# Anyone used a table saw for sanding?



## spinmon (Sep 26, 2010)

Hi everyone! I am new to this forum and I have several questions. I'll just keep this one on topic and see if I can find the answers I am looking for in other posts. I am in the process of looking to upgrade my benchtop Craftsman table saw to a solid contractor saw with cast iron wings. My budget is somewhat limited, but I can probably get together $800 or so for the new saw which opens up my possibilities. Buying used would further increase the scope, but I'm not sure I want to buy someone elses possibly abused/neglected machine as one so important to the heart of woodworking. I've noticed tons of benchtop saws on Craigslist for $50-$75, so I think I may just keep my old one and convert it into a sanding station. Some of these can be expensive as a stand alone unit, and there is always a need for one it seems, especially with the projects I have running around in my head. I'm sure it can or has been done, I just don't know of anyone who has. Any idea where I can find solid backed sanding wheels for this possibly in 8-10" diameters? Also, does anyone know if there is a supplier of belt sanding attachments for an arbor in a tablesaw? I'm sure it can be done, I'm just not an engineer nor do I have the skills/machinery to mill a prototype. I'm hoping that someone else has figued out how to do it and is willing to sell me something. Any help would be appreciated.

John


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## Rick Dennington (Aug 27, 2009)

Greetings John,
I have never used my tablesaw as a sander…I don't think I ever would on mine, because I have a Delta 6×48" 
sander w/ a 9" disc that I've had for years. Fore me personally, the table saw is made to have cutting blades on it, and nothing else. But….they do make a disc for sanding that you mount on the t.s., and most have a 5/8" hole to fit the arbor.. Personally, if I were going to do that, I'd go no bigger than 10". You can get these disc at practially any ww supplier, like Rockler, Woodworking Supply, Amazon.com, etc..I think what you want to do would be ok and safe (with the disc), but not real sure with the belt sanding attachments…Maybe someone else will chime in and tell you.. Good luck in your endevors.


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## spinmon (Sep 26, 2010)

Thanks for the input Rick! its a small benchtop without much power or accuracy, but I figured the tilt of the blade would be convenient, as well as the ability to use the fence as maybe a quick jointer. The speed of the rotation may be a concern though, but it bogs down with plywood. It will probably never sell, and the return would not be enough to pay for what I'm looking for. I'll try it and see - it can't hurt. Looks like I'll be going to Woodcraft next weekend - like I ever really NEED an excuse.


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## Chip (Mar 13, 2007)

I was going to say that it would throw off the machine and not cut very well after putting perpendicular pressure on the sanding disk but I see now you're going to use an old one as a dedicated sander so never mind. Just don't expect it to cut anything with a blade very well after using it as a sander for a while.

By the way, welcome to LJ's John.


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## JasonIndy (Dec 29, 2008)

spinmon, I saw the exact same setup in an old Deltagram article. I have a Black & Decker table saw that's probably not too far off from your Craftsman. I bought some sanding discs and just cut out a wood template, drilled a hole in the middle, and mounted them. I was concerned about it burning because the RPMs are much, much higher but it turned out okay. It removes a lot of stock very quickly, though. If your saw's anything like mine, there's already a little bit of wobble in the arbor when it runs anyway, but I think Chip makes a good point, I hadn't thought of that.


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## Cwolfe (Feb 26, 2010)

Considering that table saws are used to cut coves in wood, I think using one for sanding should be fine. But, I could be wrong.


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## Dcase (Jul 7, 2010)

John- Be CAREFUL if you use a sanding disc on the TS. I was in the same situation as you. I had a cheaper bench style TS and updated to contractor saw so I put a sanding dist on my old saw. The first time I used it worked well at first but after a few min I heard a horrible sound and dust blowing all over. The RPMs are IMO a little to fast on the TS and that along with the pressure on the disc caused the sand paper to loosen up and come off. Now I don't know if this is any huge danger but I imagine if some of the paper hits you in the face it could hurt. If you use a sanding disc just make sure the paper is attached to the disc as good and tight as it can be. Mine was either glued or was a stick and sand paper, I cant remember. I did use it again but after a few more uses I found that it just turned way to fast and removed to much material for my liking. On rough lumber or wood where you need to remove a LOT it works well. For minor sanding I would skip it.


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## boboswin (May 23, 2007)

I had a sanding disk around here I bought from Sears for the table saw.
I can't see why you couldn't use an old anchor for a disc sander.
See ir Sears still supplies the discs.
I don't think I would try to set up a belt due to the motor speed on most saws ( 3500 RPM).
That could get exiting.


