It has been a long time since I last saw "transmogrify" used in a sentence. This (making a disc sander) is a great idea, especially if there's a lot of sanding to do. Thanks again Shawn.
Great tip. My ShopSmith came with one steel disc sander, but the downside is the paper gets super attached to the disc, so you are “stuck” with whatever grit disc you first apply. Too expensive to remove... so, I ended up making a second disc just like you have crafted here in this excellent video. Now I can have a coarse grit on one disc and a fine finishing grit on the second. By the way, the ShopSmith steel sanding disc costs close to $60.00 (without any discs). So making one or two extras with different grits is pretty economical. Really appreciate your efforts in making these videos.
I made my own face plate out of maple and threaded it for use on my lathe. Then glued and screw it down to the MDF sanding disc. One thing I have noticed that over time, the sand paper seems to clog up with wood, glue or what ever. I use to use one of those sanding belt erasers to unclog the sandpaper. But some of those erasers are a little expensive to buy. So, I used the sole of a pair of tennis shoes to act as an eraser. Works great. Try it if you have not done so. It might save ya a few bucks.
When I saw the title of this video, I thought,” Oh, no! He’s going to ruin his ways with the grit.” So I had to watch to see how You addressed this problem. I conclude that the vacuum box is crucial. I am surprised that my concerrn isn’t found among the rest of the comments.
If you have a Beall tap, you can thread the MDF directly to eliminate the need for a face plate. Soak it in super glue and let dry and you have some tough threads. (I've used one for well over a year and you can't tell.)
great idea and video. 2 things, I found polyurethane works well with sealing MDF. using it on the face (and edge) also allows easy removal and glue clean up between sand paper replacements. instead of using an expensive (over $20?) faceplate, i glued and screwed a 2" square MDF block to the center on the back and use my 4 jaw chuck to hold on lathe. keep up the great videos.
No, I didn't sneak in earlier but I remember you saying a while back you might do something like this. So after your reply I went to website and ordered one. I was just joking around in the previous comment. Thanks
Well thanks, wasnt' planning on announcing them until tomorrow but I think it's a needed modification that'll make beginners better quicker. You're the second on the list now.
First of all THANKS for all your shared knowledge, thank you. Second, you also could weld a horizontal plate on one metal stick which have the same diameter of your toolrest"feet" and hold it where your toolrest sits so you create a little, movable table in all directions to sand 90 degrees... hope I make myself clear ; )...
Awesome idea. You could build a box that fits in the gap on the lathe and have it to where the disc goes into it so u can have a table and a spot for dust collection
Only 3 power tools I wouldn't want to do without. Lathe, Band Saw, Thickness planer. All others I'm about as fast with hand tools but they are nice to have. If you are the one who snuck in before I announce their sale tomorrow then... no, these are all prototypes. Done about 20 so far refining my process.
I didn't know "transmogrify" was a word...I learned a few things from your video today! Love what you do buddy. Just as a side note, if I bought some of your shirts, would you mind if I wore them while I make my videos? I'll give you credit in my description...
I’ve got a faceplate with an mdf wheel that has green polishing compound on the edge for super fast stropping. It takes a little finesse but you can polish an edge in no time with it. Just make sure that you don’t use the top of the wheel where it’ll shoot the blade out of your hands right at you, and don’t ask me how I know that.
I use a screw chuck in my supernova jaws, plywood instead of mdf, and the 16" sanding discs from 2sand.com. I haven't checked prices in while, but they were the cheapest I could find at the time.
Double checked...and still cheaper than anything on Amazon 2sand.com/psa-16-inch-sanding-discs-aluminum-oxide-cloth-backed no matter what grit you choose. I think that goes for all sizes actually. If anyone knows of a cheaper place, I'm rabbit ears. The main reason I went with screw chuck is that I can quickly change grits without dedicating multiple face-plates to the "disc sander". If you have one of them really long screws, you might have to glue on a mounting block to compensate. :)
Popular Woodworking has been my favorite magazine for the last few years, they seem to go deeper than others. So I've been noting (with a bit of trepidation) the generational turnover, the handoff has been a little rocky, lots of editing problems, typos, etc. besides the change in emphasis to millennial-style DIY or "maker" projects. So that's what Megan F is doing now. Good to know. But doesn't Chris Schwarz have that niche covered with Lost Art Press? (though I can't afford his pubs.)
