Re. equipment mistakes-disc sander

[PAMELA DESIMONE,CPF]

I saw two knocks on disc sanders under equipment mistakes. I was wondering why. I've used them for years, and wouldn't be without. Mine, however were adapted from commercial sanders, so maybe they are better.

[Ruth Yheulon]

We wouldn't be without ours either. As I mentioned before we have the ITW manual and it was worth every penny.
Ruth

[TADPORTER]

I am one who posted the disk sander as being a mistake. I purchased a Barton Disk Sander about 2 months ago. I own a Pistorius chopper which I use to chop 98% of all the jobs I design. I am very happy w/my chopper but found that even with serious tweaking - due to the extremes in mldg width and density - that about 25% of my cuts ended up not joining perfectly. I thought I could solve this problem w/ a sander.
Out of the box the sander needed adjustments that I anticipated. This is problem #1. This machine is an absolute pain to tweak and adjust.
Using a LJ florentina (smaller profile)scrap to adjust, I finally got it right on. I cut an entire frame and joined and it was flawless. Problem #2-,I then cut/sanded and joined the larger Florentina and found angle it had sanded to was WAY OFF. Back to fine tune sander again. There must be some rule of physics that applies, but in the end, after fine tuning, the sander only works on correcting mitres on certain widths and densities without re-adjusting. Its not really the cost ($3-400)so much as my disappointment in the results.

[Jim Miller]

Tadporter:

Try adjusting your sander with the widest moulding you can find. 45 degrees is 45 degrees, no matter how wide the moulding, but longer lines will make any innacuracy more obvious.

Also, could your machine be creeping out of adjustment? After you get it set up, mark your adjustments for reference; that way youl can tell if something has moved.

Good luck & Happy New Year to all.

[Don]

I would never be without a disc sander again. I have never had a bit of problems with it. Have had it over a year and have yet to make an adjustment. You must have received a faulty item or just bought a bad brand. Trimmed the training time for employees on cutting and building from a couple months worth of scrap frames down to a couple days. In fact, my last employee cut a perfect frame on the first try. Has been doing great ever since.
This is also a fabulous help on fillets. I cut them slightly large and trim down to the perfect size. I can get a perfect fillet every time.

[This message has been edited by Don (edited December 28, 2000).]

[MerpsMom]

Tadporter, we have a Mitre-Mite sander and love it. I don't see where there would be much of an adjustment to be made on it. It works very well, and I concur that it makes fillets absolutely perfect. Hope you get yours worked out as it seems to be a great tool. http://www.thegrumble.com/framer/ubbs/smile.gif

[alan beitz]

Please excuse my ignorance - Iv'e never used a sander - I use a Morso guilotine for 99% of our work and find as long as I check it occasionally it cuts perfect mitres everytime .If I do happen to have a problem -we have a problem with very low humidity and warped timber - I glue and clamp and then underpin when the glue is dry -rarely do we have problem and the joins are perfect. Am I missing something.