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Looking to get my next power tool for rough sanding, so what do you guys prefer ? Bench grinder or disc sander?

Both

I mainly use the sanding disc for rough sanding. It does have limitations that aren't there with a belt sander. I'm thinking about making a slack belt sander at some point to dial in the shape a bit more before filing and hand sanding.


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Big gnarly 36 grit disc for rough shaping and smaller, finer grit discs for finish shaping.
I have a 1" Kalamazoo belt sander for stems and other odds and ends.

Wheel (but I'm sans belt, so....)

Chris, that's cheating

andrew

I'm very new to pipe making and I started with a cheap 1"x30" belt sander from Harbor Freight (used a 20% off coupon too). It's worked just fine and does have a dust port. I'm doing all the refining by hand which I think is also very good for a beginner. I now have a variable speed motor and plan on learning to rough shape with a low grit disk and refine the shapes with a JAlan french wheel I just ordered. I'm pretty sure I'll use both methods at least until I get good enough with the disk sander. FWIW, if you use a disk sander, a good dust collector is required for indoor use. A shop vac has worked fine for the belt sander.

As I said, as a beginner, I'm very happy using the belt sander that was under $40.00. I did order some additional finer grits on-line.

andrew wrote:Wheel (but I'm sans belt, so....)

Chris, that's cheating

andrew

Blah blah blah

Seriously, learn to use the disc. The disc is much more efficient than a belt because you can really press hard into it and remove material fast and accurately. Belts are good but they can move about a little especially when you are pushing hard and that just might put a gouge in an area you didn't want it. Many guys get on great with their belt grinders and that's fine, there is nothing wrong with using one and in fact I would say both have their place in well setup workshop, especially when it comes to stem work which is what I mostly use mine for. Just take a look at the vast majority of pipe making workshops though, both new and old, and you will see the disc is the main tool, a major reason for this is the availability of discs, you can get them in many grits, sizes and materials that allow you to do a lot of work at wheel, sometimes all of the bowl shaping can be done at the disc with little to no hand work. Sanding discs are also a heck of a lot cheaper than belts.

I'm wheel-only for now.

I do plan on getting/building a (slack) belt sander. I mainly find the wheel difficult when shaping stems, which results in hours and hours of endles filing of acrylic...

Disk, hands down.

Disc for rough, wheel for finer. Tools are all packed up due to a move. Aching for briar dust in my nose.


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Senior Cooley, to which move did you decide?

"...and saw clouds moving in the sky overhead in the shape of fabulous creatures."

Massis wrote:I'm wheel-only for now.

I do plan on getting/building a (slack) belt sander. I mainly find the wheel difficult when shaping stems, which results in hours and hours of endles filing of acrylic...

Slack belt sander won't be much use for stem work, you need a hard backer/wheel for that kind of work.

caskwith wrote:

Massis wrote:I'm wheel-only for now.

I do plan on getting/building a (slack) belt sander. I mainly find the wheel difficult when shaping stems, which results in hours and hours of endles filing of acrylic...

Slack belt sander won't be much use for stem work, you need a hard backer/wheel for that kind of work.

How do you do stemwork on a wheel? If the stem is attached to the pipe, I can't reach the topside of the stem without either the button or the stummel being hit.
If the stem isn't attached, I often touch the edges of the stem, causing it to be a different size/shape than the shank..

Massis wrote:

caskwith wrote:

Massis wrote:I'm wheel-only for now.

I do plan on getting/building a (slack) belt sander. I mainly find the wheel difficult when shaping stems, which results in hours and hours of endles filing of acrylic...

Slack belt sander won't be much use for stem work, you need a hard backer/wheel for that kind of work.

How do you do stemwork on a wheel? If the stem is attached to the pipe, I can't reach the topside of the stem without either the button or the stummel being hit.
If the stem isn't attached, I often touch the edges of the stem, causing it to be a different size/shape than the shank..

Sorry I meant hard backer or wheel behind the belt. Check out Kurt's tutorial on stem making he shows a belt grinder being used to make stems, this is how I do it also.

I rough shape the stem on the disc and then finish shaping it with hand files and sandpaper. Works really well.


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Only thing I don't have is a french wheel. For stummels I use a 230mm rough disc on a benchgrinder for rough shape, then finer grits on a horizontal drillpress (a la Mr Chris) for more refinement and then slack sander. For stems I have a 25mm belt as well as a 100mm belt, although for me it's easier to go the disc way with tapered stems. I still want to modify the 100mm belt a bit more.

Love the disk.

caskwith wrote:

Massis wrote:

caskwith wrote:
Slack belt sander won't be much use for stem work, you need a hard backer/wheel for that kind of work.

How do you do stemwork on a wheel? If the stem is attached to the pipe, I can't reach the topside of the stem without either the button or the stummel being hit.
If the stem isn't attached, I often touch the edges of the stem, causing it to be a different size/shape than the shank..

Sorry I meant hard backer or wheel behind the belt. Check out Kurt's tutorial on stem making he shows a belt grinder being used to make stems, this is how I do it also.

Wheel behind the belt makes sense

I've read that one about 15 times I think

Sounds like disk might be best. Got a bench grinder already and getting a buff wheel and sanding wheel could save on space and cost. Thank you for the advice brothers !

i.keenum wrote:Looking to get my next power tool for rough sanding, so what do you guys prefer ? Bench grinder or disc sander?

Oompa Loompas, but I can't find any around here or on the web so I stick with the Disc Sander.