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So, I have seen people use drum sanders to make laminate before, and I actually have a Grizzly drum sander, but it only sands down to 1/8" - anyone have any suggestions on how to go thinner? I have one, but without making myself look insane, I would prefer to hear other suggestions!

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I'd just apply it to a thicker board, say 1", that was already planed true. I know you hate to use it, but a good, thin double-sided tape would work well for that application.

So you have your backer board with the material that you want sanded down stuck to the top of it. That gives you plenty of room to sand down to your desired thickness. The hard part will be, I think, getting your thin piece removed from the backer board without breaking it.

My "dumb" idea was to get a board slightly larger than the piece, make sure I flatten it first (Using the... DRUM SANDER - imagine that!) then put double-sided tape on the board, then sandpaper on the board to "grip" the wood that I am trying to make a laminate out of - seeing that the belt on the drum sander seems to be sandpaper-like anyways - any deep thoughts from anyone out there who has done this? If not, I would like to hear what others have done - double-sided tape seems to be a bit hindering, seeing that I will possibly need to flip the wood... (Ye can get arrested in my county for "flipping the wood" BTW)

_________________
"Talking about music is like dancing over architecture".
See the most insane first guitar build: http://www.virgilguitar.com
http://www.youtube.com/VirgilGuitar

Not a "dumb idea" at all Virgil. That will work just fine.

Steve

I have a Ryobi which would only go to 1/8" if that. Don't know if the Grizzly adjusts heights with the "table" or the drum, but with the Ryobi the height adjustment is in the drum. I just shimmed the table with some washers, checked the alignment all around, and it gave me my desired specs.

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"Anything that's worth cuttin' down a tree for is worth doin' right, don't the Lord love a 2 X4?" - The Carpenter - Guy Clark
www.tandnguitarrepair.com

Have you done this Steven?

_________________
"Talking about music is like dancing over architecture".
See the most insane first guitar build: http://www.virgilguitar.com
http://www.youtube.com/VirgilGuitar

It stops a little shy of 1/8" - the table rises on this model: http://www.grizzly.com/products/18-1-1-2-HP-Single-Phase-Open-End-Drum-Sander/G0458

_________________
"Talking about music is like dancing over architecture".
See the most insane first guitar build: http://www.virgilguitar.com
http://www.youtube.com/VirgilGuitar

Well, I guess my fix is out the window.... ..............Sorry, man.

_________________
"Anything that's worth cuttin' down a tree for is worth doin' right, don't the Lord love a 2 X4?" - The Carpenter - Guy Clark
www.tandnguitarrepair.com

The carrier board will work fine, but I would not rely on abrasive to hold the veneer in place. The thinner it gets, the more likely it is to get pulled up onto the drum to become over sanded in places. I have used 16mm melamine sheet to good affect. Its cheap and dead flat so makes a good carry board. Simply fasten the veneer with double side and remove and cleanup the gunk with the assistance of Naphtha. You could also use a few spots of CA and because the veneer is thing, use acetone as a release agent from the top surface...have not tried CA for this myself though but I can't see why it would not work as well as it does with shell inlay setup.

Cheers

Kim

Virgil,

I use the carrier board approach on my drum sander all the time to make thin veneers for laminated linings and even for thinning veneers for making purflings and strips for classical type rosettes - down to 0.25 mm. All this without using double stick tape. However, I have the Performax drum sander where the drum moves up and down. I just make sure my veneers are long enough so that I can hold them down with a finger while I feed it in to the sander and then hold them down on the other side when it comes out. The only times I have ever had the sander drum such a piece up into the drum was when it was too short to hold it going in and coming out.

Give it a try,
Max

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Max Bishop
Brighton, Michigan

Hi Max! If you can, please specify as to what type of board you use?

_________________
"Talking about music is like dancing over architecture".
See the most insane first guitar build: http://www.virgilguitar.com
http://www.youtube.com/VirgilGuitar

Hi Virgil,

I use a piece of 3/4" MDF 8"X36". The key thing is to make sure the surface of your carrier board is on the same cross-wise plane as your drum. I do this by making pencil marks all over the top of the carrier board and then run it through the sander until all the pencil marks have disappeared. This way your veneers will come out an even thickness. I always do this before sanding a bunch of veneers as the drum on my machine can get a little out of kilter through use.

Max

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Max Bishop
Brighton, Michigan

The biggest problem I have on my Jet 22/44 is that the dust collection will suck the conveyor into the drum when you get down near 1/8" or no. Very frustrating as it would work perfectly otherwise. I wish I had a solution for THAT other than using a carrier board.

I use a carrier board with my planer, same idea, different machine - here's a link
viewtopic.php?f=10101&t=34628&p=455971&hilit=+carrier+board#p455971

I use a double sided "Tissue Tape" made by Intertape. I got it from McMaster Carr item # 76405A13. I think it's a lot easier to work with than carpet tape which is brittle & comes off in pieces when you try to remove it. This stuff is more like masking tape but it is pretty strong. Don't use too much, a 1/4" square in each corner is enough, then use a thin putty knife to release the boards.

Kevin Looker

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I'm not a luthier.
I'm just a guy who builds guitars in his basement.
It's better than playing golf.

I use self adhesive sandpaper on my carrier boards for acoustic backs sides and tops. Often I'll do like Max suggests and just hold a venneer in place with a finger, this works for me on headplate veneers to about .020". For purfling strips I'll do as Kim suggests and use CA to hold them in place. I make the purflings long and cut them off the board instead of trying to release the glue.

Steve

I use a carrier board myself. but instead of the double side tape, I have glued a stopper at the trailing end of the board where the thin piece to be sanded abuts.

this setup is also great when narrow pieces are sanded to help them stay parallel to the drums.

With all the talk here, I actually thought of double-sided tape at both ends of the board and when finished, simply cut off the ends of the board - Double-sided tape is a friend and foe with me - I love what it can do, but it doesn't want to leave after it's done with its job. I need to invent "vacuum tape"... that'll do it!

_________________
"Talking about music is like dancing over architecture".
See the most insane first guitar build: http://www.virgilguitar.com
http://www.youtube.com/VirgilGuitar

OH WAIT! Steven just said that!

_________________
"Talking about music is like dancing over architecture".
See the most insane first guitar build: http://www.virgilguitar.com
http://www.youtube.com/VirgilGuitar

As long as you don't use too strong of a tape, & don't use too much, it comes off pretty easily by sliding either a thin metal putty knife or a pallet knife between the piece & the carrier board. I've done this with Wenge as thin as 0.080".

Kevin Looker

_________________
I'm not a luthier.
I'm just a guy who builds guitars in his basement.
It's better than playing golf.