one so big and if I had one you would be welcome to use it.

Trouble is I don't have the room in my workshop for such a big monster. :D


Peter.

[mikeyp]

Is there any reason why a drum sander has to be horizontal ?

One disadvantage would be it flexing in the middle (over such a wide width)

The only disadvantage to a vertical drum sander (or at a slight angle if needed) I can think of would be uneven wear working over the bottom end for smaller pieces.

Regards,
Mike

[Bob Willson]

Hi Peter

If you are making a reasonably big one anyway, then I'd tend to go for 650mm as a minimum width.

The extra is because lots of things are 600 wide (1/2 of a 4 ft sheet = 610.8mm) and you may need the extra few mm to just sneak it in.

What are you going to make the roller from? Could you do a series of pics of the progress as well?

[silentC]

It might work if you had feed rollers to hold it tight against the vertical bed. Would probably be handy for wide sheets and would allow wider capacity without needing the floorspace.

I think most home made ones are going to be manual feed, or at least the feed rollers would be good enough to control the feed rate but probably not to hold it tight. With a normal set up, you can let gravity do the work.

Tank rollers (used to curve corrugated iron) come in horizontal and vertical configuration but the main reason for the vertical version is because curving long sheets can get very interesting as the curve gets tighter. The vertical ones let you keep it all at floor level.

[Stubchain]

Sturdee,

I know a very good engineer near Hobart that makes custom built rollers finished in vulcanised rubber. Just right for a drum sander.

[Sturdee]

If you are making a reasonably big one anyway, then I'd tend to go for 650mm as a minimum width.

What are you going to make the roller from? Could you do a series of pics of the progress as well?

Bob,

Over the years I've collected 3 different plans on how to make one as I've wanted to build one for a long time and the time has come to put it in action.

I have taken ideas from each plan to build mine. Most of the things I need I already have so the estimated cost of bits and pieces I have to buy would be about $ 50.

I've settled on 660 mm width for the drum, being 40 disks of chipboard some 16mm and some 18mm thick. This will allow for the sandpaper to be stapled on the ends and still leave 620mm max sanding width.

Larger would be nice but space is at a premium.

BTW the 40 disks are made and I took photos as I went along, when the drum is finished I'll start a new thread showing the steps taken to make it.


Peter.

[Sturdee]

Sturdee,

I know a very good engineer near Hobart that makes custom built rollers finished in vulcanised rubber. Just right for a drum sander.

Thanks Stubchain, but I want to make a low cost version and making the chipboard drum is very easy.


Peter.

[MajorPanic]

Hey Sturdee,

Having recently used a 52" dual belt sander I would recommend at least 1000mm :eek: ;) :D :cool:

[ozwinner]

Hi Peter

The one I made ( the Whirring Machine of Death ) is 600mmish.
Not too bad a size, but 900mm would be better.

Al :)

[Sturdee]

Could you do a series of pics of the progress as well?


Bob,


New thread started. (http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au/showthread.php?p=144059#post144059)


Peter.