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IndustryArena Forum > WoodWorking > WoodWorking Topics > Home made Drum Sander
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  1. #21
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    So when it's set up as a 'thickness sander,' how much is it reasonable to expect the machine can take off of a typical hardwood per pass? And what grits are typically used for this purpose, and how long can one expect the sand paper to last when used for this purpose...

    Also, I'm curious as to the same questions with medium and fine paper when then being purposed for surface/finish sanding?

  2. #22
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    There's no such thing as a "typical" hardwood. You can probably be 2-3 times more aggressive with poplar than with maple.

    As a rough guess, I'd say you might be able to take off .005"/pass with 120 grit paper? Maybe more with 60 grit paper.

    Trying to take off too much will clog the paper and cause burning. And it'll only take about 2 seconds for this to occur.

    Even a 20HP wide belt sander can't remove much more than .01" unless you have a rough belt.

    I've never actually used a drum sander, though, so I can just guess. But I have used wide belt sanders for many years.
    Gerry

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    (Note: The opinions expressed in this post are my own and are not necessarily those of CNCzone and its management)

  3. #23
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    40 grit with a Hummel
    I don't know how much it takes off but it's incredibly aggressive.

    Quote Originally Posted by ger21 View Post
    There's no such thing as a "typical" hardwood. You can probably be 2-3 times more aggressive with poplar than with maple.

    As a rough guess, I'd say you might be able to take off .005"/pass with 120 grit paper? Maybe more with 60 grit paper.

    Trying to take off too much will clog the paper and cause burning. And it'll only take about 2 seconds for this to occur.

    Even a 20HP wide belt sander can't remove much more than .01" unless you have a rough belt.

    I've never actually used a drum sander, though, so I can just guess. But I have used wide belt sanders for many years.

  4. #24
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    I think of a drum or thickness sander as something to remove smaller amounts of wood to clean it up for finishing, not for removing large amounts of wood.

    That's where a thickness planer with knives comes in. My 13" Dewalt DW735X planer has both a dimensioning and a fine setting. If the wood needs sanding after dimensioning I use the homemade drum sander for that. Final sanding is still done by hand for many things.

    CarveOne
    CarveOne
    http://www.carveonecncwoodcraft.com

  5. #25
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    A planer wide enough for cabinet doors would be expensive... I probably would not ever need to take off more than 1/16".. So I'm kinda getting the impression that with 60-80 grit that might take 6-10 passes?

    For the most part, I would generally be using it for sanding blanks after gluing edge to edge.. Just to get them flat and smooth.... prepped so that uncarved areas are pretty much ready for finish after carving a piece...

  6. #26
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    For cabinet doors I think I would want to build or buy the thickness sander type of machine, especially because you want to carve them after sanding. That means you don't want any issues with tapered thickness from uneven sanding with a face sander like mine. What is the width of your widest doors?

    CarveOne
    CarveOne
    http://www.carveonecncwoodcraft.com

  7. #27
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    24" would be the widest... At some point I will 'probably' be getting into entry doors, which means 36"..

    So I'm going back and forth between just building a small cheapo 12-16" one now just to get me going for the smallish work I'm doing and then buying or building a 'large' one later... or a more extravagant build that will handle the 24" doors with a conveyor..

    I guess I could just take the entry doors somewhere and pay someone else to do them for me until I got to the point where I was doing enough to justify such a big machine...

    The other option, is to build a 26-28" wide machine with a 'tilt table' underneath for adjusting thickness now, but building the structure in such a way that there's room so that I could add in the micro adjust conveyor later...

    How long are the rolls of sand paper typically?

    and looking around on the web, all that I can find in the way of conveyor belts are 20" or less, and then jump up to 36" wide, they're made for specific models of jet or deltas or whatever, and they cost a small fortune...

    I was poking around looking for treadmill belts, but they are also mostly 20" or less wide.. Shouldn't the conveyor be as wide or wider than the material being sanded?

