There's definitely something to be said about what you can find on the internet. Even before I became involved in model ship building I have always had a desire to scratch build a ship. Because of that I have always been keeping my eyes open for the various tools out there that would help in this endeavour.
One day, recently, while surfing the internet for model related sites I came across a very interesting project which I thought other modelers might find interesting.
A thickness sander is a handy tool in anyones workshop, no matter if you are a novice builder, scratch builder or experienced builder.
I hope you enjoy this illustrated guide by Bob Weiss on how he built his Thickness-sander.
The motor and sanding drums.
I first had to get ahold of a electric motor to run the sander so I looked on Ebay. I came across this brand new GE 1/3 hp motor for 110v and it happened to have dual shafts on it. One on each side of the motor. They measured 1/2" in diameter and had a flat spot for the attaching of a set screw type coupler.
The sanding drums up close.
The sanding drums were ordered from Rockler and came in the size of 3" long by 3" in diameter. They mounted on a 1/2" shaft and had 2 set screws for easy attachment. I also ordered extra sanding sleeves.
Assembling of the base.
I constructed the base out of 1/2" MDF material. I first glued up 2 sheets to make it 1" thick for support of the motor.
The motor mount and feed tables.
I glued on another piece for the motor to mount to in the middle and then I glued on the 2 feed tables that would have one side of the hinges mounted to and also the elevation screw mounted on.
The other feed table.
This shows the other side being glued on.
Elevating bolt and hinges.
I used a 5/16" bolt with 18 tpi as the elevating bolt. I epoxied on a star handle to make it easier to turn. I also used brass piano hinges for the feed tables.
Insert nuts for elevating bolts.
I purchased these insert nuts that allowed me to attach them to the bottom feed tables for the elevating bolts to operate correctly.
Primering the base unit.
I primered the base assembly before attaching anything else.
The upper feed tables primered.
The size of the feed tables are 4" wide by 10" long. I made these from MDF as well and primered them before final painting.
Final coats of paint.
I used a machine grey color as the top coat and painted the base unit.
Aluminum Sheet.
I had a sheet of 1/8" thick aluminum laying around so I cut it to the same size as the feed tables and epoxied them together. This allowed the wood to slide more easily into the sander and provide a nice flat surface.
Attaching Hinges.
I attached the feed table with the brass hinges so that I could install the motor next.
Testing The Feed Tables.
I oiled the hinges before final assembly to make sure everything was working smoothly.
The Motor Is Installed.
I bolted the motor in place and attached the sanding drums to it. I did a quick test run to make sure if was working out ok and from the saw dust everywhere you can see that it does.
Feed Table Height Screw.
I installed the height adjusting screw under the table into the insert nuts. The threads are 18 per inch so the level of adjustment is really fine.
Both sides running.
Both sides of the sander are working. I use 80 grit sanding sleeve on the left side and 150 grit on the right.
Start work on the drum covers.
I began work on the drum covers by cutting out the side walls which leave 1/4" of space around the drum itself.
Glueing the walls.
Work continues on the side walls.
Side Walls Primered.
The side walls are primered before being painted.
Easy Removal.
Both side walls need to be easily removed so I can change the sleeves when they wear out in the future. I drilled recessed holes for screws to placed.
Side Walls.
I primered the rest of the side walls.
Glueing the walls together.
I has to use clamps to hold the walls together. I also started to drill the vacumm hole to mount the hose adapter.
Applied Wood Putty.
I filled in the screw holes that won't be needed to be exposed to removed the walls in the future with wood putty. I wanted the unit to at least look good to some extent.
All Sanded and Painted.
The walls are all sanded smooth and painted the same grey color as the base unit.
Final coats of paint.
This is a view of the rear of the unit. The wood pieces being sanded will be exiting this side. The holes for the vacumm hose are also finished.
Sample Wood Sanding.
This is the piece I ran through the sander 2 times on the rough side. It had alot of saw marks in it and was uneven thickness from end to end. I wanted to finish this test piece at a perfect 3/8" thick throughout its length.
Testing Machine Out.
Well this is the piece after going through the finer side of the machine and bringing the thickness down to 3/8" of inch. I measured it in numerious places with a digital caliper and it is perfect. The smoothness is also perfect.
Well that's the process that Bob Weiss went through during the construction of his Thickness Sander project. Now he has a fully functioning and essential tool required in any modelers workshop.
If you have any comments or questions about Bob's project he'd be more than happy to hear from you. Simply drop us a line here at Model Ship Builder and we'll be sure to pass it on for you.