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## Jered (Sep 15, 2010)

I can't remember where I saw one; maybe grizzly? But somebody makes a disc specifically for a table saw. It is actually marketed as a setup tool for checking alignment. But then they sell sanding discs for it too. Sounds like a good use for an old tool.


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## Abbott (May 10, 2009)

Another idea; is I was able to find a well used 2hp 12" disk sander on Craigslist for $50.00. It has become a real "go to" tool in my shop. HF has new 1hp models for about $130.00 They are cheaper when on sale and a guy can get a HF 20% off coupon off the Internet or out of a magazine anytime you want to.










Link


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## DrDirt (Feb 26, 2008)

I have a sanding disc for my saw - like other have said - I found it runs too fast, and the positioning is awkward compared to a stand alone unit. The one I have is this one from amazon (actually Eagle AMerica)\

http://www.amazon.com/Table-Saw-Sanding-Disk-SANDING/dp/B001D6MF9Y

I do notice that you are asking about a BELT sanding attachment, and That is something I have never encountered.


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## richgreer (Dec 25, 2009)

There are situations where it is good to have a sanding disk that is in exactly the same alignment as the table saw blade you used to make a cut. This is a ShopSmith selling point. Set the tilt and the miter angle just right - make your cut - replace the saw blade with a disk sander and sand the same surface you just cut perfectly.

There is no reason the same principle would not work on a conventional TS, if you have a sanding disk to attach. However, on the SS you can turn the speed down and on the TS you cannot. TS speed is very high for sanding. It's doable but it is not ideal.

Frankly, I would not do it. A basic disk sander does not cost much.


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## jackass (Mar 26, 2008)

*I have done it. I was scared to death, because of the speed, it was too aggressive. There are better options, investigate those first. Ask a manufacturer what they think. There was a table saw blade available a few years ago that had an adhesive back piece of sandpaper stuck to it. Didn't last long on the market. Couldn't find out if it was dangerous or the sandpaper wore out too fast. Don't do it. That's all I can contribute.
Jack *


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## oluf (Jan 29, 2010)

I have an 8 inch sanding disk that is made for a table saw. I have had it for fifty years. It has a 5/8" arbor hole. One side is tapeted 3 degrees from arbor hole to the outside rim. You tilt your arbor to 3 degrees and it puts the sanding surface at 90 degrees to the table surface. Since the sanding surface is a shallow cone shape you are sanding on a fine line across the face of the paper perpendicular to the table saw table. the result is smooth sanded surfase, no chattering, and the paper lasts a long time. Used with the rip fence it is great for edge jointing. There are no sweerl marks. I know it came from Sears, but I don't know if you can still get them there.


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## docholladay (Jan 9, 2010)

There is an attachment you can get for a table saw to convert it into a disc sander. I don't know any way to make a belt sander in some way. The disc sander attachment simply attaches the same way as the blade normally would. The attachment is nothing more than a 10" diameter steel plate (about 3/16" thick, a little thicker than a normal blade for sure) with a 5/8" hole to attach to the saw arbor. You then purchase adhesive backed sanding discs that attach to the steel disc. I have one and it works well. The draw back, since I only have one table saw is having to remove the blade to install the disc (I have since purchased a separate disc sander machine), but that would not be a problem in your case if you purchase another saw. The big advantage to me would be that you could have 2 different grits (one on each side of the disc) that would prevent you from having to change discs as often. Also, you would have the convenience of being able to tilt the disc for some applications. Don't forget that you can also use the miter gauge as well. I could even conceive of using various types of jigs that run in the miter slots to help to true up, square up and at the same time, sand and smooth a piece. You can use it to trim just the correct amount for a perfect fit. The potential applications are virtually unlimited with a little creativity.


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## docholladay (Jan 9, 2010)

BTW, the disc that I have that fits my saw was purchased from Sears. I don't know if they still carry it anymore though.


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## spinmon (Sep 26, 2010)

Thanks for the input guys. I will try it out and see what happens. I've really got nothing to lose, and if it is too scary I'll put the saw on Craigslist and see how it goes.


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## dbhost (Jul 20, 2009)

The high RPMs of a table saw would scare me away from using it as a disc sander. I would be way more likely to get a cheap bench top sander like the HF 12" shown above than to convert a bench top saw…

BTW, if the arbor on that bench top will take it, maybe get a 6" dado stack and use it just for cutting dadoes?


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## lumberjod (Jul 19, 2013)

Maybe no one reads this thread anymore, but I saw a video on youtube on jointing and squaring by Ron Brown and Paul Therrien and they use a 3 degree bevel disc to clean up and straighten edges. Think it is one like this:
Sanding disc


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## knotscott (Feb 27, 2009)

I tried an aftermarket sanderpaper with adhesive backing to stick it to the saw blade. The high rpm of the TS increases burning during sanding dramatically. Just not a great idea.


