How I converted a belt sander to an edge sander

[Dirk Diggler]

This might go under the category you might be a redneck builder:
If you use and old amp stand and left over pressure treated wood from the stairs you made last year, and made it into an edge sander. LOL

In any case here was the issue, I had to joint 2 halves of a body with a crazy figured maple top, my cheapo joiner left some nice tear out that was not good for a top. I needed a way to get a nice square edge with no tear out.


Thanks to many clamps and several large pieces of pressure treated wood, I was amazed at how square and solid this setup was. Personally I am totally satisfied with it's outcome, the edge glued up incredibly well. The angle of the amp stand provided just the right tilt to make it really easy to provide even pressure.




I hope that this might help to inspire someone to take a look around your shop, there has to be a solution or every building problem somewhere in this mess!
Enjoy!

[John Wentzien]

Cool!

[Beej]

Great ingenuity. A perfect example of necessity being the mother of invention.

Interesting body shape too, I'm going to reserve final judgment, but there's definitely something testicular about it...

[Musiclogic]

Originally Posted by Beej

Great ingenuity. A perfect example of necessity being the mother of invention.

Interesting body shape too, I'm going to reserve final judgment, but there's definitely something testicular about it...

Many of us have done the exact same thing when we were starting out. FINE FINE job

[Basstovsky]

I love this sort of thing!

I am a very big advocate of being able to accomplish things even if you don't have the "proper" tools for the job.

[jworrellbass]

Hey Dirk,
Wouldn't have been easier to get those jointer blades sharpened?

[Beej]

Originally Posted by Musiclogic

Many of us have done the exact same thing when we were starting out. FINE FINE job

Not sure why this was directed at me...

[Musiclogic]

Originally Posted by Beej

Not sure why this was directed at me...

Second part of comment was edited out. Was going to make a further comment to the testicular allusion, but thought better of the comment after.

[Dirk Diggler]

Thanks for the comments, and as to various testicular commentary, the mind tends to see what it wants to see. LOL
Really was unintentional, thanks for spoiling it for me, I will never be able to look at the design the same way again, curses!

And that top is quilty enough the only way I think that would work would be with a spiral cutter, I certainly don't have the cash for that. I am so happy with the joint on these, actually 2 bodies at once, hmmmm what else is in 2's? Hah I see a theme developing!

I also wish I could afford a nice long edge sander, when I first started I used to take my body wings to a local wood supplier that has a nice shop and they would do it for a small fee. I'm trying to keep everything in house these days.

And lastly I have found that with figured maple that blades don't mix well like joiners and planers, I'll take a sander any day.

Cheers,
Dirk

Dirk

[ProfGumby]

Redneck engineering is where many of the great tools came from!

[MNAirHead]

shop smith === isnt' it?