Official Luthiers Forum!

Hi Gang,

I'm using the Ryobi 16-32, which for all practical purposes, is the same as
the Performax 16-32.

My question is this: I'm trying to get my sides down to .085" and the drum
doesn't seem to go that low. How is this accomplished?
Do you use a backing board, and if so, what makes the wood stay on the
board and not come dangerously shooting back out?

Thanks, as always,
Chris

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Christopher C. Cordle
North Muskegon, MI

http://www.yardsaleunderwear.com
http://www.facebook.com/christopher.cordle

My 16-32 will let me go down to 0.085 without a problem
Is your drum level?? Also, what grit are you using.
As far as backing board, you can use the thin 2 sided tape that Stew Mac
sells. The problem is that you have to keep measuring. The solution to that
is making your backing board just a bit smaller so you can measure at the
ends where you can measure only the back/top.

I love the 2 sided tape. I use it to hold down templates for routing etc


http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Glues,_adhesives/Tape/Double-
stick_Tape.html

_________________
Andy Z.
http://www.lazydogguitars.com

As for 2 sided tape, you can get it at any Home Depot or Lowes as well. Just look for carpet tape. There are a couple of kinds and I try to stay away from the real cloth looking stuff and get the stuff that just looks thin and like normal tape but white. The cloth stuff just won't let go and stays on my jigs even when I want it off, Naptha works to get off the real tough stuff.

Blake

I am looking at buying a Performax 16/32 in a couple weeks at the Woodcraft sale on March 3rd.  If I buy it in the store I get the same price as on the web and pay no shipping  the sale is 10% off.  This may not be a good price but is not too bad.  The manager of the local (Palatine IL) store is a fingerpicker.

Andy;  What grit should I use for final thinning?  I was thinking something in the area of 120 to 150, start with 80 grit.  Is that close?

Kirby

How about covering a backing board with sandpaper to prevent the stock from slipping?

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Chris Nielsen
Soquel, CA.

[QUOTE=crowduck] How about covering a backing board with sandpaper to prevent the stock from slipping?
[/QUOTE]

That's what I do. Works like a charm!

_________________
Dave Rector
Rector Guitars

I use 80 grit for all my thicknessing. Then I will do a few passes with 150 to clean up the 80 scratches. Or depending on the wood I will just clean up the 80 scratches with my palm sander.

_________________
Josh House

Canadian Luthier Supply
http://www.canadianluthiersupply.com
https://www.facebook.com/canadianluthiersupply?ref=hl
House Guitars - Custom Built Acoustic Instruments.
http://www.houseguitars.com

I use a backing board with self stick 120 grit and it works great. It takes a little longer but I use 120 grit to thickness all my backs and sides. When I am close to my final thickness I run them through from severarl different directions to make up for any differenc there might be in the drum alignment.
Bob

I would first double check your set up to make sure that everything is correct. I'm not familar with the Ryobi drum sander, but I have the Performax and it will let me go down that low.

You may even read the specs and see if they mention the minimum depth there.

If you find that it won't go that low, I would use a backing board with sandpaper since the double sided tape may end up peeling off wood that you didn't want it to.

Good luck!

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Thanks,
Blain

http://www.ullrichguitar.com

"89.67% of all statistics are made up on the spot."

I've been using my 16-32 for about 8 years now. Baiscially just for thicknessing with 80 grit. I do the finishing with other techniques, either scraping and/or hand sanding.
My performax has fallen apart so many times over the years that it's a wonder I've been able to put it back together and make it work....but it keeps on tickin'. I can get mine down to about .050 for sure and haven't tried anything thinner than that.
The latest calamity I was experiencing was that the interal circuit breaker would "kick-out" after 5 minutes of use. I got tired of waiting for it to cool down before resetting so I bypassed it with the intention of finding a 20 amp replacement (it was 16 amp) but haven't gotten around to it yet. I keep my eye (and hand) on the motor to make sure it's not running hot and it's working like a champ, much better than before.
I've heard good and bad about the 16-32 but for my money after 8 years of very hard service......when she dies, I'll consider another one.

With my Performax I will frequently use 36-grit paper to hog off the majority of what I want removed. On woods such as cocobolo and EIR, it can save you a lot of paper as it does not clog as quickly. I then change to 80 for the final 1/64. If you you do use the 36 grit stuff, go slowly and measure frequently as the large abrasive particle size cuts a very deep groove, and this can sneak up on you quickly. For tops, I use 120 exclusively. Klingspor sells sanding rolls in bulk which are less convienient than the pre-cuts but are quite a bit cheaper.
Buying a machine locally is the best way to go, IMO.
Although tax vs shipping is frequently a wash, having a real person available who will go to bat for you should problems arise is invaluable.

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It's not the miles ahead, it's the stone in your shoe


In Markham,Virginia

I use 80 grit as well for all thicknessing.

_________________
Andy Z.
http://www.lazydogguitars.com