Here is an idea for those of you Smithers that have all the lathe parts.

https://www.lumberjocks.com/projects/57158

I was privileged to be able to use this one when the builder was living in AZ. It works surprisingly well.

 

 

I have one I built years ago and they work great. You can make it about 30” wide max and the SS has plenty of power for that size drum. I tried several different designs before I settled on the one I have. Anybody wants I will post pictures. 
Paul

Please do post pictures. And, THANK YOU!

1 hour ago, Masonsailor said:

Anybody wants I will post pictures. 
Paul

Was the pope a pole? Of course post pictures! Thanks Paul.

@Grandpadave52, been awhile since you heard that expression eh Gramps?

Just now, John Morris said:

@Grandpadave52, been awhile since you heard that expression eh Gramps?

Yep...but I don't get out much anymore

I've always heard it as "Is the pope Catholic?"

Edited January 3, 20224 yr by Gene Howe

Well regardless of his eminence the Pope, here are my thoughts and lessons learned concerning the SS drum sander. My main purpose in building one was to be able to make a cabinet door that over the years has become our mainstay. The doors are a flat euro design that has the optical illusion of a raised panel door using contrasting woods. In the first version ala late 1970’s we tried using a wooden drum, mostly because it was what we had on hand. It worked very poorly because you can’t really balance it adequately. Without being perfectly balanced the results are pretty wavy. The next version used 4” PVC pipe that had fairly thick walls. That one worked fairly well. We ultimately packed them with moist sand before capping them to add mass. Balancing was good but not perfect. The final version uses 5” aluminum tubing with 3/8” thick wall. We found three of them at a metal surplus store. I think at the time we paid about $50 for them. These needed to be turned on a metal lathe to be trued up. The first version of those had an issue because my friend the machinist was trying to impress me with his lathe capabilities and turned them to a polished surface. Turns out it’s better to leave them a little rough. They grip the sand paper better. The aluminum tubes have more than enough mass. The ends for the tubes are hard maple. One end utilizes a 3” SS lathe faceplate and the other end a cup type live center. You could also use a cone live center. We turned then to pretty tight fit with a lip to match the outer diameter of the tube then used a mallet to pound them in. They are secured with three countersunk screws. 
That’s part one !

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks, Paul. Great comprehensive build post.

Thank you, Paul.  I remember this well built product on Shopsmith forums and Lumberjocks.  Thanks for posting it again.  I have toyed with the idea of building one using thick PVC fllled with super stuff interspersed with wooden wheels to offer stability.  I have decided against it.  

20 hours ago, Gene Howe said:

I've always heard it as "Is the pope Catholic?"

Back in the day when it was John Paul II from Poland, I remember "Is the Pope a Pole!"