Lathe disk sander

[John Torchick]

I know that this has been on the forum many times since I looked it up today. My TS sander works great as I indicated on another thread on the forum but a pain to change out for a two minute job. I tried using a disk sander and Jacobs chuck in the headstock of my lathe but the chuck started to drift out! Not good, IMHO. The Jacobs chuck isn't threaded for a draw bar (liked the thread on this subject) and needing to see what can be done. Don't really want to spend extra $$$ for a new chuck but advice is always welcomed from the forum members. I have lots of countertop cutouts I can use plus a couple of electric motors if needed for a DIY disk sander. Searched the 'Net and youtube but didn't really find anything. Wanted to use the lathe as it would save time and valuable shop space. Many thanks.

 

[Charles LaPrease]

How about using that face plate that you have put away and not used since scroll chucks came along.
You can attach the chuck to a piece of the solid surface material or other flat material (truing it round after attached) and then using pressure sensitive sand paper.
A base (sanding platform )can be made by turning a round post of hardwood the same diameter of your tool post and then screwing a small piece of plywood (or solid surface material) to the post.
Also a great place to sand if you have a dust collection system.

 

[John Torchick]

Charles, you are a genius! 😎 I have two face plates- one for my new lathe and the one from my old lathe. Both have the 1-8 threads! Many thanks for the reply.

 

[Raul McCai]

I bought one of the 1 & 1/4 by 18" diameter jig plate discs. part # AD1.25x18.68
http://www.sandsmachine.com/alumweb.htm

The nice thing about jig plate aluminum is that the material is wonderfully even in thickness having been factory blanchard ground and is as consistent in density throughout as is industrially possible so there are no balance issues when you spin it, assuming that it's turned true and not lop-sided.

Then I got a Steel Face plate
Then I drilled and tapped the disk after locating the face plate in the center. It's got 8 1/4-20 allen bolts holding it on the face plate and the threaded holes have detent helicoil inserts to raise the holding power

It's heavy but it was the largest diameter pre cut disk I could find and it was cheap enough
Then with the disk mounted I literally used hand held lathe tools to shave the OD edge of the disk true so as to balance it and Lo I can run the thing at quite high speeds and it's great.
Here's a vid
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmETxVW9src

 

[John Torchick]

Raul, that is outstanding. The metal would not be subject to humidity. I woke up at 5:30 this morning and was pondering this project. I have several sink cut-outs from a cabinet shop that I get for free (my favorite word). I could use a piece of it for the disk and cut out pieces on the TS to build the platform. My shop is what was the garage/basement and is dry so humidity won't be a factor. I'll try to post some pictures later when it is done.

 

[Hal Taylor]

What I've done is to use a spindle tap tool from Beall Tools (1 1/4 x 8 in my case) to thread a disc for the size you need then true up. Works great. The tap can also be used for jigs, etc. If the disc warps or whatever it's an easy fix to make another - and cheap.

 

[Raul McCai]

I have several sink cut-outs from a cabinet shop

Centripetal force will be a serious factor. I would be very concerned about the integrity of a stone, faux stone, or other composite material because of the nature of the forces involved. They are not what the material was engineered to tolerate. Natural products like stone will have internal stresses that can not be accounted for in any known process other than destructive testing.
Corian and faux stone are just not made for spinning. they have compression strength, like concrete, and not expansive strength
Be careful. Think of Lynne Yamaguchi who got hit by a lousy couple of pounds of wood.

 

[Gerald Lawrence]

I used MDF mounted on a block then screwed to faceplate. The MDF wheel is then turned true and sealed with varnish or any finish. Then use 3M adhesive spray to mount sandpaper. I used paper intended for a disc sander. You are right on with the riser. I made mine with the intention of using it in segmenting and just have not gotten round to that project yet.

 

[John Torchick]

Good point, Raul. I also have a good supply of plywood from other projects. Thanks for the info, Gerald.

 

[hockenbery]

Good point, Raul. I also have a good supply of plywood from other projects. Thanks for the info, Gerald.

