Official Luthiers Forum!

Owned and operated by Lance Kragenbrink
It is currently Thu Mar 28, 2024 9:25 pm


All times are UTC - 5 hours


Forum rules


Be nice, no cussin and enjoy!




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 6 posts ] 
Author Message
PostPosted: Mon Mar 03, 2008 8:15 am 
Offline
Cocobolo
Cocobolo

Joined: Tue Aug 15, 2006 8:03 am
Posts: 456
Location: Toronto, Canada
I have the Delta 31-255 thickness sander (18-36"). A few weeks ago I had the paper pull out of the clip on one side. This had not happened in the previous year of using it and now it has happened 3 times in the last 2 hours of use.

The problem is actually kind of serious, for one you ruin the paper, but more importantly it can bunch up and damage the wood - I took a good chunk out of a top this morning.

Has anyone seen and fixed this problem?

_________________
David White, Toronto

"All my favourite singers can't sing."


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Mon Mar 03, 2008 8:29 am 
Offline
Koa
Koa

Joined: Sun Sep 23, 2007 12:39 am
Posts: 1016
Location: United States
all I know is the delta's didnt get very good reviews at many of the wood working sights.........................Jody


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Mon Mar 03, 2008 9:00 am 
Offline
Brazilian Rosewood
Brazilian Rosewood
User avatar

Joined: Wed Feb 01, 2006 3:25 am
Posts: 3788
Location: Russellville, Arkansas
It can happen with any of them.

Maybe the hook and loop guys will chime in.

I've not heard of hook and loop coming off, but if it were to get started, I'm sure it'd rip undone as well.

On my General it has two clips. The pulling side has a tension spring to keep the paper taught. The leading side has a static clip. As the paper expands or slips out of the lead clip, the spring side can compensate for a little bit, before what you mentioned happens.

Good luck finding your problem. Never ruined a set yet and I've had it happen a dozen times. You have to be ready for that eventuality and unwind the clearance fast. Shutting it down is only an option after the fact. Quickest thing is to add clearance and pronto.

Side Note: The sounds a machine makes while running, will clue you into impending failure. Time to stop and take a look. Oh, and I'm probably not the only person that adds a strip of reinforced strapping tape to the lead edge to assist the lead clip. You just have to compensate by not feeding wood into that area to be sanded.

_________________
http://www.dickeyguitars.com


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Mon Mar 03, 2008 10:16 am 
Offline
Old Growth Brazilian
Old Growth Brazilian

Joined: Tue Dec 28, 2004 1:56 am
Posts: 10707
Location: United States
A bit of a hijack here

Though very conveniont when loading paper it would seem to me that hook and loop would ad a bit of cushion between the drum and the paper and could make for inconsistent thickness. I could be wrong here because I have never used one with hook and loop but just seems intuitive. If I am wrong here I gather then the amount of padding is consistant across the entire dum enough to be accurate with.


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Mon Mar 03, 2008 11:22 am 
Offline
Koa
Koa
User avatar

Joined: Thu Feb 24, 2005 4:53 am
Posts: 1584
Location: PA, United States
I have the 31-250, older model. No paper problems till a few months ago I loaded some 36 grit paper, it came undone. BANG! Whappedy whappedy whappedy! I changed to another (36 grit) roll. Same thing. Waited a few months, and 2 weeks ago successfully used it. Could be operator error, but I probably didn't take the time to "split the difference" regarding the amount left on the end for the clips to grab.

When I get a new shop, I'll likely grab the first 25" dual drum Grizzly I see next. (couple times a year about $500-$700 locally)


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Mon Mar 03, 2008 8:19 pm 
Offline
Walnut
Walnut

Joined: Wed Jun 13, 2007 7:04 am
Posts: 17
Location: Narberth, PA USA
One of the messages constantly broadcast on woodworkers' sites is that you should not expect your thickness sander to function as a planer. I cannot imagine putting 36 grit sandpaper into my Delta thickness sander...the coarsest I go is about 120 grit.

The problem is that you're trying to remove too much stock in one pass and the clips on the drum cannot hold the paper in place. Forget contact cement and such. Just slow down!

I use a 15" Jet planer with a Shelix cutter head to mill stock to near-final thickness. If it's a top or back that will be edge glued, I leave 1/16" extra thickness. After gluing, I remove any excess glue using a scraper.

I then make multiple passes (twenty might be about right) through the drum sander, making sure the glue doesn't clog the paper. I run the feed fast (the wood should not feel warm when it exits the drum) while removing very little material on each pass. Between height adjustments, each side of the piece goes through twice to assure equal thickness. When the material is near final thickness, I slow the feed rate down while raising the table height only very slightly. At this point, I'm usually taking four passes through the sander on each side between height adjustments.

A rubber sandpaper cleaning stick will help make your sandpaper strips last much longer, by the way.


Top
 Profile  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 6 posts ] 

All times are UTC - 5 hours


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 49 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Jump to:  
cron
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group
phpBB customization services by 2by2host.com