I've got a couple of choices for material for the drum -- 3/4 cedar, 3/4
plywood, MDF. I need to make about 22 3/4 thick disks and glue 'em
together to create the drum. Any recommendations on which material
you'd choose?

Larry

On Jun 22, 8:06*pm, Gramp's shop wrote:
I've got a couple of choices for material for the drum -- 3/4 cedar, 3/4
plywood, MDF. *I need to make about 22 3/4 thick disks and glue 'em
together to create the drum. *Any recommendations on which material
you'd choose?

Larry

I don't have any recommendations for your sander, but I did post a
link, on another thread, regarding tools/auctions. This one may be
near you, if you're interested.

http://irsauctions.com/index_lots.as...tails&id=16093 - note there
are 2 locations, Mosinee and Stevens Point

Sonny

On 6/22/2012 10:01 PM, Sonny wrote:
On Jun 22, 8:06 pm, Gramp's shop wrote:
I've got a couple of choices for material for the drum -- 3/4 cedar, 3/4
plywood, MDF. I need to make about 22 3/4 thick disks and glue 'em
together to create the drum. Any recommendations on which material
you'd choose?

Larry

I don't have any recommendations for your sander, but I did post a
link, on another thread, regarding tools/auctions. This one may be
near you, if you're interested.

http://irsauctions.com/index_lots.as...tails&id=16093 - note there
are 2 locations, Mosinee and Stevens Point

Sonny

Thanks. I subscribe to the IRS feed, Sonny, and the drum sander in
Houston caught my eye. Arranging long-haul packing and shipping is a PITA.

On 23/06/2012 02:06, Gramp's shop wrote:
I've got a couple of choices for material for the drum -- 3/4 cedar, 3/4
plywood, MDF. I need to make about 22 3/4 thick disks and glue 'em
together to create the drum. Any recommendations on which material you'd
choose?

Larry

You need something as dimensionally stable as possible – a decent drum
sander can easily take cuts of less than 0.1mm so the drum needs to be
precise. Here in the UK you can buy waterproof grades of MDF for
bathroom applications and I assume it’s readily available in the US.
It’s impregnated with acrylic resin and about as stable as you’ll find
for any wood-based product – I’d go with that. You really need access
to an engineering lathe so that you can mount the whole drum assembly
between centres and turn it parallel.

On 6/22/2012 8:06 PM, Gramp's shop wrote:
I've got a couple of choices for material for the drum -- 3/4 cedar, 3/4
plywood, MDF. I need to make about 22 3/4 thick disks and glue 'em
together to create the drum. Any recommendations on which material you'd
choose?

Larry

Harder and most dimensionally stable the better...

I'd consider starting w/ a piece of tubing and fill in instead of
turning it up out of wood...

Perhaps as cheap as a piece of Sch 40 or 80 PVC or as exotic as ordering
a piece of 5" Al tubing???

What is the length (width capacity) intended to be and what is the
paper-holding mechanism/design?

Of the choices listed, I'd think the MDF the only viable one unless the
ply is expensive stuff--the voids and sorry stuff used as fill in the
normal construction ply will not finish well at all and will be very
difficult to get a truly round, smooth surface as a base for the paper.

Just out of curiosity, I looked at the Griz site--while it sorta'
defeats the purpose of building your own, you could order a replacement
16" drum from the parts for a couple of their drum sanders for just
slightly over $200...shafts, centered, straight, round and smooth w/ the
stuff for the paper mounting already there. Just add bearing blocks and
frame and however you were going to do the drive...

--

Harder and most dimensionally stable the better...

SNIP

What is the length (width capacity) intended to be and what is the
paper-holding mechanism/design?

Length -- about 16 inches. Covering it with loop material.

,SNIP

Just out of curiosity, I looked at the Griz site--while it sorta'
defeats the purpose of building your own, you could order a replacement
16" drum from the parts for a couple of their drum sanders for just
slightly over $200...shafts, centered, straight, round and smooth w/ the
stuff for the paper mounting already there. Just add bearing blocks and
frame and however you were going to do the drive...

Considered buying components pre-assembled, but that brings me way over
budget for a tool that won't see a lot of use.

On Fri, 22 Jun 2012 20:06:48 -0500, Gramp's shop wrote:

I've got a couple of choices for material for the drum -- 3/4 cedar, 3/4
plywood, MDF. I need to make about 22 3/4 thick disks and glue 'em
together to create the drum. Any recommendations on which material
you'd choose?


