Thickness Sander

Good looking piece of equipment Blake. I really admire those who can make their own.

-- Growing older but not up!

thats great, building a drum sander is something I’ve thought about doing for a long time but haven’t got to yet. your’s came out great too. those big drum sanders do seem overpriced for what they are so its good that we can always resort to making our own. thanks for the post.

Blake,

You did well with this. This is a tool that will be very useful in your shop. I would love to have one of these but, like you am put off by the price tag. I may have to look into building one of these as well.

Thanks for the post.

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

Can you come to my house and build one? That thing is great! I had looked at one on line someone had built before and wondered about building one myself. I make shaker boxes and it certainly would be handy. Nice job Blake.

-- Steffen

A drum sander this size would cost with shipping a little over $1100.00. I really don’t care what yours cost. You manufactured it from a drawing or an idea and its just the way you wanted it. Perfect. WoW what a undertaking. Your the Man!

-- Dominic, Trinity, Florida

that is cool. I want one so i can start cutting my own veneers. this would be perfect.

-- Joey, Magee, Ms http://woodnwaresms.com

Very impressive. Building stuff is one thing, but building your own power tool is DIY-extreme! Nice job.

Excellent Blake! I want to make one now. Question: Does only one side of the table elevate?

-- -John "Do I have to keep typing a smiley? Just assume it's a joke." www.flickr.com/photos/gizmodyne

This is great. I just favorited it!

-- North Texas

You have done a wonderful job building this sander. The only thing i would recommend is that you build a guard to cover the drive belt.

-- Scott, Kentucky ----- "Let us so live that when we come to die even the undertaker will be sorry" Mark Twain

Well Done Blake…. Now all we need are the detailed step-by-step plans. :)

-- Chris

Gizmodyne: Yes, the table is hinged in the back.

Scott: I thought about it but it is relatively out of the way, and I am the only one that will use this machine. But I might do this in the future, thanks.

-- Dust collectors suck.

Great job Blake! I know what you mean about it being easy to push through by hand. My first thickness sander
was only 3” wide! I won’t give my feed system though.

Again, Great job!

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

Great. Yet ANOTHER project I’m going to have to “get to”! LOL!

-- -Be Blessed!, Patrick

That is awesome. I will be contacting you when I build mine some day. How much time did you have into it. Time is one thing I’m short of these days.

-- Tony, Ohio

I wish that I had seen this before I wasted $1000 on my junk Delta drum sander….I’ve spent more time trying to get it to sand evenly across the width of the drum and the rest of the machine regarding the height adjustment is built so cheaply that it always binds up ….never again will I buy anything made by Delta !!!

-- Dusty56@comcast.net

Really cool Blake! As someone who enjoys making boxes, I could really put one of these to good use.

(Great photos by the way.)

-- Martin, Kansas

Blake, this is fantastic !!!! I love it when people make do with what they have…. you have very little invested. I have also invented many jigs and tools to do the jobs I need them for…. even if it’s a one timer.
Great job !!!

Dave

-- Dave Leitem,Butler,Pa.,http://dlcarver.etsy.com

Totally awesome. Thanks for sharing.

-- Depend on the rabbit's foot if you will, but remember it didn't work for the rabbit.

Future Lumberjocks Challenge? Build a drum sander!

-- -John "Do I have to keep typing a smiley? Just assume it's a joke." www.flickr.com/photos/gizmodyne

good one !

-- a legend in my own mind ...

I am excited to finally see this project!
The sander will definitely change the way that you work and what you are able to work.
Looks like a great job.

-- Todd A. Clippinger, Montana, http://amcraftsman.com

Looks like you have staked out a new line of teal blue tools. Excellent post and project. I jumped on the Jet/Performax 10-20, and will never look back, but I’m excited for you to have a drum sander. Just the ticket for dimensioning box assemblies, and you can pocket the difference between that big ticket purchase and the outlay for your the new Blakeline Drum Sander.

-- "Bordnerizing" perfectly good lumber for over a decade.

Blake, that is one of the best DIY drum sanders I have seen. I looked at quite a few before I bit the bullet and shelled out the dough for a Performax 16-32 machine a couple of years ago. Once the money was spent I never regretted it as it has saved me so much time. I use it on every project I do. I’m sure you will too.

Just one thing to watch out for. Given that you did not add a power feed system, make sure that you feed your stock through the machine at a constant speed. Any momentary stop or bump will cause the machine to create a “snipe” line across the entire width of your board. It can be sanded out with a second pass or with an ROS later but it is still a pain.

Happy Sanding!