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## bondogaposis (Dec 18, 2011)

I think most table saw motors are 3450rpm while most disk sanders run off of a 1725 rpm motor. That is where the speed difference comes from. I've done it and did not like it, as others have said the speed is too extreme and burns like crazy.


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## Andrewski (Sep 22, 2013)

I had the one from Sears back in the middle eighties when I had a cabinet shop. I ripped my own face frame stock. Was a lot cheaper than buying pre-cut. Anyway, after ripping, i would put the sanding disk on and run the stock through between the disk and the fence. Saved me a lot of sanding later and game me a very consistent thickness. I haven't seen one in use since though.

Andy


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## Tmtoolman (Oct 29, 2013)

I have wondered about this type set-up. I have a R.A.S. that I don't plan to use, so I picked up the steel disk and some sanding disk and was looking at setting it up as a disk sander only. Would there be a way to slow the saw motor down to help with the burning ?


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## bold1 (May 5, 2013)

I have a disc and use it quite a bit. They do run fast with the saw pulleys on. Does your BT have pulley drive or direct? I changed the pulleys on mine when I used it for large runs.


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## ohtimberwolf (Dec 17, 2011)

I have had one since 1988 and used it quite often along with the fence to smooth edges of rails and stiles. I keep two different grits on the blade, a fine and a medium. It really works well for me and I have never burned my wood. I move rather fast up the fence and barley touch the wheel to the wood. I got mine at sears a long time ago. Use it on my Delta contractors saw. I wouldn't want to be without it even though I have several different sanders. 
larry


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## TedW (May 6, 2012)

I'm with Jackass (I've always wanted to say that)... Don't do it. Sell the bench-top saw, buy a sander, and get on with woodworking.


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## Knothead62 (Apr 17, 2010)

I bought a metal sanding disk and round sand paper from Woodcraft. I never had any trouble. Just don't force the wood into the sandpaper. The old TS I had was a cheapie that had the perforated top. I cut a strip of wood and held it down with some 1/4-20 screws and wing nuts. I would set the angle with a square, tighten the screws and sand away.


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## anneb3 (Feb 23, 2014)

I have one of those sander discs, bought it before I could afford a jointer and and planer. Used up all the sandpaper designed for it. Went to buy more, but Sears doesn't seem to sell it any more. Then bought the jointer. I did see that Shopsmith was selling the conical paper, but not interested any more.


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## AlaskaGuy (Jan 29, 2012)

I don't know because I haven't done it, but if you were dedicate an old bench top saw to a sanding machine could not change pulleys and slow it down? Of course it couldn't be a direct drive saw.


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## Planeman40 (Nov 3, 2010)

My solution would be to sell the Craftsman table saw and use the money to buy a good dedicated sander, probably the Harbor Freight sander noted above or a combination 6" Belt/disk sander. I think you would be much better off. I tried one of those Sears table saw sanders many years ago and though it worked, the speed was way to high for a sander. It often burnt the wood as it sanded. I can't recommend it.

Planeman


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## SCOTSMAN (Aug 1, 2008)

The bearings on a tablesaw are not designed for lateral (sidewards motion).It is not a good long term idea plus there's the speed issue etc. Plenty of people make a good job of a disc sander from other parts,I would buy a new or used sander disc or make one from a different source,in fact I may well do this as I have currently a twelve inch and miss my old sixteen inch one.Alistair


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

Hurrah for 4 year old threads! Who cares about bearings on a saw you'll never use again and it's a direct drive saw anyway so speed control should be simple. Slap a $30 sanding disc and a $20 speed control on that puppy and go.


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## Mtztender (Jun 3, 2016)

O( I'm not sure of all the tech stuff you all are discussing but look at the set up that was given to me


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## RogerM (Oct 31, 2011)

Been there, done that, wouldn't do it again!!!!


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## clin (Sep 3, 2015)

Alex, can I have "double necro-thread" for $500.

OP 6 years ago, restarted 2 years ago.

But, hey I'll play. Disk sanders are a great tool. Probably use my 12" disk sander as much as my router. Only the table saw and hand drill get used more.

Someone, in a now 6 year old post in this thread, mentioned making a wooden disk. I strongly discourage doing any DYI disks. Lots of force on something spinning that fast, that is that large. If it comes apart, bad things are going to happen.


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## MrRon (Jul 9, 2009)

I think the speed is too much for sanding, but if you are trying to convert a "benchtop" saw to a disc sander, I believe the motor on that saw is a universal motor (brushes) and the speed can be adjusted with an add-on speed controller. HF has one for $18.99 + a 20% off coupon. I have one on my 2-1/2 hp router; works great.


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