Passive Angle Sanders

Re: Passive Angle Sanders

Stuart Johnson

>I made up one with a couple of bearings from rollerblade wheels. It works okay but not great. For one thing it wants to fly out of the handle when removed. You might want to consider a 1/4" right angle air die grinder. Don't use air, just let it freewheel.

Harbor Frieght has them for around $18.00.

Re: Passive Angle Sanders

Russ Fairfield

>In my opinion, NO. They work OK on the sides of a peice where the wood has the velocity to make it work. They do very little near the center where there is little to no wood velocity to spin the sanding disc.

You can make your own with a stick of wood, a sanding mandrel, and a $2 bronze bushing from the hardware store. You can spend $10 for a ball bearing, but the bronze bushing works as well. The bushing in the one shown is 1/4"ID, 3/8" OD, with a collar, and I get them at Ace Hardware. Stick a collar, a twist of wire, a rubber grommet, a piece of wood, or whatever to the other end of the mandrel if you don't want it to fall out.

Re: Passive Angle Sanders

georgetroy

>I use the Vic Wood Passive Angle Sander & I also have the Sorby. Monster tool has a nice set on Ebay you can take a look at.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=42282&item=4363175486&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

Re: Passive Angle Sanders

RonZ

>I use the Sorby sander and enjoy it very much. It does an excellent job and heat is kept down along with the tendacy for power sanders to dig in when the disk is presented at an angle. I have problems with my hands cramping up and sanding and this is the solution. I also like the long handle for reaching in deep bowls. Woodcraft sells a copy of one a a cheaper price.

Re: Passive Angle Sanders

Mark Kauder, Phenix City, AL

>I have made several of almost nothing. Drill a hole slighly larger in diameter than the sanding disk mandrel, not comletely through, a hardwood dowel. Jam a little furniture wax in the hole and then put the mandrel in the hole. Works great. I have drilled holes at several different angles on either end of the dowel.

Mark

Re: Passive Angle Sanders

Doug Trembath

>Although Russ and I don't disagree often, this is one area in which we do. After taking a week long class with Vic Wood, I bought one of his sanders, and find it will allow fine, detailed sanding as well as hand sanding if you play with it for a while. I use this method almost exclusively, though I have an angle drill I use only occasionally. I will hand sand only where the sander won't fit. I also have the Sorby(?), which will tend to gum up in the bushing under hard use, and simply doesn't work as well for me as the type with bearings. I heartily recommend it, with the caveat that you need good quality sanding disks, like those sold by Steve Worcester.

Doug Trembath

Studio in the Woods