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DIY Gilbert sander
http://www.luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10101&t=30533		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  TomDl [ Thu Dec 30, 2010 6:55 pm ]
Post subject:  DIY Gilbert sander
I was thinking of a steel or aluminum disc turned flat and 5 inches in diameter, and with the last inch of the disc raised 1/16". I would soften the corner. That is a guess, but i suppose one could just keep re-turning the base until it worked. Anyone try making one?
Author:  WaddyThomson [ Thu Dec 30, 2010 10:09 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: DIY Gilbert sander
Why, when you can buy a perfectly good, precision, one for $50.00? I use mine nearly every day.
Author:  runamuck [ Thu Dec 30, 2010 10:33 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: DIY Gilbert sander
What's a Gilbert Sander?
Author:  WaddyThomson [ Thu Dec 30, 2010 10:46 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: DIY Gilbert sander
It's THIS Click on Tooling, then Click on the Disc Sander(top left).
Author:  Kim [ Fri Dec 31, 2010 12:50 am ]
Post subject:  Re: DIY Gilbert sander
I made one that works well out of an off cut of 3/4" ply and a bolt but I don't find much use for it since I bought a 16/32 drum sander.

I cut two 6" circles out of the ply and bolted them together through the centre hole. I done this by running a nut and washer all the way up the thread of a 1/4" bolt which had the head removed by hacksaw. I then counter sunk the bottom face of the lower ply disk to receive a second washer and nut so I could lock the disk once they were stacked over the threaded section of the bolt. With this done the exposed un-threaded section of the bolt was chucked into the drillpress and the two disk were shaped in together using abrasive and then the outer edge was given a mild shoulder. The shaped disk was then removed from the chuck and a velcro hook pad was bonded to the bottom face covering the centre hole, bolt and nut, and allowing quick paper change.

Probably took me around the same time to make as it did to write this up and tell you about it.

Cheers

Kim
Author:  TomDl [ Fri Dec 31, 2010 3:26 am ]
Post subject:  Re: DIY Gilbert sander
"Why, when you can buy a perfectly good, precision, one for $50.00?"

Well for one, that will probably be the postage to Canada...

I have a 5 metal working lathers, and four milling machines. Which means 1) I want one with a Morse taper 3 shaft, and B) paid for the machines already.

And on the other hand, if you have been following my attempts to denature denatured alcohol with cold fusion, will probably realize I like to make stuff. Everything...
Author:  Alan [ Fri Dec 31, 2010 10:21 am ]
Post subject:  Re: DIY Gilbert sander
With 5 metal working lathes and four milling machines, I'm surprised that you would ask if you could make a sanding disk. Of course you can.
Author:  WaddyThomson [ Fri Dec 31, 2010 10:47 am ]
Post subject:  Re: DIY Gilbert sander
Me too! I have a lathe too, but chose to buy mine. I will say, that it works great, and I can take sides or back down to exact dimensions very easily. I also use it to thickness veneer to .3 mm, but you have to go slow when it's that thin, as it wants to tear. What I discovered is that when you get close, you keep running it through without moving the disc. Every pass takes off a little more for a number of passes. That's about the only way I've found to control it to tenths of mms.
Author:  TomDl [ Fri Dec 31, 2010 8:34 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: DIY Gilbert sander
"With 5 metal working lathes and four milling machines, I'm surprised that you would ask if you could make a sanding disk. Of course you can."

Well said, though I didn't ask whether I could, I asked whether anyone else had made one. It does not appear to be a straight forward disc. I assume it has a relieved forward edge, never seen one, interested to hear of anything anyone else has done. From the description it sounds as though the central part is 3 inches, and the relief would need to be sufficient to accommodate the dept of cut of the thickest paper, and then some. All that is pretty straight forward. Never know what someone will have come up with as an improvement. Be fun if someone had adapted dust control with perforated sheets, though I don't think that would improve the cutting power.

Anyway there was about 160 hits from my first message before any answers, which makes me think there is interest.
Author:  WaddyThomson [ Fri Dec 31, 2010 10:52 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: DIY Gilbert sander
No relief. It's flat all the way to the edge. Relief might cause the paper to wrinkle when you stick it on. It isn't designed for hogging off large chunks of wood.
Author:  Miketobey [ Sat Jan 01, 2011 12:50 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: DIY Gilbert sander
One can feel pretty confident in a Gilbert disc, a Wagner power planer and a good drillpress table. I have a Woodpeck DP table-bought it for half of what it sells for now-I was on their email established customer list when they introduced it. One of its great features is a full width fence. It also has super quick and secure clamping and two-way (X & Y) inch tapes. The "T" tracks also have X & Y paths. I have it bolted to my shorty Shopsmith in DP mode and use it for sanding drums, drilling, and even certain router bits-the speed control allows for many uses. Yes, there is a nerdy nostalgia factor in shopsmiths, but in the setup I describe I have a DP, a spindle sander(some with bearings for templates), the Gilbert, the Wagner, a "quasi-mill," all with 1 1/8th hp--drifting again, sorry.

A "Gilbert" is worth the price.
Author:  TomDl [ Sat Jan 01, 2011 4:53 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: DIY Gilbert sander
Waddy, I get your comment now. I didn't think it was flat. Might be something to try a little lift, see what the paper will bear. Enough about that for now.

I got rid of my 16x32 a few months back. I am considering using a Park jig and a sander, in addition to planes of course.
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