Knowledge You Can Build On — Est. 1998
20" disk sander
RPE1
I'd like to make a 20" disk sander. I've never made one because if I made the disk out of MDF it would not be flat. I think I could make it flat, but I don't think it would stay flat.
Plus, I don't know what to mount the disk to. I've seen lathe mounted home made disk sanders, which is okay, but what do you mount the disk to. Use a face plate and build it up to provide support for the disk?
Anyone pondered this or done it?
Thanks
RP
Re: 20" disk sander
Dwight Rutherford
I made one out of 3/4" Melamine white panel. Attached it directly to a 6" face plate. It is and has remained flat and runs true for 6+ years. Use PSA discs from Grizzly.
Re: 20" disk sander
Hugh Buttrum
I made a 12" sanding disc for the lathe.
I went to the salvage yard and picked up a piece of 3/8" thick aluminum. I cut it close to a circle on the band saw. Mounted a faceplate and then turned it round and to size. I also trued up the face.
I think if I were to make a 20" disc, I would go with thicker metal.
Works just fine though.
Hugh
Re: 20" disk sander
RPE1
What did you use to true up the face?
RP
Re: 20" disk sander
john Lucas
I haven't made a 20" disc but have made several that were 12 to 16. MDF is fine but you have to put some sort of coating on the surface so the disc glue won't tear the MDF when you remove it. At first I used Polyeurethane. coat both sides or it can warp over the years. I'm guessing moisture exchange from just one side of the MDF. I have tried Formica on both sides but eventually the Formica gets slight bubbles or something underneath and it has slight raised areas.
High quality multi layer plywood works great. I often make my discs to fit the lathe by just expanding a chuck into a drilled hole. However they can easily not go on accurately. If you have a lathe large enough and can turn the rebate to fit the jaw shape then they go on pretty flat and stay that way. the best way by far is to permanently mount a faceplate to the disc and never take it off.
Re: 20" disk sander
Doug Wolf
I made this one in 2009 and it is still flat. It's made out of an old Delta table saw base with an old lathe headstock to which I mounted a disc made out of an old office desk top which is just over one inch thick MDF with each side faced with Formica. I sealed the edges of the Formica with polyurethane. I also made the sliding top out of the same material and put runners in the saw table slots. The disc is attached to a face plate.
another 20" disk sander (PIC)
Dave Staeheli
This disk is made from corian and has stayed flat for the 2 years I have been using it. Mounted on a large Oneway Faceplate. It took a little shimming with paper for it to run true.
Re: 20" disk sander
RPE1
Thank you for your responses. I have some thinking to do. Looks like I've been over thinking it.
RP