-- When your work speaks for itself, don't interrupt! Henry J. Kaiser

This is very cool! A drum sander is on my list of tings to make for myself and I think I have found which plan to copy ;)

-- Praki, Aspiring Woodworker

If you don’t mind me asking, what do you estimate your investment was for this? I have a Shopnotes plan for a Tablesaw powered Sander I’ve been thinking about. They did it for under $300. $200 I believe. I’m with you, I can’t quite make the leap to the $700+ just yet. Couple other big essentials to buy before a time saver. Well done. Will have to favorite for down the road. Blake, you’ve kept adding some cool things to the site. Keep em coming.

-- Jeff, South Carolina

Very nice project, well executed. I’ve been thinking about mine for 2 years now and I still have not started, you have put me to shame for the quick turn around.

-- Tony - All things are possible, just some things are more difficult than others! - SKYPE: Heron2005 (http://www.poydatjatuolit.fi)

Thanks, everyone.

As far as cost…

• I already had the motor. But motors like this one are so easy to find (used) nobody should every buy one new for something like this (so, free)
• The frame was made from scraps of plywood (free)
• The drum was made from left-over scraps of MDF from the lumber yard (free)
• The guy at a local cabinet shop pulled the laminated feed table out of his dumpster for me (free)
• Plexiglas (scraps I had, so free)
• Pillow block bearings: $8 each
• Drill rod shaft: $10
• Dust port: $6
• Switch: $10
• Link belt: $30 (but you could also use a cheap A-belt for almost free)
• The rest of the hardware (nuts, bolts, all-thread, etc) : about $20
• Velcro for the drum: $5
• Roll of sandpaper (150 grit): $30

In other words, it is possible to build this sander for about $50 to $100 bucks.

-- Dust collectors suck.

That’s it, I’m gonna have to make one of those. You’ve done a fine job on this one… Thanks Blake for the post!

—Steve

-- As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17)

One word only. That is amazing. Thanks for this post. And congratulations.

-- Jiri

amazing job. i loved the rare earth magnets. well, actually i loved everything…

-- The woods are lovely, dark and deep, but I have promises to keep...

Cool! Ingenuity at it’s best!

-- I'm a wood magician... I can turn fine lumber into firewood before your very eyes! - http://www.woodworkersguide.com

Looks great Blake. Simple and effective is the best way, you engineered it well! Nice touch with the magnets too!

-- Casey, Engineer, Escanaba, MI

Downright impressive Blake. You make it look simple. This one statement of yours, ”I started it up and ran blocks of wood with sand paper stuck to them under the drum until it was uniform and true to the table.” said lot about your attention to detail. This simple and effective technique had me saying, “I would’ve never thought of that.” Very well done.

-- If at first you don't succeed, try again. Then quit. No use being a darn fool about it.

Excellent job Blake! I like your ideas on getting the drum round too! Very inventive.

So you’re using 150 grit paper but would it also be feasable to make another drum…one covered with 80 grit for thickness work?

-- Bob Vila would be so proud of you!

Excellent job. (as always from you). I just love shop made machines. I bet you will use it alot.

-- Stevethepeeve -- I'm no rocket surgeon

Right on Blake you da man!

-- Billp

Blake; You are my new toolmaking hero. Your drum sanding creation appears to be of better than commercial quality. Your “scrounge-itudinal” prowess is truly commendable.

Nice work bro.
Another favorite for me.

+1 on the request for a parts list, plans, and procedures.

I’m teal blue with tool envy. Man, this is really slick Blake!! Thanks for the post and well written explaination.

-- Jeff, St. Paul, MN

Blake you forgot a bullet point on your cost list.
. Making a $600 tool for $50… Priceless

I have a quesiton though. I am a little confused on how it works if the table does not have a belt on it. Keep in mind as you answer this question that my signature is not a lie.

I’m gonna have to put you in my buddy list for this post.

-- Total Freakin Newbie

Blake, this is fantastic! I could really use one of these, but, like you, the price has always put me off. Looks like I’ve got no excuse not to follow your lead.

-- Charlie M. "Woodworking - patience = firewood"

I really like this project. I’m jsut wondering how the dust collection can work. Wouldn’t the dust colelctor need to be pretty powerful to pull the dust all the way from the other side of the drum? As you can see, this question is coming from someone that still uses a shop-vac.

This came out really nicely :) Really nicely put together and I like the use of the magnets. Enjoy!

-- I am always doing that which I can not do, in order that I may learn how to do it. - Pablo Picasso

SUPER!!!!! I favourited it.

-- Only the Shadow knows....................

Thanks for posting this Blake.I have been wanting one of these too,but couldnt justify the cost.You have convinced me to build one too,thanks for the nudge.

-- " Stubborn tenacity substitutes for natural ability" ANDY

I just got the commission to build an outdoor bar out of a 6’x19”x4” slab of pecan. I was thinking my best approach would be to make sure my Stanley No.-8 was ScarySharp, but it has two rather intimidating knots in the middle of it. A tool like this is far and away the most cost effective answer, and just made the project seem a whole lot smaller for me!! So, you are inspiring us. Thank you.

