Making an OSS from a drill press

Jeff Horton

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I want a spindle sander and as everyone knows they are expensive. I have been toying with an idea that I can't find a flaw in. So tell me why this wouldn't work.

Take a drill press with a sanding spindle in it. Make a big table. Add a gear motor on the DP with a arm connected to the arm on the DP so that as it turns it raises and lowers the spindle. (think steam locomotive wheel) Other motor takes care of rotation.

Seems simple enough to do and wouldn't have to alter the drill press. Just remove a handle maybe and replace it with a new arm. Could be a quick release joint so it could still be operated manually....

Jeff
Thinking out loud again.
 
Actually, I'm sure that someone markets the kit to do exactly that. I know I saw a review on it.....maybe......3 or 4 years ago?

As an alternative, I purchased the Ryobi OSS from HD about the time they were being discontinued - for $39! There might be some still around or on an auction site. It's a capable machine, good dust collection, and a small footprint.
 
How much you planning on using it Jeff? It may be OK for occasional use but the sideways pressure on the spindle of the drill is not a part of the design for that tool so the bearings will take a strain that they are not really designed to take.
 
I've never been a fan of using a drill press for drum sanding. Seems to me that the side loading induced by sanding would cause increased wear to bushing or bearings. This would lead to increased runout causing problems with actually drilling holes. If you could find an old used drill press that's no good for drilling, maybe a modification would be in order.

I opted to buy the Porter-Cable OSS which is a hand held device. I used to use an acrylic plate that fit in my router table to hold the thing inverted. Later I modified the table to take a Plunge Lift from Woodpecker's so the acrylic plate didn't fit but Woodpecker's just released an aluminum plate for the P-C sander so I'm back in business. The cool thing about that plate is it takes the insert rings for the lift so I can easily adjust the gap around the drum.
 
I agree about the side forces. I have an extra DP that I could dedicate to this and it uses roller bearings. Shouldn't be a problem and besides it's a 30 minute job to replace then if it did ruin them. And it would be dedicated to this. I doubt I would be drilling holes with it.

Mainly I am just tossing around the idea. I would really like an old one, but they are not easy to find. New ones are high and frankly most new imported ones are not really repairable. When they wear out it's buy a new one, not fix it.

Maybe a used $30-$50 model off EBay isn't a bad solution for now. Hadn't really thought of that. I have an upcoming project where I would really like to have one.

I have a line on a nice one now but I don't expect to get it. I don't really want to spend the money now, I need to finish these other two machines first. But I am not going to turn down a good deal either.
 
Hey guys,

How about this? Seems somebody made one, and it looks like it would work.

Aloha, Tony
 

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  • oscilating spindle sander - from a drill press (350 x 619).jpg
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Well there you go. That looks like just the ticket for you Jeff. I suppose if you used a floor standing DP you could get a step ladder to reach the drum. :D:rofl:
 
Yes. Someone used to market an attachment for a drill press to make it go up and down.

On the quill bearings, being hard it them, you could fashion a drum that had the shaft come out the bottom of it also. Then make a bracket and attach the lower part to the table. That would remove the stress from the quill bearings.

On the bracket you mentioned Steve, all you would have to do is epoxy a bearing (that would fit the rod coming out of the bottom of the drum) into a piece of MDF (or other wood), then clamp it over the hole in the DP table and that would allow the drum to oscillate and the rod would go up and down through the bearing, yet still remove/reduce the side load. (I've thought about doing this for my DP at some point). I even thought about just connecting a small cable from the arm of the DP to a foot pedal and just pump it up and down manually, (for a while, that is, til the leg got tired of that nonsense).:rolleyes: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:
 
I did not think of turning the thing upside down! I use a drill press for sanding quite often. The oscillating shaft may have some advantages but for what I use it for just setting the quill at different depths works for me (if you spin the depth stop all the way around it will lock the quill down). I have a piece of MDF clamped to the table with a hole in it and that’s it... works for me. the only trouble is that it you apply too much pressure the chuck and the Morse Taper can fall out of the quill. Sort of acts as a safety valve to protect the bearings!

HPXSR-KC-23.JPG


Ralph;)
 
Jeff, I used the spindle sander on my RAS for quite a few years and it was ok. Then, I got one of these Ridgid Oscillating Spindle Sanders.http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs...03+90401+503323&marketID=401&locStoreNum=8125
For $200, or less if you catch a sale, they offer a lot. A variety of different sizes of spindle, lots of power, good dust collection, adjustable- angle table, and also includes an edge sander to boot. This is a very useful piece of equipment.
 
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