    Where are people getting their belts? And how are they building their machines for under $200 as some claim when the belts alone seem to cost $120-180 for the 20" widths?

  8. #28
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    Klingspor rolls are 10 meters (32.8 feet). I think it takes less than 3 feet to spiral around my 24" drum.

    The paper is trimmed on each end according to the angle that it takes to get the paper wrapped around the drum. Once you do that once you can use a worn piece as a template for marking and cutting the next ones.

    If you are going to need 24" of sanding width, add about 2" to that. The reason is that I wrapped green masking tape around the ends of my 24" drum to keep the pointed ends of the paper from snagging and coming loose. The bright color also clearly marks the sanding area boundaries. I could also screw blocks of wood over the drum where the tape is located to provide fences that insure that I stay off the green tape areas.

    I have a fence that clamps to the table top and rarely use it other than for sanding edges of "1 by" lumber at 90 degrees.

    CarveOne
    CarveOne
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  9. #29
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    Quote Originally Posted by CarveOne View Post
    Klingspor rolls are 10 meters (32.8 feet). I think it takes less than 3 feet to spiral around my 24" drum.

    What is the diameter of your drum? And what does such a roll cost?.. They don't have much info on their site that I could find..


    If you are going to need 24" of sanding width, add about 2" to that.

    Was already planning on making it 28" or so... Maybe I'll add a little more..


    I have a fence that clamps to the table top and rarely use it other than for sanding edges of "1 by" lumber at 90 degrees.

    Saw one clever DIY sander where the guy built a thickness sander, but built a second 'table top' with a hole in it for the drum to protrude through like yours, so that he could remove the dust shroud from the drum, and place that second table top over it on top of the machine...
    and surface sand the way you do... So if I wanted to add the 'fence' option, I could still do that.. in fact, with a little planning such an option could be built into the shroud full time..


    My first order of business will be to get to work on the shaft, the pillow blocks and the drum..

    Is it a good idea to use 1" pillow blocks on the 1" steel bar I have, or should I have the ends turned down and uses smaller pillow blocks? IOW, will I have issues with 'walking' of the drum, or are there plenty of ways to fix it and immobilize it? Also, will I have issues with finding pullys for a one inch shaft?

  10. #30
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    A planer wide enough for cabinet doors would be expensive... I probably would not ever need to take off more than 1/16"
    You can't run a stile and rail door through a planer...well, you can, but it might not be a door when it comes out.

    And 1/16" is a lot to take off. If you need to take off 1/16" from an assembled door, then work on your assembling skills. We run entry doors through our widebelt with a 120grit belt, and it might take 2-4 passes to remove 1/64" at most.

    The machine in the video I posted uses a sanding belt for the conveyor belt. You can buy a 36" wide belt and trim it to any width you want.

    And, unless you already have the motors, you'll spend quite a bit more than $200 on a drum thickness sander.
    Gerry

    UCCNC 2017 Screenset
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    (Note: The opinions expressed in this post are my own and are not necessarily those of CNCzone and its management)

  11. #31
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    Quote Originally Posted by ger21 View Post
    You can't run a stile and rail door through a planer...well, you can, but it might not be a door when it comes out.

    Never built one yet.. But Imma gonna!


    The machine in the video I posted uses a sanding belt for the conveyor belt. You can buy a 36" wide belt and trim it to any width you want.

    Why didn't I think of that?.. I'm starting to slip as I advance in the years...(chair)


    And, unless you already have the motors, you'll spend quite a bit more than $200 on a drum thickness sander.

    There are several motors around here.. You'd be surprised what all is around here.. It's just a matter of being able to find it before I get frustrated and go buy what I need... at which point I will then find what I was looking for (usually in plain sight) moments after I use the bought one enough to make it un-returnable...

