Project by Broglea | posted 02-26-2010 03:19 AM | 16022 views | 75 times favorited | 41 comments | ![]() |
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Option 1 was to buy one of these units, but with a $600 price tag attached to them I decided not too.
Option 2 was to order the parts and build my own for $199 without the motor. Still too much for what you got in my opinion.
Option 3 was the only option I had left. Build my own with stuff I could get for free or dirt cheap.
Here is a 18” V drum sander. Its not the prettiest to look at, but it works great. Here’s what the material cost me.
MDF for the box and top – Free
3”X18” cylinder – Free.
Elecrical switch etc. – Free. Already had it in the shop.
Bearings – $7.00 ebay
Shaft – $8.00 hardware store
10 yds of 100 grit sandpaper – $27.99 sears
1/2 HP motor – $65.00 Harbor freight.
I ran an end grain cutting board made of cherry through it this morning. I was surprised at how quickly this little unit flattened the board.
41 comments so far
dakremer
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2756 posts in 4062 days
#1 posted 02-26-2010 03:25 AM
thats really cool! especially if it works great!! (probably just as good as the $600 one – plus you built it, so has a little more meaning behind it) great job!
-- Hey you dang woodchucks, quit chucking my wood!!!!
hinklephil
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#2 posted 02-26-2010 03:26 AM
That is a very nice piece of work. I have been pricing the kit to make one but your price beats that all to heck. Great job. I want one.
-- Lucky to get paid for what I love to do. Make sawdust.
noknot
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#3 posted 02-26-2010 03:55 AM
It looks better than free
-- GO DAWGS!
KnotCurser
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#4 posted 02-26-2010 04:01 AM
They certainly do work great! I got the kit form from StockRoom Supply and do not regret it one bit! It has already saved me HOURS of sanding and it get things perfectly flat!
Great Job on the build!
-bob
-- Robert Rhoades WoodWorks / Email: [email protected] / www.rhoadesclan.com
jim1953
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#5 posted 02-26-2010 04:05 AM
Nice
-- Jim, Kentucky
DaveW
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#6 posted 02-26-2010 04:15 AM
Have you made a drawing of what you did or was there one out there on the internet? I have coveted these ever since I saw one demonstrated at one of the woodworking shows. By the way great job.
Dave
wdh
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#7 posted 02-26-2010 04:31 AM
Great job! Got any more construction details? What’s the drum from?
-- Wayne,Saint John,NB
Broglea
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693 posts in 4061 days
#8 posted 02-26-2010 05:11 AM
Dave – I didn’t use any plans. Once I figured out how large a drum I had I constructed the box and the top to match. As Bob mentioned, you can buy the kit from stockroomsupply.com. I believe the plans are included in the kit.
Wayne – I was fortunate enough to find the drum at work. I manage a warehouse and we use large rolls of stretch plastic to wrap out going pallets with. Once the stretch wrap is used up, all that remains is a cardboard core. It is similar to what you find in a roll of paper towels or toilet paper, but much larger. The core is made of laminated cardboard and is as hard as wood. Once I got it home I cut discs from MDF and cut a 3/4” hole in the center of the disc for the shaft. The discs were then inserted and glued into drum to hold the shaft. If your interested in building one of these, I may be able to get you a drum.
jayjay
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639 posts in 4016 days
#9 posted 02-26-2010 05:29 AM
Very cool, nice work.
-- ~Jason~ , Albuquerque NM
Splinterman
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#10 posted 02-26-2010 06:06 AM
Hey Broglea,
Sweet job.
WistysWoodWorkingWonders
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#11 posted 02-26-2010 06:52 AM
very thrifty and crafty…. nice work….
-- New Project = New Tool... it's just the way it is, don't fight it... :)
Jack Barnhill
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366 posts in 4336 days
#12 posted 02-26-2010 06:59 AM
These units look like they would be great to have. I don’t know much about there construction but, would 3” PVC work for the drum?
-- Best regards, Jack -- I may not be good, but I'm slow -- www.TinyWoodworks.com
Skylark53
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#13 posted 02-26-2010 07:04 AM
Smart! Thanks for sharing.
-- Rick, Tennessee, John 3:16
Broglea
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693 posts in 4061 days
#14 posted 02-26-2010 07:38 AM
Kunk – you are right. Switch plate will be on pronto. Thanks
Jack – My guess would be PVC would work fine. In fact, that was my second choice of material. The trick is to have the drum spin at 1700 rpm with no wobble to it. The disk inserts need to be perfect when you cut them.
sras
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5757 posts in 4099 days
#15 posted 02-26-2010 07:50 AM
Very nice project! How much does the drum extend past the table top?
-- Steve - Impatience is Expensive
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