12 inch disc sander

[Robert Lindstadt]

I am thinking I should get a 12 inch disc sander I see that harbor freight has one for 179.99
anyone have experience with these? Not sure how much I will use maybe as I do some more segmented pieces it will come in handy.

 

[Brian Gustin]

I am thinking I should get a 12 inch disc sander I see that harbor freight has one for 179.99
anyone have experience with these? Not sure how much I will use maybe as I do some more segmented pieces it will come in handy.

Made my own - Chuck up a chunk of wood between centers, turn a perfect tenon, reverse it and turn a trued flat "plate" 3/4 inch thick or so maybe 4 to 6 inch diameter , drill a few holes, and screw a suitable size MDF or melamine to it and true it to perfect round the size of whatever sanding disk you want to buy (PSA disks - I got an assortment of 6 inch) Then when you need a disk sander, just chuck it up in your jaw chuck, use tool rest for a platform (Or you can make a squared-up platform that mounts in your banjo if you want to get things sanded perfectly square) Quick and easy , unless you are already using the lathe for something else (I rarely have more than 1 project going at once, so for me it's not a problem) When I get deeper into segmenting, I'll probably make myself a bigger baseplate for bigger sanding disks, but as my lathe just barely has a 12 inch swing as it is, I doubt I'll be doing 12 inch segmented rings any time soon - maybe 8 or 10 inch at the most.... But again, much cheaper than spending even $180 or so at Harbor freight..

 

[Rick Moreton]

I took the faceplate that I never used and screwed a scrap of mdf to it. Slapped on an adhesive disc of sandpaper and made a quick platform with scrap plywood and pocket holes. If I ever start to feel like I need something better then maybe I will consider buying a stand alone sander, otherwise it works well enough for me.

 

[Steve Tiedman]

I took the faceplate that I never used and screwed a scrap of mdf to it. Slapped on an adhesive disc of sandpaper and made a quick platform with scrap plywood and pocket holes. If I ever start to feel like I need something better then maybe I will consider buying a stand alone sander, otherwise it works well enough for me.

Winner!

 

[Kirk Amidon]

The idea of a DIY one is solid. I bought an older Rockwell 12" disc sander, and don't use it as much as I thought I would. Like lathes, size matters. 12" sanders are good for small stuff, like cleaning up segments, but just are not large enough to sand entire rings easily. A 20" or larger disc would be better for this. I find that for most of my sanding requiring a machine, a belt sander is easier. That might be simply due to using belt sanders a lot more in my youth.

 

[Michael Brown]

I made a few of these for the lathe and they are awesome. I used the beal 1.25-8 tap so I can quick change them and I put grit on both sides. The dust collection is already in the right place too.

 

[Sam Fleisher]

I am thinking I should get a 12 inch disc sander I see that harbor freight has one for 179.99
anyone have experience with these? Not sure how much I will use maybe as I do some more segmented pieces it will come in handy.

I've had one for several years. If I had a need for one more often I would do what has been mentioned and make one with the lathe. Dust collection already there plus the platform could be used for other things like holding a Dremel or whatever for embellishment and indexing.

 

[Sam Fleisher]

I made a few of these for the lathe and they are awesome. I used the beal 1.25-8 tap so I can quick change them and I put grit on both sides. The dust collection is already in the right place too.

Do the threads work good in I'm guessing mdf?

That's a good idea making them double faced.

 

[Robert Lindstadt]

So everyone uses there lathe for disc sanding ?
I would prefer a stand alone 12 inch sander.

 

[Sam Fleisher]

So everyone uses there lathe for disc sanding ?
I would prefer a stand alone 12 inch sander.

Guess I never asked how big your lathe was? I use an 18 inch disc as a vacuum chuck which would make a great size disc sander if I had a need for a big one
I have considered moving mine out of the garage but it's heavy and space is a premium in my shop.

 

[Adrian Wilson]

I have a 12" disc sander, but only got it fairly recently. I was all set to make some MDF discs for the lathe, then a friend of mine, Dean of the local woodworkers, member of the Order of Canada for his contribution to craftsmanship, died at 95 and I bought his. Partly to have something of his. He was a pretty amazing guy; amazing shop, and I used to take my students out to him every year when I taught college woodworking. He had two lathes he built from scratch, but they went to other people. He built the disc sander, and it's a tank. I do other woodworking besides turning; if you have one, you will use it. Bigger is good too, as someone mentioned.

