Squaring blanks with a sander

[Gruntster]

I have a Ryobi Belt/Disc sander http://www.toolsnow.com/browse.cfm/4,1571.html that I bought from Home Depot a couple months back. I also bought the PSI squaring jig. I have been pulling my hair out trying to get things square, but I just cannot get it right. I am always about 1 degree off. Using a level and an engineering square and I still am failing. After trading emails with Billy, I believe the problem to be flex in the table. The table is supported via an L shape from one side only.
Has anyone else ran into this issue before? Should I just replace this sander with a dedicated 9 or 12"? Is it possible to add more bracing to this table somehow?
Thanks
Dan

 

[rherrell]

Try bolting down the sander and then cut a block of wood to fit under the unsupported side of the table. Or you cut a piece of plywood the same width as the end of the table and clamp or bolt it on. Cut it about 1/4" short of the workbench and use some shims to bring it to the exact height.

 

[Glass Scratcher]

I have the same problem and was planning on making a fixed table and then squaring the sander, in a dropped recess, to it.

 

[wdcav1952]

Also consider, IMHO, that the PSI squaring jig is a POS!

 

[Gruntster]

Why Cav? What about it is so much of a eau de crap?

 

[Woodlvr]

My nephew has this model and his 6" disk does not turn square to the table, it is like the shaft is warped or off of center-but Ryobi is not intended to be used for precision work, just my humble opinion.[8D]

 

[Glass Scratcher]

Originally posted by wdcav1952

Also consider, IMHO, that the PSI squaring jig is a POS!

I believe it is modeled off of the blank squaring jig by Jay Pickens.

http://content.penturners.org/articles/2005/blanksquaring.pdf

http://www.pennstateind.com/store/pksquare.html

So other than using ones supplied square for ones sander how does the PSI jig really differ from Jays' jig, other than PSI marketing it.


The problem I have is that the table on my sander is only supported on one side and torques out of true when under load, it doesn't matter which jig I am using. That is why I want to build a table and put the sander in a recess and then square the sander to the fixed table.

 

[Hosspen]

Yep, if you're gonna keep things square they have to stay in place even under a load-that's when the "squaring" takes place. Reinforcement is key in this case. IMHO

 

[wdcav1952]

I found the PSI jig to be pretty flimsy. A homemade jig like the one Jay Pickens shared should do a much better job. I just gave up and stayed with the pen mill.

 

[rd_ab_penman]

Hey Dan; this is a jig I made to square up my blanks and works every time.

 

[scoutharps]

Forgive the lack of proper vocabulary lease--but those metal straps around the quonset hut block--I assume that they fit into the table grooves, which I again assume are squared up to the sawblade? Aand what dDO you call those metal bits?

Thanks for helping me learn!

 

[Glass Scratcher]

Originally posted by rd_ab_penman

Hey Dan; this is a jig I made to square up my blanks and works every time.

Snip images

That is a mighty sharp looking jig!

 

[Tanner]

I have a Delta 12" disk sander and that PSI squaring jig. They seem to work pretty good toghether. You can square up that Delta every which way. I think it's the same disk sander Curt Theobold uses.

 

[MobilMan]

May I ask a silly question? Why not just use a pen mill. A lot less hassel.

 

[Larry Gottlieb]

I use the PSI jig with a 12" Home Depot disc sander.Jay Pickens uses this sander. The sander is a piece of junk and I don't change the table settings for fear I would never get it back to 90 degrees.
This said, I get consistent good results.

Larry

 

[Larry Gottlieb]

Correction.

That should have read Harbor Freight sander

Sorry

Larry

 

[Tanner]

The pen mills have to be sharpened often. If you’re not good at that, like me, you can get the edge all wrong and rounded. The pen mill can jump on you and leave little bumps all around the edge of the material and the brass tube. This can cause an uneven fit to the kit hardware. I'll hit the ends with the disc sander with 80 grit sand paper on it. The final end milling I do with Lee's little sanding mill by hand. Sounds like overkill, however, it works for me.

 

[Chasper]

I take the original post to be about how to get the ends of blanks absolutely square with the sides. If the objective is to get the end square with the tube (not the sides of the blank), that is a different issue.

You can't get the end square with the tube unless the tube is parallel with the with the blank. The quonset hut jig looks like it will do a great job squaring the end of the tube/blank assemble if the disk is square to the table.

If for some reason you need to get the end of the blank square (segmenting perhaps) the squaring jig would do the job if alignment is correct and there is no flex, but that won't necessarily get the tube square with the end.

 

[sbell111]

Originally posted by Chasper

I take the original post to be about how to get the ends of blanks absolutely square with the sides. If the objective is to get the end square with the tube (not the sides of the blank), that is a different issue.

You can't get the end square with the tube unless the tube is parallel with the with the blank. The quonset hut jig looks like it will do a great job squaring the end of the tube/blank assemble if the disk is square to the table.

If for some reason you need to get the end of the blank square (segmenting perhaps) the squaring jig would do the job if alignment is correct and there is no flex, but that won't necessarily get the tube square with the end.

The PSI jig used by the OP is pretty much a lighter duty version of the quonset hut jig.