How about a plastic pipe with a filler disk (or an end cap?) at each
end? Seems a lot simpler. If you don't think it's be strong enough,
fill it with something.

--
Intelligence is an experiment that failed - G. B. Shaw

Gramp's shop wrote:
Harder and most dimensionally stable the better...

SNIP

What is the length (width capacity) intended to be and what is the
paper-holding mechanism/design?

Length -- about 16 inches. Covering it with loop material.

I could be wrong but I think that would be too squishy. You need a hard,
non-yielding surface and preferably one that dissipates heat...a LOT of heat
can be generated. Best IMO would be aluminum.

--

dadiOH
____________________________

Winters getting colder? Tired of the rat race?
Maybe just ready for a change? Check it out...
http://www.floridaloghouse.net

On Sat, 23 Jun 2012 14:04:08 -0400, "dadiOH"
wrote:

Gramp's shop wrote:
Harder and most dimensionally stable the better...

SNIP

What is the length (width capacity) intended to be and what is the
paper-holding mechanism/design?

Length -- about 16 inches. Covering it with loop material.

I could be wrong but I think that would be too squishy. You need a hard,
non-yielding surface

No you don't, dad. The hook and loop work fine for drum sanders
because they don't burn through when you come to hard spots in wood.
I've read several articles on that and most say, in effect, "Go
spongy, but not too spongy."



and preferably one that dissipates heat...a LOT of heat
can be generated. Best IMO would be aluminum.

That's pretty much remedied by a fast current of air over the drum and
wood as it is scavenged from the machine by the dust collector. The
hook and loop can help there, too.

--
Always bear in mind that your own resolution to
succeed is more important than any one thing.
-- Abraham Lincoln

On 6/22/2012 6:06 PM, Gramp's shop wrote:
I've got a couple of choices for material for the drum -- 3/4 cedar, 3/4 plywood, MDF. I need to make about 22 3/4 thick disks and glue 'em together to create the drum. Any
recommendations on which material you'd choose?

Larry

Once again I have not built a drum sander.

However I do note that both the drum sander in ShopNotes #86 and Pat
Hawley's sander on the Woodgears.ca site both used MDF for the drum.
Both used round disks that were 'trued' by making them into a drum
on its shaft and then spinning the drum against coarse sand paper.


Dan

Larry Jaques wrote:
On Sat, 23 Jun 2012 14:04:08 -0400, "dadiOH"
wrote:

Gramp's shop wrote:
Harder and most dimensionally stable the better...

SNIP

What is the length (width capacity) intended to be and what is the
paper-holding mechanism/design?

Length -- about 16 inches. Covering it with loop material.

I could be wrong but I think that would be too squishy. You need a
hard, non-yielding surface

No you don't, dad. The hook and loop work fine for drum sanders
because they don't burn through when you come to hard spots in wood.
I've read several articles on that and most say, in effect, "Go
spongy, but not too spongy."

Soft can make it smooth but not necessarily flat.

As an example, consider edge grain fir...alternating bands of hard and soft.
Hard will sand both equally; soft will sand the soft wood more. That is
true of hand sanders too. If you don't believe me, try sanding a piece of
for ply sometime, either by machine or hand.

--

dadiOH
____________________________

Winters getting colder? Tired of the rat race?
Maybe just ready for a change? Check it out...
http://www.floridaloghouse.net

On Sun, 24 Jun 2012 07:14:31 -0400, "dadiOH"
wrote:

Larry Jaques wrote:
On Sat, 23 Jun 2012 14:04:08 -0400, "dadiOH"
wrote:

Gramp's shop wrote:
Harder and most dimensionally stable the better...

SNIP

What is the length (width capacity) intended to be and what is the
paper-holding mechanism/design?

Length -- about 16 inches. Covering it with loop material.

I could be wrong but I think that would be too squishy. You need a
hard, non-yielding surface

No you don't, dad. The hook and loop work fine for drum sanders
because they don't burn through when you come to hard spots in wood.
I've read several articles on that and most say, in effect, "Go
spongy, but not too spongy."

Soft can make it smooth but not necessarily flat.

As an example, consider edge grain fir...alternating bands of hard and soft.
Hard will sand both equally; soft will sand the soft wood more. That is
true of hand sanders too. If you don't believe me, try sanding a piece of
for ply sometime, either by machine or hand.

Always fun.

--
Always bear in mind that your own resolution to
succeed is more important than any one thing.
-- Abraham Lincoln