Belt sander for squaring pen blanks

[sachbvn]

Hey guys - enough is enough. I am tearing the hell out of pen blanks while using a barrel trimmer, most are ok - others it just tears 'em up something fierce, and others - are complete blow outs. (literally!)

I'd really like to get a dedicated disc sander (10" or 12") but - $200 is more than I want to spend, especially if a belt sander could do the same thing. PLUS - a belt sander is much easier to store.

So - would a belt sander work for what I'm wanted to do? I'd figure out some way to either mount it on it's side or upside down - and just (carefully) by hand - sand the blanks square.

What grit would you recommend? I was thinking 120 - but could/should I go coarser?


Thanks!
Zac

[TDHofstetter]

Don't go any coarser than 120 - you want a pretty fine surface on that end when you turn it.

Belt sander WILL work, IF you're careful, and IF the belt is tight against the platen. Part of the justification for using a disk sander is that the disk is always tight to the backing wheel. On a belt sander, very often the belt isn't tight to the platen... if it's not, it'll flap a little & won't give you a good square end to the blank. Better to "scary sharp" it with 120-grit than to use a belt sander with a floppy belt.

EDIT: There's a thought in there...

Got a plunge router? Don't plug it in - just raise it all the way & chuck a stick of 1/4" cold-rolled (NON-galvanized) steel rod in the collet. Slip your blank over the steel rod (which will give you a VERY perpendicular position) and use the plunge router as a guide to "scary sand" the opposite end of the blank.

Then build a wooden rig that works pretty much the same way, with a perpendicular 1/4" steel rod held 2" off the surface, and with a pair of wooden skegs to rid on so it can straddle your sandpaper... kinda' like a fanciful old-woman's-tooth router plane. Then you can hand-sand the dickens outta' the loose end of the blank. Maybe even spring-load the blank in it.

A 7mm tube fits over a 1/4" steel rod about as perfectly as you ever might hope it would.

Hmmm... a drill press would do the job, too... with a bungie to pull the quill down to give you downpressure. Then a sanding block lying flat on the drill press's table would do the sanding. Circular motion.

[Ruffnek]

Zac,

I don't have a disc sander either, but what I did was take a piece of 3/4" MDF, cut a 9" disc out of it and attach it to a faceplate. True it up on the lathe and then use it as a pattern. Trace the outline of the disc onto a sheet of 120 grit sandpaper, cut it out with scissors and glue it onto the MDF disc with spray adhesive...voila, a 9" sanding disc.

You can also build a base to set over the lathe ways, sized to be at the center of the disc. You can even cut a 3/4" x 3/8" miter slot in the base so that you can use a miter gauge with the sanding disc or a dedicated pen-squaring jig.

A spare faceplate could stay on the disc all the time or you could attach a 2" diameter piece of hardwood onto the back of the disc and grip it with your lathe chuck.

I made mine with a leather belt glued to the outside of the disc for honing carving chisels. The sandpaper is for repairing nicks or changing the profile. It works great and is made from scraps.

[sachbvn]

Tim - your idea sounds real good, but I have to say - Cody's idea sounds simpler. PLUS - the only plunge router is attached to my router table - I'd just plunk down the 200 bucks before I take that sucker out of the table each time I need to go between using the RT or squaring blanks!

Cody - as it is right now, I don't use a face plate for anything, so - using the 6" one that came with the lathe is no problem. I love that idea, I'm going to work on it....maybe Sunday.

Do you use - CAREFULLY - touch the blanks to the spinning disc by hand? I mean, a guy certainly COULD create some fancy jig thing (I think Marc posted something about this) for pushing the pen blank ever so slightly and squarely into the spinning sanding wheel - but - I think being careful you could easily do it by hand.

Cody - if ya get a minute, mind posting a pic next time you have your set up going?


Thanks!

