surface planer

[harry62]

I have been looking to buy a small surface sander to make laminations .I have looking at a jet 10" or a grizzly 12".Is there a need to have a table on the out feed to keep laminations level? Any suggestions on brand or setup would be appreciated.

[LittleBen]

I don't know how necissary an outfeed table is for bow laminations, but considering how little it'd cost compared to the sander I'd probably get one. You'll need it sooner or later .... once you really you can surface everything with that drum sander.

[wood carver 2]

Infeed and outfeed tables are necessary in order to get good results, especially with long pieces.
Dave.

[Bowjunkie]

I've never used a planer in my bow work, which includes grinding lams. In the end, lams should have a roughened surface prepped for gluing. A lam 'grinder' of some sort is better-suited, IMO since a planer leaves a glass smooth surface... more importantly, a sander grinds a level surface over irregular grain, knots, and growth ring orientation... where a planer would invariably tear pieces out... unacceptable.

I resaw the lams on the bandsaw, then go right to the thickness sander... done in no time at all.

[pipedream]

I have tried using a planer to get to a lam thickness and find that the wood often disintegrates especially at the ends.

[harry62]

sorry, I wanted information on a surface sander should not start typing before the morning coffee.

[kennym]

A lot depends on the downpressure rollers. The sander I had before this one had 1 metal roller on each side of the drum with fairly weak springs. I built a table on both ends of it and it helped.

The sander I have now has 2 rubber rollers on each side of drum and I don't have anything on it.

It is much easier if the conveyor is stationary and the sander head moves, then the table doesn't have to move.

Try it and check your lams , then decide whether to build or buy one....

[kennym]

Here is the infeed table on my old sander, the outfeed was just like it.

 

[eflanders]

Any of the smaller surface sanders that I have ever seen, use a conveyor belt to feed the material into it or you feed the material in yourself.  If you are just using it for lams, you can make one from plans fairly easy. Luthiers (guitar makers) have posted all sorts of units online that are less expensive than the woodworking designated machines and these same units work quite well for producing bow laminations too.

[ChuckC]

I have and use a Performax 10".  I bought it strictly for grinding laminations.  I don't use an infeed table, since I support it as I start the feed, but I did install an outfeed roller support about 18" away from the outfeed, just to provide support so there is no chance of additional grinding on the ends.  Mine has a pressure roller in front of (before) and in back of (after) the sanding drum.

The roller support is an inexpensive adjustable single roller support arm.  I recommend using one unless you have the room to build a nice outfeed table.  Unfortunately, I don't

ChuckC

[harry62]

Thanks for all the information!

[MoeM]

The "table extensions" for the 10-20 are a joke in my opinion- they are about 10" long i guess... still too small for lams or trimming bow blanks.
I usually support the workpiece with my hands but im going to build an outfeed extension- as soon as I got time for it...