 

[john lucas]

I have a rikon 12". Works great. Here is a photo of tge jig I use ti true up segments that I currently on the bandsaw. You clean up one side of the segment not using the jig. Then you put the side you just cleaned up against the angle of tge jig abd push it in until it stops cutting. I also use the dust sander for trying up 1/4 and half rings.
I built a disc sander platter that fits on tge lathe. I use it mostly for carving facets on bowls and goblets but it also makes a good tool sharpener. Go to you tube and type in johnlucaswoodturner/disc sander sharpening.

 

[Dave Landers]

I have a 10" Harbor Freight stand-alone disc sander. Don't currently have a disc on a faceplate. I don't do segmenting so can't comment on its use for that. I use it for random stuff - sanding off nibs on the bottom of a bowl, shaping things, etc. Most recent use was thinning down an aluminum mitre bar so it would fit my saws' mitre slots. So, random. More often than not, the disc on it is in pretty poor shape - clogged and burned etc.

Anyway... That sander has a cheap aluminum table with an odd-sized (small) mitre slot that I wouldn't trust to be parallel to anything. I can get the table perpendicular to the disc, but not sure how long it stays that way. The dust collection port is mostly worthless. Changing disks is challenging - have to remove the dust collector thing and several nuts to remove the table (is why my disc is usually messed up, too hard to change).
I only mention these things in case it helps you evaluate if the machine is worth it for your use.

One suggestion - open the box in the store or parking lot and check that it has everything it's supposed to have in the box. Even probably a good idea to plug it in and turn it on, make sure it runs ok. I just bought a cheap HF scroll saw on clearance and forgot to do that. The scroll saw was missing all the included accessories - support said my only option was to return it.

 

[Jim Byrne]

I built my own using a spare, used motor & a disk from McMaster-Carr.
The stand is built from scrap metal. I use it a lot---great tool to have.

 

[Mark Jundanian]

So everyone uses there lathe for disc sanding ?
I would prefer a stand alone 12 inch sander.

Nothing wrong with that, kinda my view, too.

I am thinking I should get a 12 inch disc sander I see that harbor freight has one for 179.99
anyone have experience with these? Not sure how much I will use maybe as I do some more segmented pieces it will come in handy.

As far as a disc sander's utility? I inherited an 8" disc sander, it's small, still I use for the odd task, but then I don't segment (yet), and I don't do much flatwork. As to whether 12" is big enough, it's worth keeping in mind that you can only really use the half of the disc spinning down toward the table. Do you plan to sand work pieces bigger than 6"?

As Dave Lander said it's worth inspecting the tool carefully soon after the sale. In addition to his suggestions, I would check that both the disk and table are flat and can be made perpendicular to each other.

 

[Richard Coers]

For the scale I was working in for quite a while, I bought a 20". You can run it up to speed, then shut it off to do the sanding. It's one hell of a flywheel! Harbor Freight is the last place I would buy machinery. I know with that statement, I will probably be attacked for having the money to buy a name brand. But I learned to buy quality when I was a kid on the farm.

 

[Mark Jundanian]

In the vein of alternative solutions, I glue sandpaper to both sides of a flat square of plywood/MDF. Place this against a 6 or 8 inch face plate which has been mounted to the tail stock (with a sheet of paper to protect my shiny face plate). Then bring this up against the thing I'm flattening, which is mounted to the head stock. Slow motor or turn by hand. Light pressure.

 

[Lou Jacobs]

Harbor Freight is the last place I would buy machinery.

I’ve said the same thing on other threads. Buy their tennis racket fly killer. ~$4. Otherwise buy quality.

 

[Michael Brown]

Do the threads work good in I'm guessing mdf?

That's a good idea making them double faced.

Threads are indeed MDF, but I soak them in CA 2P-10 and keep making passes each day with the tap, then CA till they are stone hard. they spin on like a track bike front wheel. I started them on the huge oneway cole jaw equivalent and thin/flatten them out once the threads are solid so I don't get the equivalent of a wobble dado.

Once the sandpaper fouls out (I use the eraser brick and they are doing excellent even after sanding some gross stuff) I just toss the disc and make another one. I find that trying to true up a second batch of discs takes less time than re-truing one after I pull the PSA off. Even with heat, they get too thin and the headstock threads begin crossing over to the sanding side of the disc.

 

[Doug Rasmussen]

I've had two disc sanders, an old 12" Delta and a larger one, 20".

Something to think about with disc sanding is you usually sand on the side of the disc that causes the work to be forced down onto the table. Both of mine had reversible motors so either the left or right side of the disc could be used. With a 12" sander you have basically a 6" wide area for sanding. With that 6" you have aggressive sanding at the outer diameter of the disc because of the high abrasive surface speed. But near the disc's center you have much less aggressive sanding because the surface speed nears to zero.

