# Disc Sander Advice to Replace Pen Mill Advice Please!



## FordTrax (Mar 23, 2012)

I have a pen mill but it really does not seem to work that great.  I have been thinking about going to a disc sander to square the ends of the blank.  I know I will need to make a jig or get the PSI jig to hold the pen tube square to the disc.  (If anyone knows a better jig than the PSI please let me know.)

My question is this - a friend has a 5" disc sander with a 1" belt I think it is a Delta 31-080 (?) that I could get for $25.  However, not having used a disc sander I wonder how effective the small disc will be at removing material and I am not sure what I would use the belt for.   The great things about it are - it is small so it would not take up much space, light enough that I could store it on a shelf and just move it to the workbench when needed, and 5" discs are common and easy to get.   

However, I wonder if a 12" disc only sander (like the $170 Grizzly - G7297) would not be a better investment in the long run.   Heavier duty so longer lasting, more efficient material removal on pens, and maybe more useful for other wood working projects.  The downside is more $, and heaver and bigger it may need a more fixed place in my shop.

I would like some advice on what disc sander you use and which of these options you would suggest?  If there are other options please let me know since I am rather new to all this.   Thanks


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## FordTrax (Mar 23, 2012)

*10 or 12" from Harbor Freight*

Harbor Freight has a 10 and 12" disc sander.  They are both cheaper than the Grizzly.  Not really a fan of Harbor Freight but I try to look at things on a individual basis.


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## warreng8170 (Mar 23, 2012)

I'm very interested in the responsed you get. I have had the same question now for several months. Small disc/belt combos are pretty easy to find on CL and I've looked at the Grizzy more times than I can count. Part of me thinks the Griz might be overkill, and it takes away from the money I am trying to save for a nice bandsaw. On the other hand I don't want to waste money on a smaller unit if it ends up being useless.


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## nativewooder (Mar 23, 2012)

Why not sharpen your pen mill?  Done correctly it is easy and works wonders.  Saves lots of $$ also!:biggrin:


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## geovtx (Mar 23, 2012)

If you do any other type woodworking in addition to the pens you might want to consider the the RIGID oscilating spindle sander (approx $180).  It comes with a belt attachment which I use to square the blanks.  A standard miter gauge fits into the slot and holds the blank 90 degrees to the belt.  It's very fast and accurate and you can easily control the process.  Works on all materials.  I press to the belt, flip the blank, press, flip etc until the blank is flush with the tube.


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## jcm71 (Mar 23, 2012)

If you can saw an accurate 90 degree cut and drill an accurate perpendicular hole, you can make your own jig.   I squared up a 6"x4"x 1.5" block of white oak, and then drilled holes for my 7mm shaft and 3/8" shaft on one end and my 8mm and 10mm shafts on the other.  My pen mill shafts are super glued into the block.  I secure the block to a extra miter gauge I have (permanently glued t0 90 degrees), and square my blanks up using my disc sander.  Takes less than a minute to flip the block over and secure it to the miter gauge when I have to use a different shaft.


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## MarkD (Mar 23, 2012)

Since you live in Central PA I would suggest you go to the Grizzly spring tent sale. Last time I went they had many 12" disc sanders in one of the tents. Some are scratched or missing a part. I picked one up for 1/2 the price of a new one, and found nothing wrong with it.
Their spring tent sale is May 19th. 
Grizzly.com® -- Tent Sales


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## brownsfn2 (Mar 23, 2012)

For those that went from Pen mill to disc sander is it a great deal better?  I noticed the other day with my pen mill that after several sharpenings (I only sharpen the correct face of the blades) it was starting to get out of square.  I used to think that a pen mill was the only way to make sure it stays square.  Now I am not so sure.  So is a belt sander that much better?


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## BRobbins629 (Mar 23, 2012)

Turn the pen mill upside down and use some adhesive backed sand paper on the flat surface.  Now you will have a sanding mill with assurances that the blanks will be square.


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## woodgraver (Mar 23, 2012)

I have switched to a disc sander exclusively for squaring my blanks.  I actually wait to square them until I've turned them round and close to final size.  I don't use a jig, but my sander is a Proxxon so it's fence is very close to the disc.  I just hold them up against the fence and press down.  I use the downward turning side of the disc so that it is pressing the blank into the table and not trying to pull it up.  If you made this slight adjustment you would have no need for the bigger more powerful sander and that $25 gem would do you right for years to come.  I also have the little sanding mill available from a member on here, and I use to put it in my drill and use it to square up my blanks.  I found it to wear out the sandpaper I used too quickly to be effective at removing mor than .1" of material.  Now I use it by hand after I have put my finish on the pen to clean up and deburr any CA that got on the end of my tube.  For $25 the sanding mill is a great little tool, and combined with my disc sander, I honestly have never had better fitment of my tubes and no more pen mills which I just love!


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## el_d (Mar 23, 2012)

Use a drill chuck in the tail with the same size center punch to hold your blank and mount a piece of sandpaper on a feced scrap of wood on the drive. Turn them down first.


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## its_virgil (Mar 23, 2012)

Most any jig will be better than the PSI jig. I have owned or used (almost everyone if not all of them) every jig available for purchase. I have made several and used several other homemade ones. The best one I've used, and I've made and use two of them, is the one whose instructions are in the library written by Jay Pickens. No, not the public library but the IAP library. What a great resource we have here in our IAP library! I wonder how many library pages are accessed vs other forum pages? Anyway, check out the sanding jig article at http://content.penturners.org/library/tools_and_jigs/blanksquaring.pdf

Do a good turn daily!
Don


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## ALA (Mar 24, 2012)

I started out using the mill but have swithed to a disk sander. I just attached a board to the miter gauge and squared it up good...works fine. A jig such as the one ine in the library would be a plus. For $25 I'd buy the sander even if I didn't use it for squaring the blanks. Mine comes in handy for lots of things.


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## FordTrax (Mar 24, 2012)

MarkD said:


> Since you live in Central PA I would suggest you go to the Grizzly spring tent sale. Last time I went they had many 12" disc sanders in one of the tents. Some are scratched or missing a part. I picked one up for 1/2 the price of a new one, and found nothing wrong with it.
> Their spring tent sale is May 19th.
> Grizzly.com® -- Tent Sales



Just checked my schedule - I am out of town that day for a special event.  Grizzly is only about 1.5 hours from me so that would otherwise be doable.


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## Tanner (Mar 24, 2012)

I have a Jet 12" Bench Disc Sander and love it.  I square up my blanks with it and also use it to sand down the corners of the blank so there is less to take off on the lathe.


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## moke (Mar 24, 2012)

BRobbins629 said:


> Turn the pen mill upside down and use some adhesive backed sand paper on the flat surface. Now you will have a sanding mill with assurances that the blanks will be square.


 

Some time ago in a thread, this very method was mentioned while using transfer punches in a chuck on the tailstock. Put your pen tube over the correct sized punch, and slowly push it to the sand paper. It works awesome! Blanks are always square.

I went a little bit further, in that I made a 5" sanding disc holder from an old defuncked sander, and I save my discs...they never seem to be very worn in the center, so I repurpose them.

I never throw anything away...(quoted from the A&E hoarders show)

I am with Don (its Virgil) that PSI jig is not good. However a 12" disc sander is good for a great many things.


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## clapiana (Mar 24, 2012)

I have a delta 12" disk sander which goes on sale a lot at rockler. it's awesome and I would not suggest going smaller in that it has lots of power to get any job done keeping in mind you will use this tool a lot in your shop for all kinds of projects  

 in regards to a jig to square blanks I simply clamp a piece of hardwood 90deg from the disk and slide the blank along it to the disk to square up each end   simple and easy and works excellent


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## Robertsmeets (Mar 24, 2012)

I started out using a trimmer but quickly move to my Delta 1" belt and 8" disc sander,  I use #80 on the disc and it works great, just had to make sure that the usual adjustment were correct, table to disc, then fence to disc.  I really do not have to use a jig since my tube are usually pretty straight down the blank.  For those times I do need a jig I have a square block of still i had laying around in which i mounted a couple of pins that match the tube.  In addition I use the disc to break the 4 corners on the blanks before i start turning (it makes life a little easier).  I don't think that you need a 12" to sand the blanks, and for 25 bucks you can't go too wrong.....


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## Carl Fisher (Mar 24, 2012)

Have a look here.

http://www.penturners.org/forum/f30/my-new-squaring-method-94962/


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## Rollingrock (Mar 25, 2012)

I have a Ryobi belt/disc sander that I purchased 6 yrs. ago
Cost abt. 100 bucks, then.

I had to tweak the miter for the disc sander a bit and have
not used a pen mill since.

You would find many uses for the belt disc combos available,
make sure you get one that has a decent sliding miter table
for the disc sander. IMO

RR


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## clapiana (Mar 25, 2012)

I missed you can get one for $25!  i would jump on that deal if it works. it will serve your needs well and if you want to sell it later and get a 12" then you can sell it for twice the price you paid for it


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## philipff (Mar 25, 2012)

I chuck up my blanks, center them with the tail cone and use a round nose spindle gouge to make them perfectly straight down to the brass.  Works for me. Phil


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## Dave Turner (Mar 25, 2012)

Just want to echo what many have said here. I started with a pen mill, but found that it was too easy to blow out the end of a blank with it. I bought the Harbor Freight disc/belt sander on sale for $50 (with the standard 20% off coupon). One of my better investments. It does an adequate job of squaring the ends relatively quickly. After applying my CA finish, I do the final truing of the ends with this setup, that I described previously.


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## PenMan1 (Mar 25, 2012)

Rollingrock said:


> I have a Ryobi belt/disc sander that I purchased 6 yrs. ago
> Cost abt. 100 bucks, then.
> 
> I had to tweak the miter for the disc sander a bit and have
> ...



Ditto! Mine must be older than yours as I bought it for $89 years ago. I bought it because I absolutely needed a stationary sanding station to finish sanding moulding that had to be done immediately.

It has been in the pen shop ever since and does a great job on squaring blanks as well as a great all around tool.


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## FordTrax (Mar 25, 2012)

*Delta On Its Way*

Well, I gave him $25 bucks for it.  My wife picked it up a few minutes ago.  She called and said it "looks almost like new".    I figure for $25 I can try it and if I am not happy I can easily get my money back.   I still likes the looks of the 12" disc - may keep my eyes open for one of those.   I will post a pic later this evening.

Now what is an easy but effective jig to make for it?


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## zig613 (Mar 26, 2012)

FordTaxs...


Here are a description and photos of my jig from another post.

http://www.penturners.org/forum/f14/trimming-blanks-75546/index2.html

Wade


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