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I used my Rigid spindle sander for the first time last night and I am pleased with the results.

I bought this thing to help me with head stock shaping and for future mold making.

The machine is quiet, easy to use, and does a great job.  The dust collection could be better or perhaps good dust collection and spindle sanders just don't go together.  Much of the dust stayed on the table top instead of being sucked into the vac.  I have 134 CFM of dust collection and perhaps these machines just need more then this.

Overall though I am pleased with it and I am wondering about slotted head stocks.  How wide are the slots?  This machine can use a 1/2" spindle and I was thinking that if that is small enough this would be a great help in shaping the slots for a slotted head stock.  The table also tilts which is also very helpful.

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Ann Arbor Guitars

Looking good Hesh!

Slotted headstock shaping...The slots are initially formed using a router jig and they come out perfectly shaped and finished. I form the ramps with narrow round rasps and finish it off with sandpaper on a dowel. Your spindle sander might be useful here.

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JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

Hesh,

I would do the slots with the router and clean them up by hand. 

when you put the headstock over the spindle, it will be grabbing the wood on more than one surface.  Unless you had a real good hold of it I could foresee your neck spinning away like a propeller.  Especially if the fit is tight, as it probably would be with a 1/2" spindle. 

this is one of those times where just because you could fit it in a power tool it doesn't really belong there...

Mitch

Hey!

I'm not a WALNUT anymore!

  Welcome to Mahogany Mitch!  And thanks for the safety tip too which will be heeded.

JJ Bro thanks the the advise too and I might be borrowing your router if you will let me

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Ann Arbor Guitars

Thanks for the review Hesh! I've been eyeballing the RIGID SS for some time now. I'd be interested to hear how you like it a few weeks from now too.

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nay

My blogs
Hand Made Gutar
Woodworker++

I have had mine for a few months and I like it. I just used it to make a mold/form for a small body guitar. The only thing I wish I could do is to freeze the spindle from moving up and down. There are times, like when making the mold (depth of mold was at the upper limit of the spindle height), that I want it to be stationary. I also really like the ability to change from spindle to belt.

Give me a 14 inch Delta bandsaw,

A tabletop or floor model belt sander,

A router table,

A dremel tool,

All those are used more than my Jet Boss Spindle sander.

(I bought one to help straighten early mold attempts.

Then I learned how to build molds with my router table.)

I've tried multiple jobs with this machine, and it has a propensity to dig grooves in the work.

I've tried jigging up too with fences and such for straight work, and it just doesn't work well.

It's a cool tool, one I wish I'd left on the shelf in Springfield Missouri.

Sorry Hesh, me no like, I really do hope you like yours though. Maybe you can enlighten me along the way?   

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http://www.dickeyguitars.com

I can see using a spindle sander for fine tuning the shape of a headstock - or at least a template for use on the router table.  As for molds my view is a little different -

by the time you figure your materials and time, not to mention buying a spindle sander for that purpose, its cheaper to buy a mold pre-made from a place like Blues Creek.  I'm in the process of tooling up my shop to start really making guitars and while I'm perfectly capable of making a mold, I can buy one reasonably and take that off my list.

Not to hijack Hesh's post...

 

I just recently bought a used (in the box) Jet Spindle sander. I've only had it for a few weeks. I got it for two reasons: I had wanted one for quite sometime, and I got an insanely good combo deal on it and a used/new Jet Air Filtration System. So far, I love mine...and the vacuum system appears to work great on it:

I've used it thus far to make smooth handles for the tangs of some of my smaller files, shape braces, make bridges, true up curves on a jig, thickness the edges of a flat piece of aluminim, etc. I'm sure I'll find other uses for it, but mostly because I'm "looking" for reasons to use it.

My table saw cannot be run inside, as my shop is actually inside my basement. My space is at a premium, so I must move a lot of stuff in order to push it outside onto my patio before plugging it up, etc. Then, because it is not on a vac system, I have to clean it up before bringing it back inside. It's cumbersome, and to make matters worse my router "table" is attached to one wing of the table saw. Add to that the fact that I've never much warmed up to the belt sander, and the spindle sander is going to be a nice addition to my weaponry.

Had I not found the great deal I did, this Rigid model would likely have been the one I bought.

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Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.

Hesh - I just bought one of those contraptions last week. I love it.
I have it hooked up to my dust collector and have the same trouble with dust. The performance makes up for it to me. It is powerful and quiet. It removes lots of material quickly without wearing out the same section of sandpaper.

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"An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is an adventure wrongly considered." G. K. Chesterton.

I like the little edge sander too that comes with the Rigid.
I just finished up a neck and tail block with it.It's a cool tool!

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Anderson Guitars
Clearwater,Fl. 33755

I've got one of those, and I use mine all the time. Did you get the belt part that goes with it? that comes in handy too.

          Red

I love my Ridgid OSS. One thing I've thought about doing (think we've discussed it here quite a while ago) is replacing the spacing washer around the spindle with a custom machined collar that would stick up about a 1/4" or so to allow pattern sanding.

I'm finally figuring out for myself that with any powered sander, the key is to let the grit do the work and not to apply too much pressure. This lets you have a lot more control and prevents divots and gouges.

For the slotted headstocks, Hesh, check out the luthiertool slotted headstock jig (I'm sure you've probably already eyed that one). That downcut spiral bit leaves a nice surface, it's not hard to finish sand by hand. I've only used it once so far but it worked like a champ.

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Jonathan Kendall, Siloam Springs AR

Todd thanks for the tip on using tape to close some of the air leaks in the platform - that worked nicely!

Jon thanks for the lead of the luthiertool jig - like all their stuff it looks first quality.

Mitch I agree and bought all my molds but I am now thinking about building my own shapes so this will come in handy for that.

I spent about an hour using this machine this morning and it does indeed work great.  Once I figured out that I need to treat it more like I teat my Performax and "skim" material off as opposed to hoarking material off it does a very nice job.  Amazingly the sanding cylinder shows no wear or loading.

The dust that I am seeing on the platform is very heavy dust and most of it was ebony.  The Mahogany got sucked right up.  And I have the impression that since the surfaces in my shop remained clean that it does suck up the really fine stuff which is what I am most concerned about.

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Ann Arbor Guitars

I have strongly been considering one of these to ease mold making - they certainly seem to be the best suited to the purpose - please keep us aprised of your results with this machine?
Good stuff Hesh!
Cheers
Charlie

Great, Hesh. I was using my Shop Fox drill press as an oscillating sander
last night to make a few forms as well. I bought the Shop Fox because it
has a feature that actually moves the sanding drum up and down as it
spins to mimic an oscillating spindle. The dust collection is fantastic, too.    

Spindle sanders are very nice tools to have available when you need
them.