Update on the Thickness Sander

Pretty cool! Keep working on the feed though. It makes a big difference.

-- Gary, East TX -- The longest journey begins with a single step.

i am amazd with your ingenuity. Keep us posted

-- making sawdust....

Congratulations on building a working unit. This is an interesting post.

-- With God's help all things are possible- even woodworking. Woodworking is not just a hobby, it is an (expletive deleted) expensive hobby.

Great work, keep us up to date :)

Thanks for the post

Callum

-- For wood working podcasts with a twist check out http://thetimberkid.com/

Thanks for the update. This is a great project. Looks like the manual feed crank works well. That is faster than my commercial one. I am amazed the drum didn’t launch that board across the shop without some kind of hold down. Can you gear down your feed motor and make it work? Have you tried using a car battery instead of a power supply? What holds the paper to the drum? keep up the good work.

-- A thing of beauty is a joy forever...

You might want to try a motor from the sliding side door on a minivan. I have used window motors and van door motors on different projects in the past. The van door motor is a similar package size but has more torque.
I too am curious what stops the drum from shooting the board across the workshop when it comes out.

-- Kyle Shipp, http://battleshipp.blogspot.com

I would imagine that the 120 grit sand paper conveyor is what keeps the wood from flying. As for what holds down the paper the drum, wedges made out of Oak screwed to the drum. Thanks for the comments. and other info.

-- "Keep Miaking That Sawdust," Lance

i like this project also great job ! a winch or hoist motor might work also they are geared down to about the right speed and have plenty of power

Your feed system looks interesting Lance. Thanks for the video clip. Readers might not have seen my version:

Or Dave’s

-- Res severa verum gaudium - True pleasure is a serious business. http://www.folksy.com/shops/TreeGems

Maybe try a powerwheels motor and gear box. Can be had pretty cheaply on ebay, and with some gearing and some voltage manipulation, you could further control it’s speed. They can handle 6 volt, 12 volt, and some people mod them to 18 volt, so a variable from 3 and up could work out for you.

I have one on my drill press table now.

-- No good deed goes unpunished!