How To Make A Drum Sander

Nosotros actually made it and it works! A drum sander has been on our need/want list for a very long fourth dimension and we are thrilled that we DIY'd it! This homemade drum sander is going to help out so much and make sanding less awful. Yous can watch the video beneath or read and lookout, besides!

We used the Inventables X-Cleave (http://fleck.ly/2NtYwQm (affiliate link)) to cut out each round to make up the drum. You lot don't have to have an X-Carve to practise this, it just makes it mode easier. In the plans we have available, there are templates for this. Past all means, take on this technology challenge and create your very own with the dimensions of your liking. Make sure you create these rounds with the inner circle big enough for your shaft and key. We likewise used iii/4" MDF for these! Once you accept all those cut out, it's time to glue them together! We started by putting on the collar, melamine board, pillow block, the other collar, and pulley onto the shaft and key in that order. Nosotros made a mark where that lined up and then took everything off to now start sliding on the rounds while calculation glue in betwixt them. Nosotros pin nailed these together as well every bit we went to make sure they stayed straight. Nosotros glued these up in halves, and so glued upward the first half, clamped information technology together, let it sit for well-nigh an hour and so came back to do the other half.

Cut Melamine Boards to Length

We used melamine for the pulsate sander itself. This will make upward all the sides, lesser, and the sanding table (ii). We cut these on our tabular array saw, simply you can always use a round saw. Nosotros chose melamine considering the table needs to be slick and durable, and this is about the most affordable way to do that. Two of those sides, however, are going to be getting cut on the Ten-Carve to perfectly fit the bolts that volition hold on the pillow blocks.

Assembly

Surprisingly, it'due south already fourth dimension to assemble. We predrilled for our screws and too added PVC edge banding to all the sides on the melamine boards that volition be showing. Once those boards are screwed together, we are going to add a piano hinge to the back and to the tabletop. This is so the table can adjust upward and down depending on the thickness of your lath you are wanting to put through to sand. Adjacent, is calculation on the switch. We drilled a pigsty in the front then the wire going to the motor can fit through and screwed the switch right on the front. Yous are going to have to take off a side to be able to get the drum on, so you can put information technology on now to get your screws right, or simply leave it off until the drum to put into identify.

Calculation The Pulsate

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Now earlier adding the drum, we need to attach the pillow blocks to the sides. Pillow blocks become on the outside and nosotros demand our bolts and five/8" wrenches to tighten them up. Grab your drum and slide it into place! Probably the first exciting part of the build! Now that that is in, you can spiral the side back into place and add together and tighten the collar. Now, grab the balance of the fundamental you lot didn't demand and cut a slice to length for the shaft coming out the side that the motor is on. Now you can slide the pulley on and tap information technology until information technology's against the neckband. Make sure to lock the pulley.

The Belt

The motor should be already inside the box and the pulley side poking out the hole. Nosotros put the motor on a scrap slice of board that is fastened to the box with a hinge. This way some of the weight of the motor can pull downward on the belt and makes it a fleck easier to put on the chugalug. We used a blower motor, just an former one nosotros had laying around, and information technology's a 1/2 hp, which is enough powerful enough for this setup.

Cut off the Access Shaft

Now that the drum is all washed and put into place, you tin can cut off the access shaft. Only do what we did in the video if y'all are super comfortable, we turned on the machine and used a metal cutting hand saw to slowly cut off the access. On the opposite side, you might take a bit left too, we had enough room to use our portable ring saw for that side. Whatever works all-time!

Lift Machinery

I don't know how well I can explain how the table lift works, so I volition tell y'all to refer to the video for this role. This starts at seven:40.

Brand and Install Drum and Belt Covers

Nosotros made the MDF drum cover so that it sits on the pillow block bolts and will never touch on the sandpaper. We also drilled out a little slot in the side opposite of the motor, so a bolt could motion up and down within when the knob on the outside is loosened. This is and then y'all tin can accommodate to textile thickness when sanding and keep dust drove A1. The embrace for the belt is made out of MDF besides, and we added but one hinge so you can open and close this when you need to go inside to fix the belt or change information technology, etc.

Sandpaper

Nosotros put on both 80 grit and 120 grit sandpaper on the drum. We don't plan on ever putting a full 18" board through here, and so we can become back and forth between 80 and 120 grit sandpaper hands without having to take paper on and off once more. The sandpaper is put into the grove in the drum, then a small beveled piece of woods get screwed down to hold both terminate of the paper in identify.

Dylan feeding a board into the drum sander for the first time.

And that is it! Honestly, quite surprised how well this homemade drum sander works. We tin can't wait to start on more projects and really become this thing going.