Clarke CS4-6D Belt And Disc Sander

[Fiddler]

I've been promising myself a belt sander of some sort for a long time now with the intention of sharpening blades etc. This week I visited Machine Mart and picked up the Clarke CS4-6D Belt And Disc Sander. This afternoon I sanded a log down through the bark and to a very good finish in no time at all; without the sander I would have spent hours whittling away to achieve the same result. The only problem now is, it makes so much dust I need a dust extractor!

Another plus is the mitre guage fit my bandsaw

 

[cutting42]

I have the Axminster badged version of this and agree it works well and does generate a lot of dust. The only criticism I have is the work rest is very hard to keep level and the mounting bracket is not that good so keep an eye on it if you are trying to make accurate angles.

 

[RogerP]

I have a very similar machine, a Draper, that I've had for 10 years or so. With a vacuum connected it's nearly dust free to use on the belt but unfortunately the disc dust extraction is fairly useless.

 

[Rusty999]

Hi Guys, Just wondering if anyone has ever had this problem with the Clarke CS6-9C Belt & Disc Sander. I just received mine and first thing I noticed was the box was in a very battered condition and had obviously been through the wars during shipping to Ireland. I informed the distributors by email and he came back to me saying it should be ok and he would note my email. I plugged it in a few days later when i finally had my new workshop finished and it came on fine but when I attempted to raise it to the vertical position the Bolt fell right down inside the dust guard housing. What had happened was that the Nut had worked its way loose and the instant I began to put a spanner on it {as you are meant to in order to loosen it enough to raise the table} it dropped down.

I eventually retrieved the bolt and nut but then here's my dilemma . In order to slot the bolt back in I would have to remove the Disc. There's no other way as far as i can see. So, I removed the Allen bolt holding in the disc but the disc itself refuses to budge. I will post a few pics to explain the situation. Hopefully some one can advise me.

Oh, and yes I did contact the distributer but 2 weeks later he is dragging his heels and got back eventually today to say its not a warranty issue and he would need 10 quid to have it picked up and taken back to his depot to have a look at it.. I live in a different county to his address so I have no idea what the 10 quid is all about. I am guessing if it was a warranty issue it would have to be returned to the Uk for replacement or fixing.

 

[Rusty999]

Ahh, that pic file is too big and will not post --sorry

 

[MARK.B.]

Not sure but it looks as though there may be some sort of tapered keyway that is holding the disc in place.

 

[SammyQ]

Rusty, 'Yer Man' is a (Father Jack adjective)ing Chancer! The item was damaged in transit, end of story. There are U.K. laws covering this, laws that govern HIS dispatch, not your receipt; I'd be amazed if the E.U.[Irish] jurisprudence doesn't also cover "NOT FIT FOR PURPOSE" problems like this.

On a more positive note, what little I can see of your problem reveals a keyed shaft with what appears to be an interference (jam-it-on-tight) fit. That means a press was used to push the disc onto the shaft. A good garage (the old fashioned sort, down the country) or a small engineering works with a "Bearing Puller" will have that off for you for the price of a Guiness. If you're near Belfast, I'll do it, only I prefer Tanglefoot Ale.......Putting it back will mean getting inventive with two sash cramps and a plate of stiff material (or ask the same garage) to force it back on the shaft. No biggie really; everyday job for an old-fashioned mechanic.

Good Luck! Sam

 

[Spindle]

Hi

With all respect, using a bearing puller will more than likely result in the cast alloy disc fracturing, (its pretty insubstantial and at 6" diameter a lot of bending force will be induced by the puller).
I would suggest starting with a combination of penetrating oil, heat to the disc, (heat gun if you have one), and gently tapping the shaft whilst supporting the disc in the opposite direction, (put the screw fully back into the shaft to avoid damaging the shaft / thread).

Regards Mick

 

[SammyQ]

Point taken Mick. I don't have this sander, never had even had a look at it; I thought from other photographs that there was room to winkle in the 'split circle' plate of most bearing pullers. If it is the case that there is NOT such room, then you are quite right, the moment of force exerted from rim to centre boss will fracture the plate

I second the motion on a heat gun; NOT any form of torch, as it looks like aluminium in the plate? Also diesel, though smelly, is a superb lubricator, leading to freeing up of stuck hardware. Can take a few days though.

Sam

 

[Graham Orm]

Assuming that you have given up on any form of warranty. Drill 4 holes in the disc to take self taping screws. Make a plate with a hole in the middle and 4 holes that correspond with your holes in the disc. Put a bolt (slightly smaller than the shaft on the machine) through the hole in the center of the plate with a nut between the plate and your disc. Put your self tapping screws through the plate and into the disc but leaving enough space between the plate and disc to get a spanner to the nut. (The 4 holes in the plate should allow the self tappers to pass through cleanly). Warm the disc. I would use a torch carefully rather than a hot air gun (your call). Start to turn the bolt through the nut so that it pushes against the end of the shaft and the screws pull on the disc. keep tapping the head of the bolt with a hammer as you tighten the nut. Hopefully the disc will release before the screws pull out of the alloy. You could always use more than 4 screws if you wanted.

 

[misterfish]

I have an older version of the '6/9' sander. To remove the disc on that invoves a long allen key that fits in a gap in the shroud around the disc to loosen a grub screw. Have a look at item 10 on the diagram on page 13 in my manual http://www.drosera.f2s.com/Sander_manual.pdf - maybe yours also has this.

Misterfish