Getting itchy fingers, how bad could it be that it couldn't be put right? Main use would be linnishing flash from castings/pattern draft sanding, I figure it would cost 200euro for a motor alone if I built one myself? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/271400135442?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649 Shipping to me is 80stg, Opinions? Brian,
I think it might be a bit too much for itchy fingers, unless you have really bad callouses? could do your feet with it too I suppose...
I bought a very small second hand benchtop one and once you've got it you'll be surprised how much you use it. The disc on the side is less useful than the belt (Unless you're into wood working!) The velocity of the disc varies from the centre to the edge, so if you're doing a big piece on the disc the outside sands quicker. The belt travels more slowly. mine bogs down if I'm doing bigger stuff on it. It's not very powerful compared to the unit you're looking at. Great for flattening flanges, linishing manifolds, cleaning up rough cut edges etc. I'd do a quick check and compare the belt velocity between that unit and a dedicated metalworking linisher, I'm not sure if they're different. If you go down the route of a metal working linisher, they're often setup to notch pipes to make roll cages etc.
Peter, thanks a million for the great reply! The surface speed with the disc is not something I had really thought of, but I guess equal feeding along its width would kinda make up for that. In the 10yrs I was cabinetmaking I never had anything disc sander'ie so I could be wrong on how that would work in practice! Im not too worried about surface speed of belt as I could 'doctor' it to the correct speed if I was heating belts I suppose? I looked at an all out linisher/grinder type thing today and the deal breaker is they all seem to run 75mm belts unless you spend 5k for a 100mm wide - actual linisher! 75mm Is a bit too narrow I think and would effectively half belt life if doing stuff that wide all the time... This is the one I saw today, check out the price, not incl Vat! Ill have a serious think about the ebay one tomorrow and may just go for it. I figure the worst thing that could be wrong is lax balancing on the motor armature and it causing vibration, the one thing thats not an easy fix. I have a thing with machines and they not vibrating lol , I like to be able to stand a coin on them and it not fall over. @ Jon - very funny, wise guy lol Brian,
I think you'll be fine with the eBay one. As a general rule you can treat aluminium as shiny wood - all your woodworking tools will work, including the circular saw! I use mine all the time, I've really got to find a bench to bolt it to. It keeps getting carried all about the garage. Here's an example of how handy they are. I suspected an inlet manifold of leaking so I blued it up and linished it flat, here it's part way done.
