A Monster Sander...

[Chris Vesper]

I thought to post a couple of pics of a recent acquisition of mine. It almost falls into the catagory of antique. Yeah yeah I spose its a bit of a brag, but its also a cry for help.

It is a 2foot diameter double ended paternmakers disc sander.
What I want to know is - has anyone seen any others identical? and if so, who made them? Mine has no brand of any kind on it. It is a fabricated base, not a casting.

The best I can work out is that it was probabely made in Melbourne in the WW2 era, or maybe by one of the government department workshops like munitions, railways or something...

It's a great machine, very heavy, accurate, and it goes like a train!!! A 5Hp motor that takes about ten minutes to stop when you switch it off. I modified it to raise the center height of the spindle to get a more direct downwards cutting force on the tables, better than the slight sideways tendancy it had before. Plus I can sand higher stuff now. It took a flame cut and ground 55mm thick block of steel under the motor to do that.

Any ideas on the maker or origins?

[wheelinround]

Chris if there is an inspection plate an ID plate may be in there

BL&&^^%dy biggin :2tsup:

[OLDPHART]

I've seen that type of sander in use by apiarists for sanding down beehives after they make them.

[Barry_White]

Chris

I used to use one similar but not the same as an apprentice Pattermaker. Like you say accurate, three phase and a long time to stop.

Used to use a single sided one at Tafe with a 75mm Bobbin Sander on the back. It was Wadkin brand.

[China]

Its only a guess, but it could be an early Macson, had one at a place I worked many years ago.

[clear out]

Chris, I recently sold a couple of similar sanders on ebay.
The smaller was a 24 inch double ender from the patternshop of a plastics factory here in Sydney. The other was 34 inch from memory and had a cast base, this I bought years ago, pulled apart and finally sold in bits.
Both were locally made for patternshops. We have a Wadkin disc and bobbin at work. Wadkin also made a 30 inch double ender. The one you have could well be a Macson as that brand became Barker and they did manufacture a larger double ender.I have also had a 16 inch Wadkin in the past and another old double ender of about 30 inch. The printers bole makes a good disc if you remove the blades and glue a facing onto the steel disc. Likewise the Nakashima? disc planer as it is compact and has nice adjustment.I am making a single disc with a 30 inch disc and a shallow table so that it can sit up against the wall for a smaller 'shop. A reversing switch will be fitted but he table will be non adjustable but QR. Any need for draft will be done with add on tables.The Wadkin bobbin is light enough to drag out if needed.Now I know why I never have anything to do with these sites, got a shed full of gear to dipose of and here I am on this waste of time gabfest.