DIY grinder at home. Wood sanding machine: making it yourself. What types of grinding machines are there?
Greetings to all those who work with metal and not only, I present to your attention a simple, convenient, powerful grinding machine. With this you can easily and quickly form bevels on knives, sharpen axes and many other tools, perform grinding and so on. The power unit is a 220V engine with a power of 2 kW, the revolutions of which are 2800 per minute.
The belt on the machine is installed with dimensions 1000x50, and the speed is 20 m/s.
This is very convenient to use and the belt can be changed quickly. It is also reliable, there is practically nothing to break, such a powerful engine is difficult to overload. The machine is also easy to assemble from available materials. The most important thing is to find a suitable engine for your homemade product. So. Let's take a closer look at how to assemble such a machine.
Materials and tools used by the author:
List of materials:
- motor 220V, 2 kW, 2800 rpm;
- square steel pipes;
- Sheet steel;
- wires;
- nuts and bolts;
- shock absorber (will work as a tensioner);
- ready-made wheels (or you can carve them yourself from wood);
- dye.
List of tools:
- cutting machine or grinder;
- drilling machine;
- Bulgarian;
- vice;
- welding machine;
- chisel, hammers, spanners other.
Belt Sanding Machine Manufacturing Process:
Step one. Base and stand
And as a base we need thick sheet steel. The metal must be strong, since this is where we will mount the engine and also weld the rack. We select a suitable piece of metal and mark it. The author drills holes in the corners of the sheet; they are needed to screw the legs. We will need rubber legs; we fasten them with bolts and nuts, so our machine will not walk on the floor and will be firmly secured.
Next, we prepare the blanks for making the stand. Our stand is telescopic, that is, it is a pipe of larger and smaller diameter, they fit into each other. We cut the required pieces of pipe into cutting machine or Bulgarian. Next, we weld the wider pipe vertically to the base. The pipe must be welded smoothly and as tightly as possible. We use angles to weld the pipe strictly vertically. That's all, the stand is ready, let's move on.
Step two. Adjustment unit
Making the adjustment unit is the longest in this homemade product. This unit is needed to change the angle of the upper driven wheel. Thanks to this parameter, we center the belt on the wheels. This unit is made of steel plates; the process of assembly and operation of this unit is shown in more detail in the photo. There is nothing complicated in manufacturing, we cut blanks, drill holes, cut threads where required.
Then this adjusting unit is assembled on a long steel plate, which is welded horizontally to a thinner one steel pipe, which extends.
Step three. Assembly
The author showed us only the main points of assembling the machine; other details were left behind the scenes. So, for example, you will need to install some kind of spring that will “push apart” the telescope and thereby stretch sanding belt. The author uses this as a shock absorber, something similar can be found in some washing machines. You can also adapt an old Soviet aluminum pump for this by installing a spring inside.
You will also need to install working planes on the frame, this is the table itself and the thrust platform. This is all done from sheet metal suitable thickness and this should not be a problem.
As for the wheels, you can carve them yourself from wood, as suitable material plywood, several layers need to be glued to obtain the desired thickness. We grind the wheels onto lathe or on the motor you found for the sander. The drive wheel is fixed to the motor shaft, and the driven wheel rotates on a bearing.
One of the main methods of processing wood (after cutting, of course) is sanding. Manual method known for a long time - wooden block is wrapped in sandpaper, and with the help of such a simple device the workpiece is given the required shape.
The method is unproductive and requires considerable physical effort. Craftsmen who work with wood regularly use small mechanization.
Types of grinding machines
A variety of ready-made devices, with which you can process wooden blanks any size. To understand the mechanism of operation, consider some of them:
Based on the name, the working surface is made in the form of a disk.
The design is quite simple - a circle with good rigidity is put on the axis of the electric motor. The outer surface has a Velcro coating on which sandpaper is attached. No gearboxes or drive mechanisms are required. The grinding force is small, the rotor axis can handle the load quite well.
A hand rest is installed in the transverse plane, at the level of the center of the disk. It can have a hinged mount, which allows you to process workpieces at a fixed angle.
A feature of disk machines is the adjustment of processing speed without changing the number of axis revolutions. You simply move the workpiece along the radius of the circle. At the same angular velocity, linear speed on the periphery above.
A strip of sandpaper, joined into a continuous strip, is stretched between two shafts. 