John,
I much prefer MDF over plywood.
Unless you have top quality plywood aircraft grade or better.
It tends to delaminates when used for various lathe fixtures unless you have though bolts to prevent the delamintation.

MDF is $20-30 for a 4x8 it will last a long time even when you give squares away.
Plywood I would use for a lathe fixture will be closer to $150 a sheet.

My 2 cents.
Al

 

[Bill Boehme]

I thought that it is worth pointing out that aircraft plywood is very thin and exceedingly expensive. Thicknesses generally range from 1/64" to 1/4". Sheet size for spruce is typically 4 feet by 4 feet and the cost is in excess of $100. There is also birch plywood and mahogany plywood. You can get MIL-P-6070 mahogany in half inch 4X8 sheets for around $300 plus freight or basswood in 5/8" 4X8 sheets for around $500. Aircraft grade plywood is not the same thing as Baltic birch plywood that is used in high end cabinet work and typically comes in 5 ft. by 5 ft. sheets.

Many year ago I used to be an EAA member, but never got into building aircraft although I had a number of friends who were into it. It's one of those hobbies where your project never gets completed based on my observations. Most homebuilts were rag-wings and composites. Wooden aircraft just weren't that popular. Never made it to Oshkosh or Reno which are sort of the annual pilgrimages for those who are immersed in the hobby ... not too different than woodturners going to symposiums ... both hobbies have their dangers, but in woodturning the cost of killing yourself is a lot lower.

 

[John Torchick]

Thanks for the info.

 

[olaf Vogel]

I thought that it is worth pointing out that aircraft plywood is very thin and exceedingly expensive. Thicknesses generally range from 1/64" to 1/4". Sheet size for spruce is typically 4 feet by 4 feet and the cost is in excess of $100. There is also birch plywood and mahogany plywood. You can get MIL-P-6070 mahogany in half inch 4X8 sheets for around $300 plus freight or basswood in 5/8" 4X8 sheets for around $500. Aircraft grade plywood is not the same thing as Baltic birch plywood that is used in high end cabinet work and typically comes in 5 ft. by 5 ft. sheets.

Home Depot sells 24 x 48" sheets of birch plywood in various thicknesses. The 3/4" sheets are about C$30.
Expensive on a per square foot basis, but for this project, cut in half and laminated together, it would give you a 1.5" thick, 24" dia plate.

I mounted such a piece on a face plate, squared it up and glued custom disks on. Works well, heavy.

I've used the birch ply for all sorts of solutions where metal is normally used - since I don't metal working capabilities.
Easy to cut, hard as hell to break, very consistent, screws will not pull out of this stuff, easily available, wont warp (you'd have to really soak it)

Just a thought.

 

[John Torchick]

Would have to look at Lowe's or somewhere else. Thanks but I have had a real bad experience at HD. I'll never go back for anything.
Edit: Lowe's has Finnish and birch plywood. Woodcraft has birch plywood in different thicknesses and sizes. What is the difference between the Finnish and birch plywood?

 

[Bill Boehme]

Would have to look at Lowe's or somewhere else. Thanks but I have had a real bad experience at HD. I'll never go back for anything.
Edit: Lowe's has Finnish and birch plywood. Woodcraft has birch plywood in different thicknesses and sizes. What is the difference between the Finnish and birch plywood?

Finnish is from Finland. There is also Baltic birch from the Baltic countries (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, also probably include Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Russia). Finnish and Baltic plywood are very similar except for country of origin. I haven't seen any specifically labeled as Baltic birch ... it usually has the country of origin stamped on it.

Plain birch plywood might be from anywhere, even from places that don't have birch trees. Not all birch plywood is equal. What HD has is usually the cheapest of the cheap. I bought some from them once -- it was full of voids, the plies were thick, and they used some sort of noxious glue (maybe urea formaldehyde). Also, HD does not know how to properly store plywood ... it should be stored vertically, but they pile it in huge stacks on uneven racks that cause it to twist and bow. To them, wood is wood whether it's fence posts or or furniture wood. That's why I go to a hardwood lumber dealer in Dallas. There is some high quality birch plywood made in the US that is available in 4X8 sheets. I would guess that it is equal to Baltic birch in all respects.

