Spindle Sander Review

[Pianoman]

I, too, have the Rigid spindle, belt sander.  Works great.
James
James Grebe   Piano Tuning & Repair   Member of M.P.T.
R.P.T. of the P.T.G. for over 30 years.   "Member of the Year" in 1989
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Instruments
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----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Brad Smith, RPT" <staff at smithpiano.com>
To: "Pianotech" <pianotech at ptg.org>
Sent: Saturday, March 25, 2006 6:22 AM
Subject: Re: Spindle Sander Review


> Hi Jon,
> I also bought the Rigid Oscillating Edge Belt/Spindle Sander.  Thanks
> again for mentioning it.  Last month, I did a set of Steinway upright
> hammers, and today I am about to use if for trimming a set of
> installed hammer shanks and then tapering hammer tails. ( I like to
> hang hammers first, then taper tails with Spurlock's jig).
> This Rigid machine has been really a pleasure to have in the shop.
> I'm constantly walking over to trim or sand something quickly...it's
> fairly quiet, well-built and has little storage nooks for each
> accessory.
> Jon, you also mentioned buying more sleeves from Klingspor.  Did you
> feel that the grits provided were too aggressive? or did you have some
> other plans?  Just curious.
>
> Have you come up with any jigs or ideas for using it to file/shape 
> hammers?
> On the set I did, I found that because of the gradually changing size
> of hammers, I had to 'free hand' each one, and I had to quickly
> develop a manual technique to carefully remove felt symmetrically.
> Maybe I need to see Chris Robinson's class you mentioned, where he
> uses an orbital sander....
> They came out fine and I'm not nearly as worn out or full of dust as
> I would the old way, but I would love to find a way to put each hammer
> on a jig to absolutely control the amount of felt removed.
>
> Any ideas anyone?  The jig would need to accommodate for gradually
> narrower hammers, and make it possible to remove the same amount of
> felt from both sides of the hammer.
> It may be that you could only 'jig sand' a circular area encompassing
> the maximum shoulder width...and then you would finish up below the
> shoulders, leveling them out to match up with the new surface created
> at the shoulder.
> It might require a two-piece jig....one to clamp onto the hammer at
> exactly the center of the wood core....and a second one to be the
> anchor and pivot point for locating the hammer to the sanding
> surface....like Spurlocks tail shaping jig.
>
> The first clamped and centered piece would have to be reversible, so
> you could remove material from one side, then flip it over and to the
> same to the other side.
>
> The second anchor/pivot piece would need a control to gradually move
> it closer to the sanding surface as you proceed through a set of
> hammers, (starting in the bass).  And, it would need the ability to
> change/control the shape of the sanding arc.
>
> Perhaps someone already has attempted this using a powered sander. ?
> Perhaps I've just invented it as I typed?  Easy to say, not so easy to do 
> !
>
> Thanks everyone, for any input.
> --
> Best Regards,
> Brad Smith, RPT
> www.SmithPiano.com
> II III II III II III II III II III II III
> brad at smithpiano.com
> 603-494-4147
>
>