Moreover, in work area does not sag under workpiece pressure. A persistent working plane is installed under the tape, made of material with low coefficient friction. By pressing the material being processed to the plane, the operator receives an endless abrasive surface.
The quality and ease of processing cannot be compared with with hand tools. For mass production wooden products, such a sled is an indispensable attribute of any workshop.
main feature– predictable result throughout the entire plane. You can level the ends of a sufficiently long length.
The working surface can be horizontal or vertical, as well as the direction of movement of the belt.
Such a device can be classified as a grinding unit with some stretch. The main application is horizontal leveling of planes using the jointer method. 
The principle of operation is as follows: sandpaper is attached to one or two drums. The most common method is spiral winding. Below, under the drum, there is a flat table. The distance between the processing surface and the table is adjustable. By setting a fixed height, you can calibrate products of the same type, leveling the thickness of the workpieces. 
Two-in-one grinding machine
To save space (and money), manufacturers often combine two types of fixtures in one design. 
This not only reduces purchasing costs, but also improves ease of use. When processing one part, you can take advantage of two grinding units at once: disk and belt. In this case, one engine is used, and the load on it does not increase much.
I have been making knives for several years now and always use 2.5 x 60 cm and 10 x 90 cm belt sanders in my work. For a long time I wanted to buy another one, with a tape width of 5 cm, as this would simplify my work. Since such a purchase would be expensive, I decided to make it myself.
Problems when designing a future machine:
Three limitations had to be overcome. Firstly, there was no 10 cm wide tape available locally; it could only be ordered online. This didn't seem like a very viable option to me, as there is no greater disappointment than finding out that the tape has worn out and needs to be replaced, and you have to wait a week or two for a new one to arrive. Secondly, there was a problem with the rollers. I searched but couldn't find any tape suitable for 10cm. Thirdly, the motor. A belt sander requires a fairly powerful electric motor, and I didn't want to spend too much money on this project. The best option for me it was using a used motor.
Solutions to design problems:
The first problem with the tape had a simple solution. Since the 20 x 90 cm belt was freely available in construction stores at a reasonable price, I could make two 10 cm from it. This imposed restrictions on the size of my machine, but due to price efficiency, this option was the best. The second problem was solved using a lathe. To do this, I watched a video on the Internet and realized that I could make the videos I needed myself. With the engine the task was more difficult. I had several electric motors in the garage, but for some reason I had to give them up. Finally, I decided on an old tile cutting machine that had a 6-amp electric motor. At that time, I realized that this power might not be enough. But since the work was at the experimental stage, I decided to first achieve a working version of the machine, and the motor could be replaced later. In fact, the motor is suitable for small amounts of work. But if you're going to be doing more intensive sanding on it, I'd recommend the 12 amp minimum.
Tools and materials
Tools:
- Corner Grinder with cutting discs.
- Drill and drill bits.
- Wrenches for 11, 12 and 19.
- Lathe.
- Vise.
Materials:
- Electric motor (minimum 6 A, or recommended 12 A).
- Various bearings.
- Nuts, bolts, washers, lock washers of various sizes.
- Metal corner.
- Sanding belt 20 cm.
- 10 cm pulleys.
- Powerful spring.
- Steel strip 4 x 20 cm.
- Beam 2.5 x 10 x 10 cm made of wood or MDF.
Electric motor for machine
I had a choice of several motors, but the electric motor that was on the tile cutting machine had a more suitable casing. To some extent, working on the machine was like an experiment, because I was not sure that the motor had enough power. So I settled on modular solution with the frame for the belt mechanism as a single element, which can be removed and rearranged on a more powerful base. The rotation speed of the motor suited me quite well, but I was worried that 6 A would provide weak power. After a little testing, I saw that this electric motor was suitable for simple work, but for more intensive work, you need to choose something more powerful. When designing your machine, pay attention to this point.
As I mentioned, the motor casing was very suitable as it allowed the creation vertical machine, which will be easy to move.
First you need to free it by removing the work table, saw, protection, water tray, leaving only the electric motor. Another benefit of using this motor was that it had a threaded core with a nut to hold the saw in place, allowing the pulley to be installed without using a key (I'll explain what a key is later).
Since I had a pulley that was too wide, I decided to use the large clamp washers that are usually used to secure the saw, turning one over so that there was a wedge-shaped groove between them. I found the space between them to be too narrow, so I put a lock washer between them to widen it. Advantage in this method is that the pressure washers have a flat edge that locks with the flat edge to rotate simultaneously with the core.
