HOMEMADE OSCILLATING SPINDLE SANDER

[yair feldmann]

Newbie here - first post!

For years, I have been thinking of building an oscillating spindle sander using only a single motor, unlike all the models that I saw, which use two motors.

Recently, I happened to see Izzy Swan's machine (thanks, Izzy!) I took his idea a step further: Izzy’s design uses a store-bought worm and spur gear mechanism, while I used an old car-wiper motor to create vertical movement based on the Scotch yoke principle.

I stripped the motor from all the electric components (magnet, wires etc.) leaving only the worm shaft and the spur gear. However, I now had a problem. In Izzy's machine, the shaft goes into the case and out the other side, and then connected to the sanding drum, but in my ex-motor the worm-shaft ends up touching the spur gear. I solved it by drilling a 9.5mm hole in the upper part of the case, through which I inserted a 9.5mm steel rod salvaged from a dead printer. The two rods (the incoming one and the outgoing) engage with each other using a slot cut in one of them and a pin inserted to the other. I used the same method to engage the upper rod with the sanding drum, making it very easy and quick to replace the drum. I threaded the upper part of the extension rod to accommodate the fastener that locks the drum to the rod.

The photos show some steps of the construction process, and the clip tells the whole story. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Photos:

1. Worm shaft original length
2. Worm shaft + extension
3. A slot cut in the upper rod to engage the pin in the lower one
4. Scotch yoke wheel and ball bearings to reduce friction.
5. Front view

[DIYer]

Thanks yair feldmann! We've added your Oscillating Spindle Sander to our Spindle Sanders category,
as well as to your builder page: yair feldmann's Homemade Tools. Your receipt:

Oscillating Spindle Sander by yair feldmann

tags: sander, spindle

[TheElderBrother]

I always liked the mechanical underpinnings of this kind of sander, but as much as I like the idea, I have to ask more experienced folks a question.

Is there any benefit to a spindle sander, particularly to the knifemaker, that you'll achieve better than the 2x72" grinder?

I have a 2x72" belt grinder, and I have thought about building a large wheel disc sander, but I don't need one for many of the jobs I do, and I can do about everything I need on the big grinder.

But I also know my imagination can be a bit limited. What do you think? Are other mechanical solutions to the power grinder better than a long belt grinder?

[geoffsshed]

Thanks for your post of your spindle sander. it is a great improvement for Homemade spindle sanders. I wonder if some one will come up with another variation or refinement of the spindle in the near future. Well done Yair.

[yair feldmann]

Is there any benefit to a spindle sander, particularly to the knifemaker, that you'll achieve better than the 2x72" grinder?

In my view, the main advantage for the woodworker, is sanding holes in the wood, not necessarily round, like windows of toy-cars. Usually they are cut using a jigsaw which leaves rough face.