 

[John Torchick]

Bill, I remember when I replaced the decks on my bass boat several years ago, that I was told that marine plywood does not have the voids like regular plywood. Also it has a better glue to withstand outdoor conditions. It was more expensive than regular plywood but worked out to be a good DIY project.

 

[olaf Vogel]

Plain birch plywood might be from anywhere, even from places that don't have birch trees. Not all birch plywood is equal. What HD has is usually the cheapest of the cheap. .

Probably true, and your experience in these matters exceeds mine.

I got lucky a few years ago. Joined a tech firm that, in its infancy, had designed its own cubicles. From a single sheet of 5x5, 1" birch ply. A year after I joined, they decided to "upgrade" to real cubicles.
And scrap the existing. I jumped at it, and spent 4 days hauling home as much plywood (bits) as my suspension could handle. It's bloody heavy....

So I have large stack of, oddly shaped, 1" birch plywood bits in my attic.
2 years, and I'm still building stuff out of it. Drill press tables, washers, supports for y Oneway captive bar system..... Good stuff.

 

[Bill Boehme]

Probably true, and your experience in these matters exceeds mine.

I got lucky a few years ago. Joined a tech firm that, in its infancy, had designed its own cubicles. From a single sheet of 5x5, 1" birch ply. A year after I joined, they decided to "upgrade" to real cubicles.
And scrap the existing. I jumped at it, and spent 4 days hauling home as much plywood (bits) as my suspension could handle. It's bloody heavy....

So I have large stack of, oddly shaped, 1" birch plywood bits in my attic.
2 years, and I'm still building stuff out of it. Drill press tables, washers, supports for y Oneway captive bar system..... Good stuff.

What a great score! I hope that your attic doesn't collapse on you. 🙄

I think that some of the "Baltic" birch that I got at the big box came from South America. The real Baltic birch usually 14 to 16 plies in a 3/4" (18 mm) sheet. I think that the big box plywood had about half that many plies which is still better than regular plywood, but it wasn't very flat, it had some voids, and worst of all the glue had a really strong noxious smell when cut with a circle saw. I suspect that it could have been a urea formaldehyde glue. The wood didn't smell like birch either.

 

[John Torchick]

I was looking through my scrap/overstock of wood. I do have some solid pieces of maple and pecan that could be used to make a disk sander without the issues of plywood and particleboard. I suppose you want me to post pictures of the finished project, huh? 😱

 

[Mark Hepburn]

You could make your own plywood from 1/8" stock. No voids, using whatever adhesive you prefer. Then turn that.

 

[John Torchick]

Ongoing Project

I have the basic "box" for the disk sander. Parts didn't come out as accurate as I wanted due to slippage on the TS. 🙁 However, with a bit of sandpaper and some elbow grease, it has shaped up nice. I have it set up to sit on the rails with a piece of threaded rod and a huge washer to hold it in place. I'm going to make a trip to Lowe's and get a piece of MDF, as suggested, or solid wood to attach to the 6 in. faceplate from my old lathe; also, a knob for 3/8-16 thread. Woodcraft has sanding disks in several sizes. I'm going with 10 in. as I already have a supply of them for the TS adapter from WC. It is great but a pain to change blades and the adapter. Yeh, I know.....you want pictures! 😀
BTW, I found a whole bunch of ideas by doing a general search for "disk sander." Some were very simple, using an extra motor and others rather elaborate complete with a hole for a vacuum hose.

 

[olaf Vogel]

What HD has is usually the cheapest of the cheap.

I dropped by my usual HD store last night for some 1/4" birch ply and was shocked to see the quality of their latest batch.

The 1/4" was 3 thick layers, all totally wrapped and completely unusable, no strength.
The 3/4" was so full of voids they must have actually tried to stagger the glue up sections to maximize air content. Also unusable.

One more reason to avoid them....sigh...it's right around corner...