Zac

[rhull]

Here's what I rigged up, though not for squaring pen blanks.

www.woodworking.com/dcforum/User_files/4a248f0a16d46d78.jpg

[woodmangler]

Jan 1, 2010 18:24:52 GMT -6 sachbvn said:

Tim - your idea sounds real good, but I have to say - Cody's idea sounds simpler. PLUS - the only plunge router is attached to my router table - I'd just plunk down the 200 bucks before I take that sucker out of the table each time I need to go between using the RT or squaring blanks!

Cody - as it is right now, I don't use a face plate for anything, so - using the 6" one that came with the lathe is no problem. I love that idea, I'm going to work on it....maybe Sunday.

Do you use - CAREFULLY - touch the blanks to the spinning disc by hand? I mean, a guy certainly COULD create some fancy jig thing (I think Marc posted something about this) for pushing the pen blank ever so slightly and squarely into the spinning sanding wheel - but - I think being careful you could easily do it by hand.

Cody - if ya get a minute, mind posting a pic next time you have your set up going?


Thanks!

Zac

Heya Zac

Lemme try this again...

You have to square the blank with the brass tube in the blank... not the sides of the blank, or not by hand on a belt sander...

You will be really unhappy with the results if you don't square the blank using the brass tube inside as the reference... gotta be 90 degrees to the tube or it will show up really bad when there is gaps between the kit parts and the blank.

The jig I posted is not fancy.... you should take another look, and take the few minutes to set up a sander like Cody and I talked about and make the simple jig like I use.

Really... been there, done that, got the tee shirt

Make a simple table with a miter slot for your lathe, make a quick MDF sanding disc for the lathe, and make the simple jig for squaring up the pen blanks.

You will be happy that you took the time to get this part of pen turning set up... because it is so simple once you are set up.

[Ruffnek]

Jan 1, 2010 18:24:52 GMT -6 sachbvn said:

Cody - if ya get a minute, mind posting a pic next time you have your set up going?

Thanks!

Zac

I'm currently charging the battery for my camera...perhaps I'll get a pic this afternoon. It doesn't take but a couple minutes to set up the disc. But, it's really similar to the one Rob linked to on the other forum. The main difference is that my disc is made out of MDF and the table base straddles the lathe ways...no need to clamp it in place.

Remember, I didn't make mine for sanding pen blanks so it doesn't have a miter slot although I may cut one just for future pen construction and other sanding.

Also, like Marc said, glue in the tubes and after the glue cures, flush the ends against the sanding disc using a simple 90 degree jig/guide.

[maxwellsmart007]

I use an 'el cheapo disc sander - 4"...cost maybe 30 bucks from a discount tool store up here similar to Harbor Freight...

Has a mitre guage which keeps the blank perpendicular to the disc, and works great for my needs...and I turn a fair amount of pens...

[Ruffnek]

Here's my set-up. I re-did the table and cut a miter slot in it today. The miter gauge is one from a Craftsman saw.


The table base "saddled" over the lathe ways. I needed to tap it down a bit on the back to ensure it is square to the disc...very important to check with a square before sanding pen blanks.



The table with miter slot. It's double-sided melamine 13" x 13" including the Maple edging.



With the miter gauge in place.



The faceplate attachment. I used an MDF glue block so that I wouldn't accidentally run the screws all the way through the sanding disc.



Note: Mark the orientation of the faceplate to the disc so that if you remove the faceplate, you can put it back in the same position. I removed mine, didn't pay any attention to the hole orientation and when I re-attached it, the disc had a slight wobble to it. I can't true it up with the leather belt on it so I'll have to remove and re-attach it, rotating one hole each time until it runs true.

Hope this helps.

[dicklaxt]

Cody,A good sharp tool will cut that leather with no problem,re: a skew on edge point down.

dick

[Doug B]

Just a thought, but it is very easy to dress up your barrel trimmer with a diamond file and get it back to sharp. I know mine always work so much better when they are really sharp.

