In my garage shop, I’m often looking for ways to make tools multi-function. In some recent extended shop-time, I discovered a good way to upgrade my drill press sanding drum.
Sanding drum. While drill press drum sanders aren’t new there are a few places they fall short. The biggest is that they always seem to have some runout and flex a little. Plus, I always seem to have to cobble together an insert or a table so I can lower it all the way.
To fix that, I modified an insert for my drill press table (my table is from WoodsmithPlans.com). I made a table that attaches to the insert and allows the drum to be recessed. A bronze bushing stabilizes the drum to prevent wobbling. Then, I can make sanding drums of any size. The shaft of the sanding drum is held in the drill press chuck and spins inside the bronze bushing in the insert.
The sanding drum is cut with a hole saw and has a steel rod epoxied through the center that seats in the bronze bushing.
The base fits into the drill press table by utilizing a cleat the same size as the replaceable insert.