 

[John Torchick]

OK. I got the "box" finished and set up to attach to the lathe rails. I screwed on the 6 inch face plate from my old HF lathe. I stuck a 6 inch sanding disk on the faceplate. I squared up the box and put a piece of cork on it to square the end. I couldn't figure out what went wrong. The end was off at a slight angle! Squared teh faceplate again with a Groz square. Still off! It will make a nice paperweight. If it was heavier I could use it as a canoe anchor. So, I'll have to go to the Rikon faceplate and build a disk as recommended by others. I'll send pictures for critique- after I get the disk done and clean up the shop.

 

[Bill Boehme]

Without a picture, I am not quite sure what you are describing. However, I would guess that the spindle axis of rotation probably isn't parallel to the lathe bed.

 

[Ron Rutter]

I dropped by my usual HD store last night for some 1/4" birch ply and was shocked to see the quality of their latest batch.

The 1/4" was 3 thick layers, all totally wrapped and completely unusable, no strength.
The 3/4" was so full of voids they must have actually tried to stagger the glue up sections to maximize air content. Also unusable.

One more reason to avoid them....sigh...it's right around corner...

Bill. I recently built a pantry for grandaughters kitchen. I used birch ( veneer ) plywood. The veneer was so thin that when I painted it the veneer wrinkled! It was 3/4" and the overall quality was deplorable.

 

[John Torchick]

Bill, I tried to get it as close to parallel as possible. What I think I will do is make a 90 degree "jig" that will sit on the bed of the sander and move the sander up to the faceplate. Sort of like a spacer for spacing boards for a deck.

 

[John Torchick]

Bill, I figured out what was happening. I used a Groz square to square the "fence" with the faceplate/sandpaper. I had the "fence" at the back of the sander. The top of the faceplate was rotating toward me, slightly lifting the cork so it shaved off an edge. I'm going to set it where I can use the "fence" at the front or back. The downward rotation should put pressure on the cork or whatever I'm sanding, keeping it square to the faceplate.
I need to get a picture to you folks.

 

[Mike Johnson]

I turned a couple of additional aluminum face plates on my metal lathe to use on my wood lathe.
I have a number of these that are attached to 12" diameter plywood rounds that I attach sanding disks to.
These will quickly mount to my Nova chuck.

 

[john lucas]

I know that this has been on the forum many times since I looked it up today. My TS sander works great as I indicated on another thread on the forum but a pain to change out for a two minute job. I tried using a disk sander and Jacobs chuck in the headstock of my lathe but the chuck started to drift out! Not good, IMHO. The Jacobs chuck isn't threaded for a draw bar (liked the thread on this subject) and needing to see what can be done. Don't really want to spend extra $$$ for a new chuck but advice is always welcomed from the forum members. I have lots of countertop cutouts I can use plus a couple of electric motors if needed for a DIY disk sander. Searched the 'Net and youtube but didn't really find anything. Wanted to use the lathe as it would save time and valuable shop space. Many thanks.

John I just redid my lathe mounted disc sander. It was old and had warped very slightly. It use to have a home made faceplate permanently attached. Now what I'm doing is to have a recess turned for my chuck. Now I just put it in place when I need it. I used the chuck I have with 3" jaws but I don't see why it wont' work with standard 2" jaws.

 

[Steve Worcester]

(It's interesting how these things come back around.)

Shopsmith made a 12" steel disk that went onto a #2 morse taper years ago. The end isn't drilled, so I swapped it out with a Beaal taper and added a draw bar. Made a box that fits between the ways and gets clamped down with C Clamps.

As far as the disk, you could use a dedicated faceplate and MDF, just seal the MDF with sanding sealer, or whatever you have around. Could even put Velcro on it if you wanted it to use hook and loop

 

[John Torchick]

Thanks for the additional replies. Lots of ways to do this. I'm using the faceplate from my old lathe. Seems to work OK since I figured out that the cork should be sanded on the "down" side.

 

[John Torchick]

Woodcraft also offers a 10 inch metal disk to be used on a tablesaw. Works great but a pain to change blades unless you have a lot of sanding to do.

 

[john lucas]

I looked at the table saw discs and they would be great for certain functions. The reason I make the discs that fit on the lathe is I use them to flatten segmented rings and need the full disc. With a disc on the table saw you can only use about 1/3 of the total disc size.