Belt
I used a 7 x 500 mm drive belt. You can use a standard 12 mm, but a thin one is more flexible and will put less strain on the motor. He doesn't need to rotate the grinding wheel.Device of a belt grinding machine
The device is simple. An electric motor drives a belt, which rotates a 10 x 5 cm “main” pulley, which drives the abrasive belt. Another pulley 8 x 5 cm is located 40 cm above the main one and 15 cm behind it and is mounted on a bearing. The third 8 x 5 cm pulley rotates on a lever and acts as a tension roller, holding the abrasive belt tightly. On the other side, the lever is attached to the frame by a spring.
Determining the drive type
The main question was to rotate the main pulley directly with an electric motor or with the help of an additional pulley and drive belt. First of all, I chose a belt drive because I wanted to have the option of replacing the engine with a more powerful one, however, there was another reason. When you do intensive metal processing, there is a risk of encountering some problems. The belt drive will slip in such cases, while the direct drive will create big problems. With a belt, the device will be more secure.Frame manufacturing and installation
It is important to mention that using metal corner as a frame can have both advantages and disadvantages. The obvious advantage is that it is convenient to assemble, like a construction set in childhood. But the main drawback is that it is strong only in two directions, but weak when twisted. This means that we need to take this weakness into account and calculate what torque can be transmitted from the pulleys to the frame, and compensate for it using additional jumpers.
Cutting:
You can use a hacksaw to cut the corner, but an angle grinder with cutting disc they will do things faster. After cutting all the pieces, I would recommend sanding down all the sharp edges to avoid cutting yourself during assembly. The holes can be drilled using a conventional drill and cutting fluid.
Main video
The main video is the most important detail project, since it receives torque from the motor and transmits it to the tape. I used an old bushing to secure it, but I recommend using a bearing instead. The bushings do their job, but they constantly overheat and require regular lubrication. Moreover, they can scatter dirty lubricant, which can be annoying during operation.
Shaft:
There are threads on the sides of the shaft with different directions so that the mounting bolts do not unscrew when rotating. If you cut off one threaded side like I did, leave the one that goes counterclockwise, otherwise you'll have to make a locking bolt (I'll describe how to make that later) and a cotter pin. The main pulley will be placed on the cut edge.
Pulley:
Continuing with the theme of reuse, I found an old pulley from another project. Unfortunately, I prepared it for the threaded pin that it was supposed to be held on, but, in fact, this is not a problem. I made a rectangular cutout in this pulley. I then used an angle grinder to cut a groove on the end of the shaft. By placing the key in the hole formed by the shaft groove and the rectangular cutout of the pulley, I securely fixed them relative to each other.
Making rollers for a grinding machine
I made the rollers from several pieces of 2.5 cm thick hardwood. But you can use MDF, plywood or other material. When laying layers, you need to make sure that the fibers are perpendicular, this will give the rollers additional strength and the layers will not crack.
It is necessary to make three rollers: the main roller, the top roller and the tension roller. The main roller is made of two 13 x 13 cm pieces of 2.5 cm thickness. The top and tension rollers are made of two pieces of wood measuring 10 x 10 cm.
Process:
Start by gluing together pairs of 13 cm and 10 cm pieces of wood, clamping them together with clamps. After the glue has dried, trim the corners using miter saw, then find the center of each part. Mount them in the lathe and turn them until they measure 5 x 10 cm and 5 x 8 cm.
Upper and tension rollers:
Next, you need to install bearings in rollers measuring 5 x 8 cm. Choose a core or spade drill, and drill a recess in the center to the width of the bearing. The inner race of the bearing must rotate freely, so you need to drill a hole that goes through the roller through the inner race of the bearing. This will allow the bolt to go through with a minimal hole.
Main video:
This part is done a little differently. There are no bearings on it, but if the shaft extends less than 5 cm from the roller, you will need to grind the roller down to width. Measure the diameter of the shaft and drill the same hole in the center of the roller. Try to insert the shaft, it must hold tightly, otherwise the roller will shake.
