Drill press sanding drums

[nbaxley]

I need to do some drum sanding for a project I've got going. I need to do it on the cheap though, so I don't have the money for a full drum sander. I'm looking at getting a sleeveless sanding drum for my drill press, buy I want to make sure that I've got enought power to turn a 3" tall drum. The other problem is that my "drill press" is a regular corded drill in a "press holder" that holds the drill and raises and lowers it. I'm also wondering how wide around to get the drum. I assume that the larger drum will wear out less, but I can imagine it will take more power to turn. Here are the drums that I'm looking at.

thoughts?

Thanks, Nate Baxley

[John]

I'm not sure how well your setup will spin the 3 incher. I had one in a big old sears drill press and it worked ok. I know you said on the cheap but I got one of those ryobi oscilating spindle sanders for under $80 a while ago and like it much better than the drill press setup. Here is a link to the ryobi page:

HD seems to be closing out there older ryobi floor models right now so you may be able to score one cheap....JD

> Any thoughts?

[Edwin Pawlowski]

> Any thoughts?

Yes, I have some thoughts. In a larger drill press you have more power and decent speed control. With a hand drill in a mount it is probably the least desirable setup you can have. As for size, what works best depends on what you are sanding. 3" is fine for a gentle arch, but won't work inside of a 1" diameter hole. It is nice to have a slection of drum sizes to choose from.

How well will it work? Depends on the thickness of wood, type of wood, etc. How stable is the mount with a side force? That can throw you off square when you put pressure on it. Ed

It may be enought to get yo buy on a simple project, but if yo are serious about continuing the hobby, put the money towards a cheap OSS. You can find them for about $100

[mttt]

If $99 is within your reach - do the Ryobi OSS from Home Despot. If not - give the spindles a shot. I tried a few and decided they weren't a wise investment. Haven't regretted the $99 on the Ryobi (yet)>

[Chipper Wood]

A word of warning. Hand drill main shafts are geared and run on a single row ball bearing. Not designed for side pressure, The main shaft with side pressure will tilt slightly at an angle to the plane of the gearing and cause accelerated gear wear. Depending upon the clearances in the bearing. Even if it is a sleeved bushing, you will definitely shorten the life of your hand drill.

[Hylourgos]

I second John's suggestions. If it's a quick and dirty cheap project, then go for it, but get your drums from HF (on sale right now for $5:

--that'llmatch the quality of your dp. Otherwise, you're putting a fuel injector on a Yugo.

If it's something you care about then try to get an OSS like the Ryobi for $80 or so.

H.

>

[nbaxley]

Thanks for all of the suggestions. It sounds like a better investment overall will be an OSS. Since this project is just for some heavy duty shelf brackets that need rounding on the front lip. I was wanting a large spindle so I could cover the entire 3 inch surface and even up the 2x and OSB sides in at time. I'll probably just use my belt sander. I think that the spindles in the drill may be just a waste of money and the cheap OSS would be a better way to go.

Thanks, Nate Baxley