What do you use your disc sander for?

[graduate_owner]

Hi all,
Now this may sound like a daft question but I have read a few posts about members with stationary belt / disc sanders saying they don't use the belt because of the bumping where the belt is joined, they make a lot of use of the disc. Well I was given a belt /disc sander (draper, 9" disc, 4" belt) and I only ever use the belt. I don't have a mitre gauge for it.
So what could I use the disk for? I have seen people cleaning up mitres so I could get a mitre gauge and use it like that, but what else? Also, would a larger disc sander be more useful? I have a cast iron sanding table for my lathe and that would allow me to use a disc up to 14", but again no mitre gauge. Is it worth bothering with a 14" sanding disk?

On the point of mitre gauges, I have one on my Scheppach table saw, one on my Startrite band saw, I have one from a Elu band saw p!us a couple of others and could modify one of these to fit the disc sander. But my point here is - they are all different widths or profiles, not one is interchangeable with any other machine. How annoying ( but how typical) is that?

Anyhow, disc sander ideas appreciated.

K

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I use a wooden (mdf, atm.)disc of about 10" - 12" with 60 - 80 grit (three strips) stuck to it on a faceplate on the lathe for grinding plane irons, chisels and knives. When the paper is exhausted I peel off the abrasive, skim the disc flat and start again. I get about 5 - 6 uses from a piece of scrap 18mm stuff. You have to be extremely careless to burn anything, and it's great for flattening and taking pits out of the backs/faces of chisels. You can of course use metal discs if you use a 100% washable glue, but contact is a sod to remove. Even non waterproof PVAs now are difficult to soak off - I used to use green Resin W, but no longer.

 

[woodpig]

The best discs I've found for my belt and disc sander have some sort of plastic substrate rather than paper and come off the (alloy) disc very easy. I only wish I could remember where I got them!

 

[sunnybob]

I have a 6" disc / 4" belt sander. The best use I found for the disc was 45 degree mitres on small drawer sides. With careful setting up of the angle, they are finished and ready for gluing straight from the sander disc.

I use the belt a LOT! Quick removal of excess wood is a breeze. I even make my own belts in finer grit sizes. I have a 240 grit belt. Its true that the join does bump, but the noise is a lot worse than the judder, and the time saved is well worth it.

 

[woodpig]

The best belts are butt joined ones, you don't get any bump with these as the joint comes round.

 

[dzj]

Mdf disk also. 550mm in diameter. 4kw motor. Usually 80 grit.
Mostly for mitres and end grain work.
Also for convex arcs, bevels, small reduction of stock thickness...
I touched up planer blades on it once or twice when in a pinch.
But that's probably against the law.

 

[Neil S]

I have one of the combined belt / disc sanders. I used to only use the disc because the belt was set to the flat position. The disc was only small at 6" though.
As part of a thread discussing this I decided to flip the belt up, change the table to the belt position and I have not looked back.
I only tend to sand things free hand or to a pencil line so absolute precision is not important. I've not noticed the work jumping over the belt join. Also, I think my belts joint is diagonal so the jump is minimised.

-Neil

 

[graduate_owner]

Now that is interesting because I only use the belt in the horizontal position, for general finishing of surfaces. I might try the vertical position and move the table. Might make a useful turning tool grinder perhaps.

K

 

[sunnybob]

Vertical belt is much more useful. I bought a second table for mine to save keep changing it over.

Sliding mitre fence on the vertical table is what I use most.

i've just bought a Bobbin sander, thinking to retire the belt, but its very limited to curves, so the belt sander has a new lease of life.

 

[worn thumbs]

I don't have a belt sander,but I do have a cute little eight inch disc sander.I use it for cleaning and trimming end grain and the tilting table can be very useful too.I would absolutely love a much bigger disc as it would be useful on much bigger workpieces-unfortunately I just don't have the workshop space.The small bobbin sander I bought from another member here also comes in handy on the inside of curved parts.

 

[skipdiver]

I have a small mdf disc that i attached to my bench grinder and use it to round the ends of small wooden pawls that i make. Apart form that, it gets hardly any use at all, although i did grind a really old and rusty chisel to something like useful on it the other day.

 

[Alexam]

The best discs I've found for my belt and disc sander have some sort of plastic substrate rather than paper and come off the (alloy) disc very easy. I only wish I could remember where I got them!

Draper possibly?

 

[Stanleymonkey]

I use the disc mainly for squaring off or shaping ends of timber free hand (or to a pencil line).

I do us the belt - but not for anything subtle! Cleans off paint and scratch marks very quickly and good for shaping stuff for kids (rockets / swords etc : ) )

If space is an issue - I made a cupboard with a low shelf and mounted it in there. With the belt horizontal it doesn't take up much space and I have a removeable benchtop above.

If I have lots to sand - I can feel it in my lower back a bit afterwards as the working height is not ideal but it's a good way of fitting it into my shed!

 

[wallace]

I use my disc for cleaning up old bolts for my restos, and I like to do freehand grinding of my turning chisels

 

[SammyQ]

To OP:

For wood use only,

Disc sander = end grain (tenon ends, mitres, leg ends , dowel corners)

Belt sander = along the grain (plank edges).

Sam