Academy Notes and Tips

SEPT/OCT 2005 Volume 48/Issue 5

IN THIS ISSUE

Project Articles

• The 9-Drawer Tabletop Storage Chest

• The Flying Tiger Toy Airplane

• Verticle Paper Towel Holder and Bread-Shaped Cutting & Cheese Boards

DEPARTMENTS

• Ask Smitty

• Owner’s Gallery

• Letters from Owners

Academy Notes

Disc Sanding Tips

Service Pointers

Jointer Service Pointers

What's New

Shopsmith Router Arm

EDUCATION

• Find A Shopsmith Woodworking Academy Near You

• National Woodworking Academy in Dayton, OH

ONLINE CATALOGS

• Online Accessory Catalog

• Request Printed Accessory Catalog

• Online Replacement Parts Catalog

MARK V INFORMATION

• Find A Shopsmith MARK V Demo Near You

• Request MARK V Information Package

LINKS

• Links Worth Visiting

• Free Woodworking Tips

FEEDBACK

Contacting Shopsmith

Copyright 2005 Shopsmith, Inc. All Rights Reserved

From the Shopsmith Woodworking Academy
Disc Sander Set-Ups

NOTE: Although the illustrations shown in this article have been created with an older Model 500 MARK V, all Disc Sanding operations are performed as shown here, regardless of MARK V Model.

The Disc Sander eliminates a lot of hand sanding by removing saw marks, smoothing end grain, bringing stock to final dimension and truing joints for a good, clean fit of all project components. It can even be used to add a decorative chamfer to the edges of your stock.

Here are some helpful Disc Sanding tips:

* Always sand on the downward motion half of the Sanding Disc (the half towards the infeed side of your MARK V). If your stock makes contact with the outfeed side of the Disc, it could be lifted off the Worktable surface and be thrown.

* When using your MARK V's Quill Feed Lever to advance the Disc, mount your Rip Fence to the Main or Extension Table to serve as a back-up for holding your stock during sanding. If your stock is too long, clamp it to the Worktable surface.

* If you're not using your Lower Saw Guard and want to catch the loose grit that comes off your Disc during sanding, place a scrap board across the Way Tubes to protect them from being scratched. Always clean any grit off the Way Tubes following each sanding operation.

* To extend the life of your sandpaper, use an Abrasive Cleaning Stick to remove sawdust residue after each use.

* Read Discover Disc Sander Safety at the end of this article prior to performing any Disc Sanding operations.

1: End Grain Sanding. There are two ways to Disc Sand end grains:

Move your stock to your Sanding Disc
* Mount your Miter Gauge in the left Worktable slot and position it square to the Disc on the infeed side of the Table.
* Tighten the Taper Screw in the center of the Miter Gauge Bar to lock your Miter Gauge into position on the Table. Remove the Miter Gauge Rod & Shoe (hold-down plunger).
* Check to be sure Carriage Lock, Headstock Lock, Table Tilt Lock(s) and Table Height Locks are all secure.
* Turn the MARK V on and allow the Disc to come up to speed.
* While holding your stock against the face of the Miter Gauge, feed the stock slowly forward until it lightly contacts the rotating Disc (See A).

Hold the stock against the Disc for a few seconds…back it out…then feed it forward again to keep the end grains from heating and burning during sanding

Move your Sanding Disc to your stock
*This method uses the Drill Press Quill Feed feature of your MARK V to feed the rotating Sanding Disc into the stationary workpiece.

*Mount your Miter Gauge in the left Worktable slot and position it square to the Disc on the infeed side of the Table.

*Tighten the Taper Screw in the center of the Miter Gauge Bar to lock your Miter Gauge into position on the Table. Install the Miter Gauge Rod & Shoe (hold-down plunger).

* Secure all Table, Carriage and Headstock Locks.

* Turn the MARK V on and allow the Disc to come up to speed.

* Position your stock squarely against the Miter Gauge face and grip it firmly with your Miter Gauge Hold-Down.

* Use your MARK V’s Quill Feed Lever to advance the Disc Slowly until it contacts the stock (See B).

* Hold the Disc against the stock for a few seconds…back it out…then feed it forward again to keep the end grains from heating and burning during sanding

NOTE: Don’t sand the end grain of stock that’s wider than about 5-1/2”, as the rotation of the Disc could easily lift wider boards off the table and cause them to be thrown.

2: Sanding To Length

* Mount your Rip Fence to either the main Worktable or the Extension Table to serve as a backstop during sanding.

* Position the Fence so it will hold your stock about 1/4" away from the Disc when the MARK V Quill is completely retracted.

* Mount your Miter Gauge in the left Worktable slot and position it square to the Disc on the infeed side of the Table.

* Tighten the Taper Screw in the center of the Miter Gauge Bar to lock your Miter Gauge into position on the Table. Install the Miter Gauge Rod & Shoe (hold-down plunger) and adjust your Hold-Down to the thickness of your stock.

* Set your MARK V’s Quill Depth Control to halt the Disc where you want to stop sanding (See C.).

* Position your stock on the Worktable surface, against your Miter Gauge face and with its opposite end touching your Rip Fence backstop. Your stock should slightly overhang the left edge of your Worktable, but not contacting the Disc.

* Secure all Table, Carriage and Headstock Locks.

* Turn the MARK V on and allow the Disc to come up to speed.

* Grasp the Miter Gauge Hold-Down firmly while you use your MARK V’s Quill Feed Lever to advance the Disc Slowly until it contacts the stock (See D).

* Advance the Disc…back it off…then advance it again to lightly sand your stock.

* Don’t extend the Quill all the way to your pre-set stop at this time; just sand until the first end of your stock is smooth…then turn your stock over and sand the opposite end in the same fashion.

* Continue until your final sanding pass (limited by the Quill Feed Stop) brings your stock to the finished length and the second end is sanded smooth.

3: Sanding Bevels & Miters

* After using your Table Saw to cut a (slightly oversized) bevel or miter, do not change the Table tilt angle or Miter Gauge angle.

* Simply raise the Table and remove the Saw Blade and Saw Guards. Mount your Sanding Disc, then readjust the Table height position for sanding.

* Place your stock back on the Table surface, use your Hold-Down to clamp your stock in your Miter Gauge and sand at the same angles you just cut.

Discover Disc Sander Safety

Make it a habit to always think about safety before you get started with any woodworking operation. Here are some important rules to remember whenever you’re working with the Disc Sanding function of your MARK V.
* Read your Owner’s Manual
* Always wear proper eye & ear protection
* Keep your hands, fingers, and other parts of your person at least 3” away from the moving Disc. Use Push Sticks and Blocks whenever possible.

* Wear a close-fitting Dust Mask, use a Dust Collection System and ventilate your shop
* Roll your sleeves up above your elbows, remove all jewelry and tuck long hair under a cap before working. NEVER wear gloves.

* Stand to one side of the Disc and NEVER in line with the plane of rotation
* Don’t turn on the power if the stock is already in contact with the Disc and NEVER leave the stock unattended on the Worktable while the Disc is rotating.

* When not using the Quill Feed feature of your MARK V, maintain a 1/16” maximum clearance between the Table and the Disc.

* Turn off and unplug the MARK V before changing modes of operation, swapping Sanding Discs or performing service procedures.