Poor Man Lam Grinder

[heartlandbowyer]

Found what I needed on the job site in the dumpster.  :D  Well except the sander!
 
 
 

[JkChenault]

Very nice

[D]

I've got the same sander and have been thinking about making a lam grinding jig.  It looks good.  Is the spring board just to prevent kick back??

[heartlandbowyer]

D,
Yes and it also keeps the lam agaist the fence so I can keep the skin on my fingers.

[rmorris]

I was using that at one point but never showed it because it had no guard and I managed to get a finger caught and took the top of my pointer finger off in a split second... Scary stuff but I will have to admit it worked good and for a very reasonable price.

I would only try this if you are willing to take the time to build a guard so fingers can't get caught since your fingers are the auto feed function.

[goobersan]

Great job! I have the same sander and will definitely build a similar contraption. for now I still have 10 fingertips  

[heartlandbowyer]

Ralph,
I put the oak board on there to keep my string pullers out of the way, but after your mishap I'm going to build some kind of cage. I will definately post a pic of the cage. I want everyone who builds bows to be able to shoot them.

Cory

[rmorris]

Cory , it did jack up my good shooting hand and it had me out of shooting for over a month. Looking at the 3rd picture if ya were to put that on the other side as tall as the sander I think it would be safer. I was able to get cocobolo veneers as thin as .025" with 60 grit as long as I kept a steady feed rate.

I would also imagine any kick back would explode a veneer with your kick back stop behind the feed opposed to putting the kickback stop in front of the feed and also stop it from pulling a finger into the feed.

[heartlandbowyer]

Ralph,

The set-up does a good enough job that I think I can make a box with only enough room for the lam and lam sled to slid through, then there will be no danger on either side. Thanks for the advise.    

[bowkill32]

build one of them D i would like to see it in action...

[MoeM]

I don`t know about professional thicknesssanders but with my shopmade one I`ve never noticed any kickback- no matter how deep I ran a workpiece into at one time.
A cage would be easy to install on this grinder I think- just put it to the upper frame.
All I would worry about is the squareness- isn`t it affected by setting the belt on right track?

[So-Mo Archer]

I am digging that design! I have been thinking about making a lam grinder, but didn't have a good idea of how. Thanks Cory!  

[heartlandbowyer]

Moe,

The belt tracking is adjusted by the smaller roller. I do have a small shim under the base to square up to the front roller. It's off about .001 to .002 so i just flip the lam and run it through the other way then I'm good to go.

I'm also planning on attaching the cage to the oak board on the fence.

[timberstix]

Hi

New boy here. Just started bowmaking and have been watching the laminate grinding devices with great interest. I just need a trip to the nearest scrap yard!

[BenBow]

Just picked up one of the ridgid sanders and I'll be copying your idea soon. Thanks

[heartlandbowyer]

Got the cage put on, nothing fancy but it will keep me from taking some skin off. Both sides look the same, just made the gaps wide enough to fit sled and lam.
 

[BenBow]

What part of NE are you from?

[rmorris]

Now this is some good information to pass around! Good job!

[heartlandbowyer]

Galen,
Live in Exeter it about 45 min west and south of lincoln.

Thanks Ralph, I feel better now since it'll be safe for whoever make this jig, thanks for your insight.

Cory

[BenBow]

Cory I lived in Louisville for a while. Lots of deer around there.