    I know where there are two 3/4 HP pump motors right now... The pumps on them are burnt up so they're just waiting to be used.. I also know where there's a bigger one (I think), but it's seriously 'buried' in the pile! LOL


    And then there's the whole, buy something used on craigs list and steal the motor out of it routine.. ie an AC compressor motor, or some other piece of equipment (ie old pump)...
    :cheers:

  12. #32
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mountaincraft View Post


    My first order of business will be to get to work on the shaft, the pillow blocks and the drum..

    Is it a good idea to use 1" pillow blocks on the 1" steel bar I have, or should I have the ends turned down and uses smaller pillow blocks? IOW, will I have issues with 'walking' of the drum, or are there plenty of ways to fix it and immobilize it? Also, will I have issues with finding pullys for a one inch shaft?
    Klingspor 4.5" stearate H&L roll prices are here. 4.5" heavy weight H&L rolls are here. 6" heavy weight H&L rolls are here. Note that the 6" rolls are 25 meters long and is a major part of the much higher price list.

    My drum uses 3" PVC schedule 40 pipe. 3/4" shaft, 3/4" FMC P3-U212H pillow blocks (Ebay prices are around $18). Pulleys are available at Tractor Supply and other hardware stores.

    To keep the drum from walking or spinning on the shaft I put two opposing set screws in the 3/8" disks that I made to fit inside the pipe. Countersunk flat head screws hold the pipe to the three aluminum disks (one at the middle and one at each end). The pillow blocks have set screws to lock the shaft. If you use wood or MDF disks you can use a shaft collar at each end of the drum or use a spacer washer at each end if the pillow blocks are close to the ends of the drum.

    Your 1" shaft can be stepped down to 3/4" or 5/8", but I would not want to go smaller than 3/4" myself. Yours will have more pressure on it if you use a conveyer and drum plus a wider drum. 1" pillow blocks with locks seem to be abundant. Google shows a lot of them if you search on "1" pillow blocks" Amazon.com shows them for just $9.65.

    CarveOne
    CarveOne
    http://www.carveonecncwoodcraft.com

  13. #33
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    I buy all my sandpaper from Industrial Abrasives. Great sandpaper at very good prices. Looks like almost 40% less than Klingspor.
    Sanding Rolls - Silicon Carbide Floor Sanding Rolls, 1 Yard X 1 Yard Hook & Loop Sheet
    Gerry

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    JointCAM - CNC Dovetails & Box Joints
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    (Note: The opinions expressed in this post are my own and are not necessarily those of CNCzone and its management)

  14. #34
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    Quote Originally Posted by CarveOne View Post
    My drum uses 3" PVC schedule 40 pipe. 3/4" shaft, 3/4" FMC P3-U212H pillow blocks (Ebay prices are around $18).

    What size motor are you using, and what RPM are you spinning the drum? I was thinking of a 5.75" diameter drum.. Is that too big? Or is it a matter of motor HP and pulley ratio? Is there a recommended Inch per second rate the sand paper should be moving across the material being sanded?


    To keep the drum from walking or spinning on the shaft I put two opposing set screws in the 3/8" disks that I made to fit inside the pipe. Countersunk flat head screws hold the pipe to the three aluminum disks (one at the middle and one at each end).

    So far, my plan is to epoxy MDF disks to each other and to the shaft..



    The pillow blocks have set screws to lock the shaft. If you use wood or MDF disks you can use a shaft collar at each end of the drum or use a spacer washer at each end if the pillow blocks are close to the ends of the drum.

    That's kinda what I was asking about.. Do pretty much all pillow blocks use set screws? It's hard to tell from pictures on amazon




    Your 1" shaft can be stepped down to 3/4" or 5/8", but I would not want to go smaller than 3/4" myself. Yours will have more pressure on it if you use a conveyer and drum plus a wider drum. 1" pillow blocks with locks seem to be abundant. Google shows a lot of them if you search on "1" pillow blocks" Amazon.com shows them for just $9.65.

