cgordon

I think this technique is close to what I do, and it does improve with practice. Where I really run into issues is when the material is thin/soft enough that it flexes and bows up into the cylinder...at least I'm pretty sure that is what happens. I have considered sleds, I do use one to make some tapered materials. They scare me! I think if sled tips up in the right (wrong) way, it can become a projectile. BTW, I've decided to make a new extended aluminum platen (right word?) instead of drilling holes into the existing one. Looks like a very easy project - 2 cutouts and 4 tapped holes total. I won't get to this right away, but will post picts and comments when I do.

I'm going to have to go at a small outfeed extension first. Will partially drill and tap small holes on the underside to mount it. Other than the holes, goal will be "do no harm"... Was kind of hoping someone would jump in about how great and nearly as-good results could be from a belt-fed sander. But that's just because I have gear acquisition syndrome.

Hi All...and Happy New Year! I've had a thickness sander for about two years now and it was immediately apparent there was some learning curve, as could be expected, to hold and feed the work material smoothly to get good results. And I'm pretty good and satisfied with it, to the point that I probably use it too much - can't resist a low removal pass after a joint glue-up for that flawless joinery look. I love the tool, and even though I also have the Byrnes disc sander and table saw, the thickness sander has surprised me time and time again with new capabilities that I wouldn't even have thought of otherwise. My issue is that I run quite a bit of balsa and other soft woods, and sometimes in lengths far exceeding "normal" infeed/outfeed capacity. This is just reality for my work, I can't change it, and for the most part I do OK. I'm wondering if others have tips, techniques, home-made adds-on, or secondary tool recommendations? Some ideas I'm considering: Add an extension to the outfeed, possibly narrower to allow better access to the dial. Probably should add an infeed extension too. Build an adjustable height helper, separate from the sander, to support material on the outfeed. Similar idea to the supports you see for cutting large plywood sheets on a tablesaw. Add some kind of weighted device to the infeed side, like a roller, to prevent material from lifting into the sanding drum. Add some kind of slotted device to the infeed side, where you could lower it down to just kiss the thickness of the material going in. Actually not really a slot, but a bar that would lower on top. Buy a second thickness sander, of conventional woodworking type like a Jet 10-20. I do some regular woodworking anyway, but would be interested in how smoothly (or not!) a belt-driven sander might handle soft materials. Thanks in advance.