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Home made sanding disc

Breck Whitworth

Breck Whitworth

Joined
Nov 1, 2013
Messages
325
Likes
737
Location
Gulfport, MS
Website
www.woodtreasuresbybreck.com
I am going to make a wood lathe mounted circular sanding board using a 12" PSA disc to stick on it. My little 9" one is not big enough for what I need so here is my question. I need to know what is the best type of surface for these stick on discs to adhere to. I will mount a small face plate to the back of it, but am not sure what type of board I need. I know they make a smooth white shelf board made of composite wood or particle board.
This is to those of you who have actually done this and know first hand what works the best. I don't want these expensive discs to fly off after a couple of uses.
Thanks Guys
 
I guess it would depend on how accurate you want it to be. You can take some thing like MDF and turn it down pretty flat, but I would never depend on it being dead flat. You probably could have a machine shop make some thing for you as well. I would think a metal surface would give best adhesion. You even may be able to find some thing to convert or that is made for this. The disc would leave some stick stuff and need to be cleaned with every change. I am almost surprised that there isn't a hook and loop system, but most 12 inch wheels would probably have head issues that would cause the hooks to fail.

robo hippy
 
I'm not sure what is "best"

I have two 12" discs that I made from MDF a long long time ago.

I put a 5" disc of MDF screwed and glued on the back of the large disc with a mount for the expanding chuck to fit in.
I then faced the front of the MDF dead true with a final sanding with sandpaper wrapped around a 1x3.
Then put a film finish on the surface that would hold onto the PSA keep the MDF from pulling apart.
I think it was probably just spar varnish I was using for something else at the time.

The still run true of Ina chuck.

I also have a small platform the fits into the tool rest
A 2x2 turned 1" round to fit in the banjo and a 1" tenon with a square shoulder to fit into a Morris in piece of MDF.
The square shoulder square the MDF .

Al
 
I'm with Al I've made a couple of discs over the years and just used Plywood or MDF and coated them with something like Polyeurethane finish.
 
Breck......

I hope you don't mind my giving you an alternative. I tend to agree with Robo, and foresee problems with anything but a metal backing running true/staying true. I also agree that you will eventually have problems with the sticky backing adhering to whatever you decide to use. It's never an easy job to replace the disc, but I've been using some "goof-off" to remove the residue left over from the previous disc.

Here is an aluminum 12" disc that can be purchased as a replacement part for their table top 12" disc sander:

http://www.grizzly.com/products/G7297/parts

Look for part number 25 on page 2......$33.

ko
 
I bought a piece of 3/4" thick melamine, screwed it to a 3" faceplate then turned it to a 20" round. Bought a 20" PSA sanding disc from Grizzly. Crank it up to about 1200 RPM. Works great. Mounted a rectangular piece of the melamine to a 1" post so I have a table that is fixed to the banjo.
 
I have used Plastic laminate as a surface for discs it works great. I haven't had any problems with the glue on the discs sticking to any finish I've applied. I also haven't had any real problems removing the sandpaper or adhesive. You may need to use a solvent to get the glue off but most common solvents won't damage a cured finish such as Polyeurethane. The biggest problem with plastic laminate is sometimes the adhesive that you use to apply it will vary in thickness and your disc surface then won't run true. Using something like MDF you true it up and finish it and it stays true. Quality plywood like appleply will stay flat as well. I often make my discs with a rebate to accept the dovetail jaws of my chuck. They usually run true but occasionally I will have to loosen the chuck and rotate it a little to make them run true. This happens most often with MDF because it's softer and I think the jaws bite into it. Playwood works better if your using the expansion Jaw method. A better alternative which I now use is to make your own faceplates out of nuts with large washers welded to them. Then permanently install the wood to this and true it up. Then it always runs true. I used to have lots of discs with different abrasives but since i now have a 12" disc sander and a 9" disc sander I only have one wooden one left. I use it to flatten larger segmented rings. I should preface this with the fact that my homemade discs are 12" or under. I would think you would have more problems with larger discs as least as far as them running true. In that case I would back a large disc of say 20" with a smaller disc of about 12" to make it more rigid.
I certainly won't argue that a metal plate is better. Just more expensive. I have a disc from an old Shopsmith but it only fits 5/8" shaft. Someday I will modify it to fit my wood lathe.
 
Taking up on odie's post- Woodcraft sells a metal disk that can be used on a TS. I have one and keep a supply of sanding disks on hand. Disk number is 129272 @$19.99. Listed under power tool accessories in the catalogue. Just a bit of time to change from the blade to the disk. Hope this helps.
 
Thank you all

I got the info I needed and a few alternative ideas if I want to go that way. Again thank you all for you input. I will be making one of these soon and your help was needed. Since I am not into serious segmented work I can be a fraction off, but if I can make it run perfect so much the better. If there is one thing I have learned over the years is that you never know the direction you might take in this wonderful world of wood turning.
 
odie said:
Breck......

I hope you don't mind my giving you an alternative. I tend to agree with Robo, and foresee problems with anything but a metal backing running true/staying true. I also agree that you will eventually have problems with the sticky backing adhering to whatever you decide to use. It's never an easy job to replace the disc, but I've been using some "goof-off" to remove the residue left over from the previous disc.

Here is an aluminum 12" disc that can be purchased as a replacement part for their table top 12" disc sander:

http://www.grizzly.com/products/G7297/parts

Look for part number 25 on page 2......$33.

ko
Click to expand...

brilliant !
 
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