Drill Press Thickness Sander

[Mike Wingate]

I have seen some purpose built thickness sanders, but needed to get this job done. I used to use the lathe with a bed setup and the sanding drum in a chuck, but stuff is in the way. So my drill table fence came in handy. I went for a low fence and there was enough support to sand the back of this ukulele head[URL=http://s130.photobucket.com/al...ingate_52/Ukulele Build/th_PICT0104.jpg[/img][/url]

 

[Mike Wingate]

Rear of head.[url ][/url]

 

[Mike Wingate]

Fence.[URL=http://s130.photobucket.com/al...ingate_52/Ukulele Build/th_PICT0101.jpg[/img][/url]

 

[devonwoody]

Thanks for that tip. For me the problem is to remember :wink:

 

[John Brown]

How does that work? It seems to me(what do I know!) that either you need some sort of sprung fence or else you will put too much sideways stress on the drill. Can you elucidate, please?

 

[Mike Wingate]

The fence is clamped to the table with 2 bolts. Fine adjustment on one to slightly reduce the gap between fence and wood. Feed the wood into the spinning sanding drum, pull back and remove, adjust the fine adjuster, and repeat. I only take off a fraction at a time, and it leaves a nice curve to start the volute at the base of the headstock. [url ][/url]

 

[wabbitpoo]

Keeping the piece between the drum and fence - isn't it prone to grabbing?

 

[Mike Wingate]

No, because you are feeding the wood into the sander. The amount you take off is minimal, so no grabbing, not much resistance and no burning.Safe.

 

[OPJ]

It may not 'grab', if you feed it in the correct direction but, how do you prevent kickback? This seems like an issue with smaller/shorter pieces (I've thought about doing something similar with my bobbin sander but have not yet bothered).

 

[naulattaa]

Your sanding drum was really round and centered?

I tried that method some time ago to thickness the side strips for a violin but found out that my sanding drums were not so good for small items that need quite good accuracy. So, that time, rather than spent the time or money I finished 'em by hand...
But as it seems I have to make some parts for couple more instruments, I might have to return to the issue and have to make my own sanding drum or buy a better one. At the course premises they had carrol's sanding drums that seemed quite solid and nice.
Luthier stores seem to have complete systems with drums on "extra" bearings (they market them as precision thicknessers) . Pricy though.

 

[monkeybiter]

I know nothing about stringed instruments but I have thicknessed in this way, however I found that as I fed the piece through the drum/fence gap I needed to change hands from pushing to pulling, at which point the brief change in speed caused dips and grooves in the wood. Maybe you could make a sliding carrier to hold the piece to be sanded/thickness as you slide it past the drum without having to swap hands.

 

[Mike Wingate]

For a carriage, you could use a bearing drawer slide and add a handle for extra control. Copy sanders have a bearing wheel below the drum to ride the template. Dead man's finger guide?