Bolting the rollers
Next, you should fasten the two halves of the rollers with bolts; do not rely only on glue. Remember that the bolt heads need to be recessed into the wood, since the roller rotates in close proximity to the frame.Tension lever
The lever is made of metal strip dimensions 10 x 30 x 200 mm with rounded edges. It requires some pretty large holes to be drilled, so I recommend using a drill press and lots of lube for this. A total of 4 holes are needed. The first is at the pivot point. It is not in the center of the bar, but 8 cm from its edge. The second hole will be located on the edge closest to the rotation point. It will serve to attach the spring. Two additional holes need to be drilled at the opposite end, approximately 5 cm apart. They need to be a little wider in diameter as they will be used for tuning, which I will talk about next.
When all the holes are made, you can attach the arm to the vertical angle between the upper roller and the base. The end on which the spring will be attached is directed towards the main roller. It should rotate freely, so I recommend using two nuts for fastening, not tightening the main one completely, and using the second one as a locknut.
Installation of rollers
The upper roller is attached statically and must be clearly in the same plane along with the tension roller and the main roller. You can do everything by eye, but I recommend checking everything well with a level. To align the roller, you can add a washer, or, if it is not enough, a bolt. They are inserted between the frame and the roller.
It is not necessary to install the tension roller completely. We still need to make a stabilizing device.
Belt stabilization
Wear on the rollers or uneven surfaces can cause the abrasive belt to gradually come off during operation. The stabilizing device is a device on the tension roller that allows it to be at an angle that keeps the abrasive belt centered. Its design is much simpler than it looks and consists of a locking bolt, a slightly free-playing tension roller and an adjusting bolt.
Drilling holes in bolts:
For this purpose, I made a device in the form of a wedge-shaped cutout in the board, which will help hold the bolt in place during drilling. You can do this manually, but I don't recommend it.
Fixing bolt
The retaining bolt is a simple bolt with a hole drilled in it and is installed on the bar through a wide hole that is located closer to the pivot point of the lever. Since it is located between the lever and the roller, its head must be ground off so that the roller does not catch it. The bolt must be secured as shown in the picture.The bolt on which the roller is attached
It needs to be loosened a little so that the tension roller has a slight play. But to prevent it from unwinding, you need to make a castle nut. To do this, you just need to make cuts on the edges of a regular nut so that it looks like a crown. There will be two drilled holes in the bolt itself: one for the adjustment bolt and it will be lined up with the locking bolt hole, and another for securing the castle nut with a cotter pin.Bolt for setting:
Once the tension roller is in place, you can install the adjusting bolt, which will pass through the holes of the retaining bolt and the bolt on which the tension roller rotates. The system works when you tighten the adjusting bolt, causing the axis of rotation of the tension roller to shift its rotation angle outward, thus causing the belt to move closer to the mechanism. A spring at the other end of the lever adjusts the tension in the opposite direction. I recommend securing the adjusting bolt with a locknut as vibrations can loosen it.
Note: You can add a spring with reverse side tension pulley, but I haven't found any reason why this should be done. A small advantage will be that in this way the roller will have less play. But I will add that I did not do this, and I did not have any problems.
Completing the work of making the machine yourself
When everything is done, you need to check all the bolts again and make sure that the stabilization mechanism is assembled correctly. Then you have to turn the device on for the first time, which can be scary. It's like driving a car where the steering wheel and transmission don't work. I recommend turning the motor on and off for very short periods of time to prevent the machine from spinning at full speed.
In fact, the hardest part for me was adjusting the spring. If it is pulled too tightly, the tape will not be able to rotate... Too loosely and it cannot be held, it will fly off, which in itself is dangerous.
Ready!
That's all. You should have a decent tape grinding machine medium power, which can be converted to a more powerful one if desired.
I hope you enjoyed this master class. Thank you for your attention.
Often there is a need to perform various kinds finishing works on a wooden surface.
The use of such a unique tool as a wood grinder helps to significantly speed up the execution of this kind of work, as well as improve their quality.
It is in quite high demand among buyers. That is why I would like to dwell in more detail on the features of this instrument, as well as its varieties.
The popularity of such equipment is due to quite wide area his . By using a sanding machine for woodworking, you can perform the following types of work:
- Polishing a curved plane
- Leveling a flat surface that is located on a stationary work table or by manually moving it mechanically
- Processing the edges of various parts or their ends
- Preparing a wooden surface for carrying out painting works etc.
All these and other types of work often have to be performed in a country or private residential building.
In addition, a wood sander is easy indispensable tool for craftsmen who work with wooden surfaces and preparations.
In addition, when choosing equipment, you need to pay attention to such an indicator as the grain size of the abrasive belt. In order to be able to perform different types of work, experts recommend that when buying a machine, take several types of tape at once different indicators graininess.