Take a 5" piece on the 12 incher and unless you can compensate for the different sanding rates you most likely will take more off the piece at the outer diameter of the disc.

A disc sander does have an advantages over a belt sander, the disc abrasive is glued to the disc. With a belt sander the abrasive is loose on the backup platen and can "dub" the work by slightly taken material off as the abrasive belt hits the work and as it exits. The disc sander will leave a flat surface on the work as long as it's firmly supported on the table. Usually the dubbing may not be a problem with woodworking, on metal it's more pronounced.

The disc sanders are good on small pieces. Make sure the disc is flat and runs true with very little run out. I would not buy without seeing the sander run to verify run out.

Disc abrasive changes are a pain as opposed to belt changes.

I sold both of my disc sanders long ago, not worth the space they took up. The 12" sold like hot cakes. With the bigger one I had to drop the price way down, less than the 12" sold for. My 6 x 48 Delta belt sander is all I have in stationary sanding now. The aggressiveness' is constant across the belt because the surface speed is constant across the belt.

 

[Robert Lindstadt]

I have a rikon 12". Works great. Here is a photo of tge jig I use ti true up segments that I currently on the bandsaw. You clean up one side of the segment not using the jig. Then you put the side you just cleaned up against the angle of tge jig abd push it in until it stops cutting. I also use the dust sander for trying up 1/4 and half rings.
I built a disc sander platter that fits on tge lathe. I use it mostly for carving facets on bowls and goblets but it also makes a good tool sharpener. Go to you tube and type in johnlucaswoodturner/disc sander sharpening.

I made two of these rotating tool holders I have a sliding miter saw on one side and a belt sander and oscillating drum sander on the other!

 

[Dave Bunge]

My first lathe was a Shopsmith ER-10. It came with a Shopsmith 12" sanding disc. I sold the ER-10, but kept the disc.

I attach it to the lathe with a MT2 / 5/8" adaptor that Beall sells for their buffing system.


I made a sanding table from scraps and and old piece of countertop. Not fancy, but it gets the job done. And I can set it up in < 2 minutes.


It looks like the Shopsmith discs are available on Ebay for about $50. The Beall adaptor is about $15, from Lee Valley now.

 

[Robert Lindstadt]

I’ve said the same thing on other threads. Buy their tennis racket fly killer. ~$4. Otherwise buy quality.

It’s not something that will be used everyday. But I like the idea that it’s setup and all I have to do is turn on the switch.

 

[JeffSmith]

I found one at a yard sale for a song and a dance (think I paid about $35 for it 15 years ago. No name or make on it, but as far as I can tell all of them from Asia seem to look remarkably alike. It has worked flawlessly every time I’ve needed it (seldom). There is a benefit to not needing to set something up just to spend a few seconds sandin….

 

[Tim Hunter]

I have a 12" Delta, and built an 18" disc for my New Haven lathe; details can be seen here:

Lathe-mounted sanding disc - Old Woodworking Machines

Tim

 

[Larry Mitchell]

Have the HF sander purchased long ago…works great. Limited grit selection from HF though.

 

[Roger Wiegand]

I have a medium-old Delta 12" disk/6" belt combination sander. I use the belt a whole lot more than I use the disk. These machines come up for sale pretty regularly in the range of a few hundred bucks. I've found it a very useful machine to have in the shop.

 

[Gord Cameron]

Based on my experience, Doug Rasmussen's comments are right on. Especially the point that if you do get a disc sander, make sure you can check the disc for run-out before you are committed. If the disc is not good and flat and rotating perpendicular to the shaft, it will have a high spot or spots that do all the sanding. I had to get a pretty expensive unit to get a good flat disc, but you could be lucky with a second hand one.

 

[Tim Otto]

I am thinking I should get a 12 inch disc sander I see that harbor freight has one for 179.99
anyone have experience with these? Not sure how much I will use maybe as I do some more segmented pieces it will come in handy.

I would not buy anything from Harbor Freight that has a moving part

 

[Doug Drury]

Almost everything I do on the lathe is segmented. I have a 6" combination disc and belt sander that I use all the time. I also have a 12" disc sander, that rarely gets used. For the few times you need to sand something 12", use a disc on your lathe and save your money. Also be aware that the platform and housing on the 12" disc sander will stop you from sanding a full 12" disc. Further, and any true-up on a disc should be done on the lathe anyway so it is flat and perpendicular to the bed.