Lam grinding

[Wolftrail]

I have a small 3x18 belt sander for grinding it works but I'm just free handing the lams, would a jig work with a small belt sander still dont understand how to build a taper sled for this set up or how it works.  Then again the lams are on the heavy side over 1/8".....is it even worth bothering trying to taper lams that heavy and getting good even transition..?

[Roy from Pa]

Yes it is, your lams should have a gradual even taper from end to end.

[Wolftrail]

Thanks Roy, are there any posts where you guys have built lam grinders using a belt sander..? My search did not come up with anything.

[choochoou]

Poor folks bows I believe had a design for a tapering jig using a small belt sander. Joe

[Johan van Niekerk]

I made a taper sled to use a router to make lams. Basically I took a piece of melamine I had left over and drilled a hole big enough to take a vacuum cleaner hose from the bottom. I then routed out a section to distribute the suction. I used two pieces of square mildsteel tubing as sleds and used drill bits to prop it up to get the exact taper I wanted. I then sucked the lam down using a vacuum cleaner and used the sleds to glide my router over it taking incrementally more off until I hit the desired thickness.
Here's some pictures    
 

 

 

[fujimo]

n' boer maak n' plan      
very inventive- i like the vacuum table!

[Martin Schutte]

Nice one Johan soos Wayne gese Het ons boere maak n plan baie slim plan!
Martin

[Johan van Niekerk]

Thanks  

[Wolftrail]

A router........?

[fujimo]

yuppers mate, the vacuum table holds the lam in position, and the router will face the lam, depending in the face size of the bit, will depend how much you will have to run the router about.

[Wolftrail]

Originally posted by fujimo:
yuppers mate, the vacuum table holds the lam in position, and the router will face the lam, depending in the face size of the bit, will depend how much you will have to run the router about.

I understand the concept of the router some woodworkers flatten out large pieces this way. I would be more inclined to use a drum sander.

[fujimo]

yea, hear you mate.
i dunno what willem has in the way of tools.
tools can be prohibitively expensive in south africa- where everything is imported!
i know i own more tools now in the last 6 or  7 years, than i ever acquired in 20+ years of work over there.
cheers
wayne

[Wolftrail]

Likewise...I work in the garage to small 8' cieling is a drag no breathing space if you know what I mean. Need at least 10 feet and ample room for a dust collector and a very long bench. Mine is only 6'  I need at least a 12' bench.....      I also have a 8' bench in the basement where I can work on arrows apply backings etc.. Have the money to outfit a shop just need a new house with a decent shop..    :rolleyes:   At this point in time I'm not spending $5,000 on tools for the garage it aint happening.

[Krasus]

I've tried the router method before. Works ok but a drum sander is definitely the way to go. It's a lot more consistent. But hey what ever works right. Espically if you don't have the tools.

[wcdurand]

Bought a drumsander from adendorf.  the same as grizzly 10 inch drum sander. Just twice the price than in USA. My most priced piece,of equipment is a hammer 440 bandsaw. Then of course  80 x 6 inch edge sander.

[Wolftrail]

pic problems........

[Wolftrail]

This is my set up it works for the time been, would be better with a 24" belt this one is only 3x18. The jig was so simple to set up, the block you see slips into the handle and the F clamp holds it steady.

       

[Johan van Niekerk]

Like the idea wolftrail. But how do you now grind a lam? Do you stick the lam to some form of template? How do you control thickness and taper? Would love more detail!

[fujimo]

hi Johan.
taper rate wis best managed by attaching the "lam" to a pre-tapered sled- but i cant see haw Dean has set his rig up to control thickness. maybe he is just moving the beltsander closer to his fence and re clamping    
ensuring that the belt is always perfectly vertical, and // to the fence might be a bit tricky - but i am sure that he has figured that out. as that would lead to a lam with uneven thickness- side to side.

Dean will respond soon enough.
i am sure if you got hold of Willem- using his router jig- he could build you any sled with whatever sort of taper rate you need.
the sleds i got from kenny are made from bamboo flooring- nice and stable, and dont warp and twist as easily as "real woods"
some guys have them made from aluminium- machine shop would have to do that for you.

[Wolftrail]

I don't have a pre-tapered sled yet. I'am simply winging it. Obviously accuracy would be the end result, I'll figure out a taper sled in the future. I tape the lam to a long cull.