Thread: my Drum Sander

Question regarding discs...

How did you secure discs onto the bar??? As in to prevent them spinning???

Originally Posted by Pauls321

Hi all, I've had a thread going on in another section here, titled "pulleys". The thread was when I was in the process of starting to build my own drum sander. Just wanted to share the final photos of the drum sander again. I am very impressed with the final result. Any other questions might be answered in the aforementioned "thread". Sorry about any glare in the photos, its a very hot day here today.

Regards, Paul

Hi Paul you have certainly done a great job on the sander .....
Colbra

WEOHS

Originally Posted by Prle77

Question regarding discs...

How did you secure discs onto the bar??? As in to prevent them spinning???

Dont know what Paul did

I used 2 part epoxy from Bunnings approx $14 for two little tubes and dried and set very quickly - minutes. Did the job.

Bill

Thanks Bill
As I'm planning to build quite a wide one.. (1000mm width) I just need to make sure that MDF discs don't start spinning on the shaft..
I will be using 1" solid steel rod with 2Hp motor to drive it (limited with power here.. cant use 15A otherwise I would go 2.5HP)
Planing to cut centre holes very tight and to combine that with fair bit of glue I am hoping it will hold securely onto the shaft..Otherwise might need to drill into the shaft and put few rods to prevent spinning??

Originally Posted by Prle77

Thanks Bill
As I'm planning to build quite a wide one.. (1000mm width) I just need to make sure that MDF discs don't start spinning on the shaft..
I will be using 1" solid steel rod with 2Hp motor to drive it (limited with power here.. cant use 15A otherwise I would go 2.5HP)
Planing to cut centre holes very tight and to combine that with fair bit of glue I am hoping it will hold securely onto the shaft..Otherwise might need to drill into the shaft and put few rods to prevent spinning??

I hope you don't want to be making anything other than light passes when using even half drum width with a 2HP motor.
Looking a bit more globally at this, have you though through the DC requirements for such a large sander ?
I worked at a location where they had a 2HP DC with one 4" port on a 600 mm long drum and it was having trouble coping.
Not much visible dust was escaping the drum, but the section of workshop was always covered in fine dust after it had been in use for a while.
Something like a 1m long sander needs a 3HP DC with something like 3 x 4" ports along the length of the drum to have a hope of handling the dust.
So if power is already limited in a shed then adding decent DC measures only makes it greater.
Same goes for other wood working machines.

A 3HP motor should normally run on significantly less than 15A - the main reason they recommend putting these on 15A circuits is because of the start up currents
You probably already have a motor but here's a bit a trick if you want to avoid using a 15A circuit with a 3HP motor.
Use a 3Phase motor which if used should cost very little (I picked up a 3HP motor for $35, funny that all my used 3 phase motors from 1 to 5 HP have all cost between $30 and $40).
Then buy a cheap VSD ($150 delivered) - total price will be less than the price of a new 1Ph motor.
Set the VSD to run up as a soft start so that it won't pull more than 10A at start up.
The VSD will also give you pretty handy speed control

This is what I plan to do for a belt sander I am designing - not because of power - I have 2 lines (20A and 45A) available in my shed - but because of the speed control. BUT it does mean I can run the sander on a 10A line if I need it.

Hmm dust collection might be a bit of a challenge here.. I've got only 1.5 HP DC... but in most cases I won't be using full width of it..
VFD is excellent idea... I'm planning of getting one for another project (planning to build CNC in the near future)

I'm happy of doing several light passes but ensuring I've got 100% flat surface.. Currently I'm using orbital round sander which is fine but doesn't really leave flat surface..

Planning to make few tables and other furniture and 1000mm width would cover 90% - 100% of those... (unless I decide to make full 2400 x 1200 dining table in which case I would need to take top to a professional cabinet maker to run it through commercial thicknesser and sander)

As I'm renting the property, upgrading the power is out of question.. although I can do it.. just the pain of getting the approval plus must get the work signed off by professional electrician.. doesn't really make it worthwile...

But I can make the equipment now and once I move to our place upgrade motors..

Originally Posted by Prle77

Hmm dust collection might be a bit of a challenge here.. I've got only 1.5 HP DC... but in most cases I won't be using full width of it..
VFD is excellent idea... I'm planning of getting one for another project (planning to build CNC in the near future)

I would still build in 3 ports and put the DC over the one that is closest to the timber.

I'm happy of doing several light passes but ensuring I've got 100% flat surface.. Currently I'm using orbital round sander which is fine but doesn't really leave flat surface..

Almost anything is an upgrade on an ROS.

Planning to make few tables and other furniture and 1000mm width would cover 90% - 100% of those... (unless I decide to make full 2400 x 1200 dining table in which case I would need to take top to a professional cabinet maker to run it through commercial thicknesser and sander) As I'm renting the property, upgrading the power is out of question.. although I can do it.. just the pain of getting the approval plus must get the work signed off by professional electrician.. doesn't really make it worthwile...

Sure - I understand.

But I can make the equipment now and once I move to our place upgrade motors..

Yep good point!

Originally Posted by Prle77

Thanks Bill
As I'm planning to build quite a wide one.. (1000mm width) I just need to make sure that MDF discs don't start spinning on the shaft..
I will be using 1" solid steel rod with 2Hp motor to drive it (limited with power here.. cant use 15A otherwise I would go 2.5HP)
Planing to cut centre holes very tight and to combine that with fair bit of glue I am hoping it will hold securely onto the shaft..Otherwise might need to drill into the shaft and put few rods to prevent spinning??

I used a 1" solid steel shaft and cut the holes so that every 2nd disc was a tight fit and that coupled with the epoxy seems to have worked ok.

Bill

What sort of motor are you using? Where did you buy it from? great job btw