Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: upstatenybowyer on July 09, 2018, 08:13:10 am
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Hi ya'll,
Here's what I'm wondering...
-what size is sufficient for what we do? (benchtop, how wide/long)
-what are some good companies?
-new or used?
-lowest ball park price for something that'll do the job? (thinning backings, small angled joints, minor shaping, ect.)
-worth getting a combo belt/disc?
Thanks in advance! :D
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Love this thing,especially the disc,ran me about 130 here in Canada.
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Mine is a 4"x36" from Canadian Tire. It's one of the things they put on half price every so often. I got it for $100. It works well. I've had it for a year. You would probably get the equivalent at Harbour Freight. Not real quality stuff but it does the job.
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Same machine DC,lol!
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4 x 36. I have two old Craftsman models. Dust control is key, they are a complete mess to use.
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I have a 6x48 Grizzly that works great. I don't remember what it cost but you can Google it.
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I got a cheapo one and had to replace the bearings with decent sealed ones eventually. Finding the right grit belt is half the battle.
I had to build some decent dust extraction round it.
A lot of cheapo tools are ok if you don't mind tuning 'em up for our particular obsession :)
Del
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I have this Ridgid oscillating belt/spindle sander its very adaptable it can be used ether for spindle sanding or belt sanding great for bamboo prep, side tillering , limb shaping Etc, I have a dedicacted spindle sander and only use the belt sanding part of it but with the oscillating feature it removes wood and other material quick & controllably, it saves me a lot of time and ware on band saw blades, the vertical belt I thought would be harder to use for flattening but it actually works better and belts last a long time caught mine on sale for $199 it was worth it also use it for scarf jointing with a jig to.
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I have a 6" x 48" belt with a 9" disk. It's an old cast iron Craftsman made by King Seeley. I absolutely love it, only gave $100 for it, but I had to build a cabinet and get a motor for it. Well worth the investment
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I got a 6×48 at Harbor Freight years ago. Tillered literally hundreds of bows on it. Still going strong. Best $200 I ever spent.
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I have a 6 x 48 which is belt driven. In other words the motor is separate, which is good, in case it as to be replaced.
I inherited mine from my dad.
Jawge
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This sander is on my dream list if I had room I would own it but don't it is perfect for bow making of any kind I may make room for it over the winter a lot of bowyers swear by it !
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Wouldn't a horizontal bed be better for our purposes? Seems to me that it would be easier to hold a bow steadier if it was flat.
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I'd love to have that sander myself SB. Worthless for most self bows, but priceless for any and all glue bows, wood or f-glass.
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Belt sanders are fab, but I MUCH prefer my power file, especially for what we do
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The vertical band sander works well for flatting lams or bamboo but pearly is right it really shines with lam bows of any type and especially cleaning up limb edges , vertical or flat it still depends on even presure on the peace being sanded gravity doesent keep it flat it's up to the operator to keep the peace parallel regardless of band position , I like the vertical sander as you can use the ends same as a spindle sander for shaping handles or over lays instead of going to the spindle sander or shaping front view profiles accurately , the vertical sander is just more versatile for me ,but I have spent a lot of time using it ,I had the wen flat one before switching !
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I've got a grizzly 6x48 sander. I mostly use it for tip overlays. In my early bow making days I used a 4x36 belt sander for tillering. I like tillering with hand tools better. It's easy to get a thin spot with the belt sander.
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My first was a 4X36 delta el-cheapo, with a 36 grit belt it did everything I needed it to do. It was stolen by a painter I fired, never could get the cops interested in going after him.
I bought a 6X48 Griz, it is the most used power tool in my shop. I have had to do a bunch of repairs on it in the last 15 years, bearings, motor and the start stop switch twice. I run it any time I am working on bows.
A $59 4X36 from Harbor Freight will do what you need if you have the right belt on it.
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Holy snikees. Thanks for all the replies guys. I love you all!
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Agreed,I use it for tips and front profiling,but I go to my trusty Shinto for tillering.
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X 2 on the Ridgid oscillating sander. I would much rather prefer a bigger belt sander but this gets the trick done. I've been abusing mine for 3 years and still no problems. I'm not a fan of Ridgid Power Tools anymore I think they're all junk but this one seems pretty good. Plus I prefer a vertical belt. It's much easier to square stuff up on.
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I'm in the 4x36 crowd. I'm on my 3rd-4th one . $150 a piece. 225 bows . About ready to look for better quality. I do like the size though. Rough out close then rasp-planer blade for tiller. Arvin
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Stickbender I have used that sander before . They are good but I like the shorter one better. Maybe just have not gotten use to it though. Every tool has its strengths and weaknesses. Arvin
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When those sanders get big enough nick names are used like big bertha etc.They are nice!!!I just use a bench type 18" belt sander with a disk option on it too.It's helped me out quickly in many situations that's for sure.I have an oscillating sander also.Use them off and on many times.Got them both from Grizzly.For planing and tapering bamboo and wood backings I have a De Walt hand power planer and a wooden block with sand paper.
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I think over winter Im going to sell off my lathe that I dont use much any more and get that beast 😃
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I've got the harbor freight 6"x48" belt/9" disk sander, it has a full 1hp motor. With coupon I think I paid $180 or so. I've had it a year, very happy with it.
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Another reason I like the rigid sander is you can put a fence on it and make a make shift thickness sander or I have a sled for belly tapering cores for bamboo backed lam bows where you can do full length core lams that I can't do on the drum sander, plus the table is adjustable for angle or squaring to 90 Deg. With a little creativity you can do a lot with it ! I don't tiller self bows with a sander & use mine mostly for backed bows.
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For my first 10-15 bows I clamped a hand held belt sander upside down in a vice. Worked ok with 60-80 grit. That's all I had at the time. Arvin
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I have not had much luck with belt sanders making bows. It is so easy to overshoot your target and get too thin where you don't want to be thin and screw up your tiller. Maybe it is a lack of skill on my end, but I much prefer my hoof rasp over any other type of power tool.
I guess the horse background for me comes in handy :D
Phil
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I only use my belt sander for very basic initial shaping, everything else is with hand tools. It is great for prepping wood and bamboo for glue-ups, adjusting splice fit and leveling pieces for glue on handles and overlays.
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I actually just have a cheap, $30 Ryobi portable belt sander that I clamp in my vise and use it like a bench sander. Like Eric Krewson said, I try and limit how much I use it and work mostly with my draw knife/hand tools, but I have used it to thin bamboo backing, and last year when I was in a hurry to finish up a kids bow for a nephew before we left on vacation, I used it to completely tiller the bow, and it came out with a very nice tiller. I've also used it to make knives and for other steel grinding as well. Eventually I will get a nicer sander, but this is filling my needs for now.
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I have that ridgid sander and a 4 x 36 belt disk combo.. the rigid see,s more use because of the spindle attachments, but the disk is nice for other things. I,d choose the rigid if I could have only one, but I,be built mostly FG bows so take that for what it’s worth,
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I have never put the spindles on mine because I have another spindle sander but would bet it work ok but for some body that wants a 2 in 1 machine it would save $$ too !
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Well, now I've got plenty to consider over the summer cause I'm not allowed to buy one until the paychecks start coming in again when school's back in session.
Thanks everyone. :)
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While your pondering tell school starts, look at this one it does vertical , horizontal , or any angle in between plus contouring on the end like a spindle sander gets great reviews ! Defently works for any bow FG or self bow !
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ooooooo, aaaaaaaah Stick that looks like a nice one!
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😃😃😃 you made me laugh yes its a awsome machine I like it better then the Grizzly and cheaper then there oscilating version !