Vibrating
The design of this type of equipment consists of a body and an abrasive element, which is secured using durable clamps.
Grinding occurs as a result of frequent oscillatory movement of the working tool.
The master can set the amplitude of movement independently in manual mode.
This indicator ranges from 1 to 5 mm.
The smaller the amplitude, the more accurate and subtle the processing will be. work surface.
Delta sander
A distinctive feature of this is the presence in its design of a working sole, the shape of which resembles an iron. Using this equipment, the master has the opportunity to work with all types of surfaces.
Of no small importance is the presence in its body of a small acute angle. Thanks to this, through the use of this instrument You can process surfaces or parts that consist of one or more hard-to-reach corners.
Different machine models have different speed work. The popularity of such a tool among buyers is significantly increased by the fact that its working surface can be rotated in different directions as needed, and different attachments can also be replaced. Thanks to this, the use of equipment increases several times.
Eccentric
The main difference between this type of tool and others is that it is intended for performing jewelry processing of the working surface. The abrasive surface has a round shape.
The master can independently choose the degree of surface grain. The subtlety of the work performed depends on this indicator. The sole of the equipment is equipped with small holes through which dust is removed.
Thanks to this, working with such a tool ensures the safety of the master. Great importance It also has the fact that the master can choose the speed at which the sole of the machine with the abrasive surface attached to it will rotate.
Renovator
This tool is used by craftsmen as an analogue of a grinding machine. His distinctive feature is multifunctionality.
By using a renovator you can perform the following types of work:
- Making slits different diameters and shapes in the work surface
- Clean the reverse side tiles or any floor covering
- Trim various communication lines
Such a variety of functions is made possible thanks to the many attachments that are included with the equipment.
A wide variety of wood sanders greatly increase the range of jobs that can be done with them. In addition, craftsmen have the opportunity to choose the most optimal equipment, which is designed to perform a certain type of work.
Making a sander with your own hands
It's no secret that home handyman It’s quite difficult to do without such unique equipment as a wood sander.
Despite the apparent complexity of the tool, a do-it-yourself wood sander is a reality.
I have an opportunity easy to manufacture tool from regular block power supply to a computer that has already failed.
First you need to prepare all the parts and tools necessary for the work:
- power unit
- Old computer disk
- Abrasive surface
- Bolts or screws
- Speed controller
- Switch
The assembly sequence is as follows:
- Disassemble the power supply so that only its rotating part remains.
- Attach a computer disk with an abrasive surface attached to it using glue (the abrasive material can be attached permanently, or large clamps can be made. Thanks to this, the master will have the opportunity to change the surface as it wears out)
- Connect the power supply and speed controller.
This is how you can make a simple grinding machine at home. With its help you can work with small work surfaces.
Such equipment can also be made from a simple grinder. It's easy enough to change abrasive wheel. But it is worth considering that the rotation speed of the abrasive element of such a machine will be quite high.
Therefore, it is worth paying special attention to compliance with safety measures when working with such a tool.
Often masters adapt a regular drill so that it can be used as a sander. To do this, you need to use a special nozzle.
An emery board is attached to its working part. And with opposite side a small shank is inserted.
It will be necessary in order to be able to connect this attachment and the drill chuck. Using such a tool, you can process fairly large surfaces not only of wood, but also of metal or plastic.
How to choose the right equipment
In order for a wood sander to work at full efficiency, it is necessary to pay special attention to the following indicators when purchasing it:
- Type of work performed. Different types and equipment models are designed to perform various operations, as well as to work with different working surfaces. These indicators can be found from technical passport tool that is included in its kit.
- Centering mechanism. This element is designed to fine-tune the abrasive surface. If the design of the machine has such a mechanism, this means that working with it will be much easier, and the quality of the operation will increase by several points.
- Speed controller. Thanks to this mechanism, the master can independently regulate the speed of the tool. This is especially important if you do not have the necessary work experience or the working surface https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eE7j2vOW8gg is uneven.
- Abrasive grain size. This is an indicator that affects the quality of the work performed. If precise surface processing is planned, the grain size should be very small. To perform routine cleaning of tiles or linoleum will do and a coarse abrasive surface.
Wood sanders are unique look a tool that you can't do without household. You can find several types of such equipment on the tool market.
In addition, a grinder can also be made, and how to make it from a fan is shown in the video:
