An edge sander
After having a couple different oscillating spindle sanders, which are great machines for small pieces and concave curves, I realized limitations with convex and flat surfaces, and decided to build an edge sander.
I ended up finding a great plan in an old shopnotes magazine - the same plan is now available at their website: www.shopnotes.com.
The machine uses standard 6"x89" sanding belts. The belts are simple to install and center easily with a separate tension and alignment screws. The machine is driven via a 1.5hp 1750 rpm motor and has 2 tables and a dust chute.
This page shows some pictures of the completed machine. It was a very straightforward build using material available at most home improvement centers and a spare motor I had.
An internet search for "shopnotes edge sander" will bring up a few other sites with info on similar machines.
I ended up finding a great plan in an old shopnotes magazine - the same plan is now available at their website: www.shopnotes.com.
The machine uses standard 6"x89" sanding belts. The belts are simple to install and center easily with a separate tension and alignment screws. The machine is driven via a 1.5hp 1750 rpm motor and has 2 tables and a dust chute.
This page shows some pictures of the completed machine. It was a very straightforward build using material available at most home improvement centers and a spare motor I had.
An internet search for "shopnotes edge sander" will bring up a few other sites with info on similar machines.
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Here's the front view. The brown box on the right is a dust collection hood. The motor is in the red box behind the switch. There are 2 tables - one in front of the platen and one that goes around the left drum, which is typical of machines of this style. The platen is made from mdf with a piece of formica laminated to it, which I expect will eventiually wear out - but it can be easily replaced
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The main change I made to the machine was based on flange bearings I had, which made the machine a little taller, but the table heights weren't affected.
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This is the front table height adjustment. Both tables have similar height adjustment, but the drum table has a single slider and lock. This is an area where I want to upgrade as it's cumbersome to raise the tables, yet it's something you want to do to get even belt wear.
The square plywood plate on the right is a backing for the motor mount bolts. |
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The dust collection hood is very effective and easily removable via a single screw and knob.
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Final thoughts
Overall, this machine has been a success and is used on almost every project. After using it for the past few years, I have realized some limitations that will hopefully be addressed soon.
- The motor is a bit undersized, it stalled too easily
- As mentioned above, the tables are too difficult to raise and lower
- Tilting the tables is not an option, but would make for a great improvement