I always chuck my barrel trimmer up in the drill press and use the pen blank vice to hold the blank being trimmed - you would not believe the level of control you have when you use it this way. Very delicate cuts can be made and you should be able to avoid the chipping and splitting problems - but it definitely works best with a sharp barrel trimmer. Don't be afraid to sharpen it, just make sure you do not get on blade shorter than the other. Remove the shaft first if you have that kind of trimmer, as that makes it much easier to sharpen. The first time I sharpened a barrel trimmer I could not believe the difference that made

For non symmetrical pen blanks, such as antler, I hold the blank with a quick grip clamp instead of a pen blank vice.

I guess for me, using the barrel trimmer is just a whole lot quicker and more accurate than the sanding disc method, but I still do use a sanding disc at times, it is not my preferred method for most things.

[TDHofstetter]

I might add... that the barrel trimmer only MUST give you a nice surface within about 1/16" of the tube - that's where the wooden tube butts up against the findings. If it tears up the blank beyond that point, it's not a problem 'cause you'll turn that away anyway.

[Ruffnek]

Jan 2, 2010 17:10:04 GMT -6 dicklaxt said:

Cody,A good sharp tool will cut that leather with no problem,re: a skew on edge point down.

dick

If you are referring to the overhang on the disc, that is intentional. The person who recommended this arrangement for carving tools said that the overhang was good for honing the inside of V-tools. I haven't used it at all yet since I've also got a leather strop on the Jet Wet sharpener, but when I need to hone the V-tool, I'll give it a try.

If you are talking about truing up the disc, I've already done that by finding the original hole position.

BTW, me and skews don't get along well. ;D

[maxwellsmart007]

Barrel trimmers don't work well for me...with a highly stabilized or somewhat punky blank, I usually get a bit of tearout, which is a big ol' pain!

Andrew

[Doug B]

I guess some of y'all just aren't holding your tongues right when using a barrel trimmer. ;D

I am probably jinxing myself for life now...but, I get excellent results with my barrel trimmers. I bet I'll blow out the next 3 blanks in a row now that I've said that.

[Beezlebub]

Jan 2, 2010 20:16:57 GMT -6 Doug B said:

I guess some of y'all just aren't holding your tongues right when using a barrel trimmer. ;D

I am probably jinxing myself for life now...but, I get excellent results with my barrel trimmers. I bet I'll blow out the next 3 blanks in a row now that I've said that.

I agree that the barrel trimmer is the best way to go, just keep it sharp and go slow. Like dougb said I just use a mill bastard file to keep mine sharp.

ALL tools need to be kept sharp, trimmers, drills, chisels etc.

[TDHofstetter]

I wonder... if those who've been having trouble with tearout from a barrel trimmer have a barrel trimmer ground with too much relief behind the cutting edge. That little bevel should be nearly level, no more than a couple to five degrees of bevel.

[maxwellsmart007]

I bet mine's more like 20, Tim - it was an el- cheapo I found at a place that doesn't often carry woodturning tools!

Heck, maybe it's meant for cleaning pipes, for all I know!

Andrew

[TDHofstetter]

AHA!

There's yer prob. It may take a little doing, but you could reduce that relief a long way, till it's nearly level, and really improve how it works. Or... you can pick up a head for about ten bucks US (which translates to something like thirteen thousand eleventy-seven dollars Canadian) and slip it onto any ol' 1/4" drill bit or stick of cold-rolled steel. Or you could use a "back counterbore".

Or I could just make ya one.

[boodrow]

Im with Doug on this one , I dont do it exactly like he does.
First I cut off one end on my miter saw to get a good square cut. I then take it to the band saw and cut it to length or as close as possible , I try not to have but a small amout to trim on both ends. I then glue the tube in , let it dry then trim without a prob. I havent had a blowout yet. ALso I just use my cordless drill and hold the blank in my hand while trimming.
Boodrow