I used to have a sanding drum I bought at Woodcraft. They no longer carry anything like it. It had a wheel on the bottom that I used to shape my riser blocks with. I looked on grizzly's site and found nothing also. Anyone know where I can find one?
Robosander made by luthiersfriend? I use a 60 grit tungsten carbide sleeve with mine
Here is the best one I have found. It is made for use on a shaper:
http://www.toolstoday.com/p-5962-sanding-drum.aspx?variantids=10222,0
Thank you Bjansen, but the one that's on tools today is a bit more than I wanted to pay.
I went with the robosander. looks just like the one I used to use.
I know it Jim..I've been searching for a year for a good, reliable pattern sander...never found one. That one in the link looks like it is built correctly, but yes it is costly.
I emailed grizzly customer support as well and asked them to consider carring some type of pattern sander. No equipment mfg (other than $5k plus commercial manfuacturers) makes a good pattern sander (or any for that matter). I think Grizzly could do quite well with a simple 1.5HP spindle sander with a bearing on the bottom of the drum, or even make an attachment for their belt sanders to convert the drive drum into a pattern sander.
I think my request fell on deaf ears.
I would like to try Robosander for shaping my risers, but I would only order the 3x3.
3x3 robo sander works great
put the order for the 3x3 robo in the mail this afternoon. gonna be interesting. I've never used this type of tool, always done everything freehand.
I really liked the looks of that expensive one, but you have to have the shaper to put it on!
HArbor Freight has a drum kit they sell for $25 and it includes several drum sizes...
Once you get the pattern made then your riser block gets sanded to match the same contour. Should be able to reproduce the same exact riser over and over.
Once again I must show my ignorance. How do you use the pattern to get them all the same. :dunno:
The wheel on the bottom rolls along the (plexiglass)forcing wood off the block until it matches the form. Block is cut close with a bandsaw then taken to final dimension and shape with the pattern and sanding drum.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v42/keyman/bows/CIMG1865.jpg)
Here is the jig I made for the KennyM 64" longbow riser. The roughed out riser block clamps in then I slide the block against the sanding drum with the jig held flat against the table on the drill press. When no more is being taken off, it's done.
I made my own one:
(http://img703.imageshack.us/i/schleifwalzespezialk.jpg/)
Put the stuff on with double sided tape, crossing over the short flat part of the drum.
(http://img703.imageshack.us/img703/3468/schleifwalzespezialk.jpg)
Another way is to use the edgesander like in this video... but you have to live with an offset...
Alberti Archery (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HAYRVtxHMU)
That is pretty slick Gundog...what is the diameter of the drum?
I like the shank diameter on Gundog68's model better then what I see on the Robosander. In the pictures, at least, GD's looks to be larger than RB's, which only looks to be a 1/4 of an inch.
Has anyone experienced issues of uneven presure along the sanding surface using the Robosander?
I use a tungsten carbide 60 grit sleeve on mine . The rubber drum fits inside it and the metal sleeve does not bulge. I bought the metal sleeve from McMaster-Carr. The 36 grit is way too agressive the 60 grit seems to work just right.. (http://i596.photobucket.com/albums/tt46/Robertfishes/robosander-2.jpg)
QuoteOriginally posted by bjansen:
That is pretty slick Gundog...what is the diameter of the drum?
The bearing is 47 mm. I made the diameter of the drum 2xsanding paper thickness (60 grit) smaller.
The lower bearing is fixed in as an additional guide, so once in a drill-press, there is no tolerance.
The other bearings are for the template, top or bottom as you like it.
You can make several diameter and switch this fast in the drill-press.
3 Rivers Archery sells a cheap one that goes to the great northern feather grinding jig.
http://www.3riversarchery.com/Arrow+Building+Tools+Feather+Extra+Sanding+Drums_c52_s8_p36_i5047_product.html
New Mexico Woodworkers Supply carries them.
Jim,
Woodcraft used to sell the Robosander as I also have one. It works well as long as you have a good drill press that the table is perpendicular to the chuck.