Question: have you experienced any snipe through hesitating as you feed?

-- There's no tool like an old tool...

Dadoo: ”would it also be feasable to make another drum…one covered with 80 grit” …The sandpaper is attached to the drum with hook-n-loop (velcro) so it is very easy to change to any grit. A 150’ roll costs about $30 bucks so I have only invested in one grit so far. But when I collect a variety it only takes about 30 seconds to peel one grit off and replace it with another.

Spaids: ”I am a little confused on how it works if the table does not have a belt on it” …You just push your stock through by hand or with a flat push block. It’s very easy. As Mathew Nedeljko pointed out above though, you just need to keep a consistent feed rate if you push it through manually to avoid “snipe.” (Thanks, Mathew)

HokieMojo: ”I’m jsut wondering how the dust collection can work.” …My only dust collection is also a SHOPVAC. And it works great! It sucks the dust right up into the hood. And the fact that it is totally clear makes it easy to see the dust going right up into the port. In fact, I was worried that I would have to make some kind of hanging rubber curtain in front and back of the dust port that would reach the table and create more suction. But after the test run I have decided it is not necessary.

Texasgaloot: ”have you experienced any snipe through hesitating as you feed?” …Not on the test pieces yet. Most of my work is pretty small and manageable. For something large like that it would be tough to feed it consistently. I will have to be careful.

Thanks for the comments!

-- Dust collectors suck.

Very nice yes …..Great job …..

A very good use of leftovers and scraps and getting your moneys worth out of all your leftovers …And you are very fortunate to have lumber yard scraps available to you …as most Home Depots will not let anyone go foraging thru their scrap pile.. and finding a feed table for zero is a very nice find …

I used a Jet Drum Sander the other day and was so surprised and amazed at how great a help and assistance they are to just about any job needing sanding .or .thicknessing
and in looking at your design of the unit
seems the most critical part of your Drum Sander build would be the setup to raise and lower ????

I would love a drum sander that is for sure ….

thanks …again great job Blake …

-- Mike in Bonney Lake " If you are real real real good your whole life, You 'll be buried in a curly maple coffin when you die."

By the way, one great resource I found online is the PDF Owners Manual, Parts List, and Specifications Sheet on “Grizzly’s 12 sander. In fact, you can order parts right from their website! This is where I got the velcro wrap for my drum as well has the hook-n-loop sandpaper rolls. But this is also where I found tons of valuable information on drum size, motor speed, etc.

-- Dust collectors suck.

Shucks Blake! How can you top this one…home made CNC?

-- http://www.woodsongsfurniture.com

nice!

-- The only thing wrong with instant gratification is that it's not fast enough.

Beautifully done Blake! I still get enormous pleasure every time I use mine. (You know you’re a Lumberjock when you get…..)

Wish I had a bright red drive belt though! :>)

Thanks for the mention.

-- Res severa verum gaudium - True pleasure is a serious business.

Blake
A real great job
I have been trying to make one but my biggest problem was the drum but I think you solved that for me. The table you say is hinged How? and is it ajustable?

Great work

-- Nathan South Afirica

The table is simply attached with a piano hinge on the back and has a knob and long threaded shaft for raising and lowing the front of the table (see the photo).

-- Dust collectors suck.

Blake, Sorry I did not look at this posting sooner. The unit came out looking great and sounds like it works real good. I will be adding this to my favorites as well, certainly a project I have on my to do list.

Thanks for all the information.

CtL

-- Chris L. "Don't Dream it, Be it."

Super!

-- Dorje (pronounced "door-jay"), Seattle, WA

that’s awesome. you’re really talented!

-- life can always be weaved into a song.

SWEET!!! Well thought out, well built and you did it yourself. Be proud… I’m envious. Hummmm Grizzly is right up the street from me in Bellingham; guess I best get my buns in gear.

Maybe I missed it but what about the leading edge of the sandpaper? Does it catch? Does it tuck in somewhere? can you enlighten me on that please. Thanks

David

I thought I would have a problem with that but so far so good. I may modify it if it starts to catch. The drum extends 1/4” past the table on both sides. The table has runners that stick up on each edge to keep the stock between the sides. So it is actually impossible for the edge of the sandpaper to touch the stock and the hook-n-loop seems to be holding it down ok.

-- Dust collectors suck.

Just got to say, “Wow!”. I’m very impressed.

-- Michael, Fort Worth, TX. "I wood if I could!"

very nice, need to have one.

Californians do nice work!

-- Mark 6:3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary ...

Dang,

Guess what just went to #1 on my ToDo List!!

Thanks!!!!!!!

Lew