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Does anyone use those hand held spindle sanders (for a drill) to sand sides? If so what is the brand and size

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Mike McNerney

Unless you dabble in metalwork -- just get the Chris Ensor "Elevate" tool. There is also a recent thread about this - try searching for it in the archives as it got quite a few responses and helpful tips/advice for using them.

Chris Paulick makes some nice ones. You could do the same as he has some good youtube videos showing how he makes his rolling pin sanders.

I made a nice rolling pin sander using two of the rubber drill press sanding drums end to end, some all thread, some nuts and washers, a handful of bearings (all shoved together to make the handle), and matching long sanding sleeves. It works great. However, I had to McGyver that sucker together. You might as well just buy one from Elevate and save some time.

I got mine from Grizzly, a Shop Fox branded one. They sell two sizes, I use the smaller one. I don't use it on sides, but do use it on heels.


Dave

The Grizzly sanders are (carefully!) inflatable and conform to curved surfaces very nicely without cutting facets into the work. I used my small version to help shape a neck. I saved hours of hand sanding. Also helps to know when to stop.

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Peter Havriluk

Thanks all. The Elevate stuff is fantastic, and I might just get the sander and binding jig. I'think I'll try the fox one for necks first. Mike

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Mike McNerney

Been using a grizzly for a couple of years mostly on sides. I'm shaping a couple of necks now. Thanks for reminding me to break it out. I've only found sleeves to fit it at grizzly. Kinda pricey but they seem to last a long time.

I have the elevate one and it is really a great tool. Can’t imagine why I wouldn’t want it


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

This thread reminded me I needed some new sleeves. I bought a 1 1/8 pneumatic sander from Woodworker's Supply a few years ago and love it for neck work, cuts a lot of time off end grain sanding on the heel and transition to peg head.

Looking around for soft sleeves I came across this -- https://toolsandmore.us/woodstock-d4623-soft-sleeve.aspx

They also had the 1 1/8 rolling pin for $65, best deal I've seen on those too and the sleeves were a decent price too. If anyone is interested.

I never tried it on sides and was curious if anyone with a pneumatic rig with a larger dia drum, like https://toolsandmore.us/shop-fox-d4595-pneumatic-drum-sander.aspx has tried it on sides?

OR, is a solid drum better for that? I can see advantages to solid in it being straight, but downside would be sanding divots more readily if you weren't really careful.

I've had solid rubber drums that mount in the drill press but the ones I've had never seemed to center the sleeve on the arbor axis so they were not too good for accurate sanding.

For folks using the Elevate tool, How well does the drum center on the drive line center?

Thanks in advance.

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Brian R, Wood Mechanic
N8ZED

The 2 1/4" is the one I have and use it primarily on sides. Been using an 80 grit sleeve. Clamp the body in a holder and work your way around a little at a time. Be ginger with it until you get a feel about how much material is coming off. Each wood type seems to sand differently. I try to sand the side to the binding so the binding width stays the same all the way around.
Grizzly has many more sleeve grits available than toolsandmore. Cheaper too.

I saw a thread somewhere out in cyberspace where a fellow with a new Martin measured side thickness at about 1/32" thick around the waist. Overzealous sanding at the factory no doubt. But power sanding sides still scares me because of stories like that. I rout my binding recesses to where there's very very little material to be removed to level up with the sides. A card scraper does the trick for me...

Dave

Yes that is an interesting note. over the years as a cabinetmaker I have done a lot of veneer work. In 1983 I did a BRW credenza with .025 veneer. The guy who laid it up for me, sanded the veneer tape off with an 80 grit belt on a stroke sander. He was unbelievably fast, but did not sand through anywhere. When I started the edge banding my helper sanded through in a couple of places and I had to inlay some areas. The guitar bodies I am working on now are laminated sides with a .025 show veneer. I can see with a rolling pin sander when working on the sides I will have to be focused but somehow I'm not that worried

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Mike McNerney

I have nothing at all against power tools, and use them a lot in my shop. But I like to use them for the roughing out phase of things--my old bones can only do so much, and I like to save them for the fun stuff, and the stuff where handwork really makes the difference.

Dave