    I found some decent looking ones on Amazon for $6.99.. Will I be able to find pulleys for the 1" shaft that are also compatible with pulleys for most motors... (haven't pulled any of the motors apart from the pumps yet, but I imagine they're probably 1/2' shafts (or maybe 3/4")

    CarveOne
    :cheers:

  15. #35
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    I'm using a generic power tool type of 1/3 hp 1725 rpm 120vac motor. Mine could use a 1/2 hp motor though. It's anemic when sanding 12" wide boards with much pressure on it. I adjust the table top for shallower sanding and just make more passes. I think in your case you will need to scrounge up a 3/4 hp motor. I'm using two 3" pulleys and a 1/2" wide link belt for 1:1 ratio. I have no burning marks on the poplar and oak with 80 grit stearate paper.

    I'm sure that the surface speed is going to be a problem with a larger drum but there is a range of 3" to 7" (and larger) pulleys with 1" bores. Google "1" bore pulleys" to find some. 3" and 4" cast iron pulleys are relatively cheap at under $10. Ger21 may know where to find the recommended data for the surface speeds. Every type of wood will need something different to prevent burning of the wood. Oily and resinous woods tolerate a lot less surface speed than other woods.

    Look for "With locks" in the pillow block descriptions to find the ones with set screws or keys. Unfortunately, many sites use the same photo to represent all versions of the same basic part.

    CarveOne
    CarveOne
    http://www.carveonecncwoodcraft.com

  16. #36
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    What should I be looking for in as far as velcro to wrap around the drum, and what is the best method of attaching it? Epoxy, contact cement? staples?

  17. #37
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mountaincraft View Post
    What should I be looking for in as far as velcro to wrap around the drum, and what is the best method of attaching it? Epoxy, contact cement? staples?
    The backing strips are sold separately. They have a very aggressive adhesive on it like other Velcro products. You only need this piece once. It too is spiral wound, although it doesn't really have to be. I spiraled my sanding strip in the wrong direction though. That's why I had the problem with snagging the pointed tip of the diagonally cut sandpaper. When it wears out I'll cut it so the points trail behind the feed direction.

    The drum should rotate against the feed direction, not with it. Make sure to get that right. My motor rotates cw when looking at the end of the shaft. The motor is mounted under the left side of the machine with the shaft facing toward the left. That makes the drum rotate toward me. The table top is hinged at the rear and I can raise it from the front edge upwards to adjust the table height and clean out the machine. I have the drum surrounded with OSB under the table top and a 4" dust collector flange mounted to the bottom of the machine in the center of the drum. It may suck dust better if I had two 2-1/2" hose fittings under there that tee into a single 4" hose. These smaller flanges would be placed so they are equally divided at 1/3 length points of the drum from each end.

    CarveOne
    CarveOne
    http://www.carveonecncwoodcraft.com

  18. #38
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    I don't think that most thickness sanders use velcro. They just wrap the paper and fasten it at the ends.
    Gerry

    UCCNC 2017 Screenset
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    JointCAM - CNC Dovetails & Box Joints
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    (Note: The opinions expressed in this post are my own and are not necessarily those of CNCzone and its management)

  19. #39
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    Quote Originally Posted by ger21 View Post
    I don't think that most thickness sanders use velcro. They just wrap the paper and fasten it at the ends.

    Are there pros/cons to either method?

  20. #40
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    I've never used a drum sander, but I'll guess and say that velcro mounted is less prone to burning, and non velcro mounted is more precise, for a thickness sanding operation.
    Gerry

    UCCNC 2017 Screenset
    http://www.thecncwoodworker.com/2017.html

    Mach3 2010 Screenset
    http://www.thecncwoodworker.com/2010.html

    JointCAM - CNC Dovetails & Box Joints
    http://www.g-forcecnc.com/jointcam.html

    (Note: The opinions expressed in this post are my own and are not necessarily those of CNCzone and its management)

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