It Worked for Me: Sander Drum

by Harry Tomita

Originally published in American Lutherie #109, 2012



The parts for this simple sander drum were purchased at the local hardware stores at reasonable prices. The heart of the unit is the PVC pipe which comes in 2˝, 3˝, and 4˝ diameters, with a wall thickness of 1/4˝. As shown in the top photo, it is cut to the desired length, and a 2˝ piece is saved for later measurement purposes. Using 2×4 lumber, two disks of diameter slightly larger than the inner diameter of the pipe are cut using a bandsaw. The center hole is drilled to accommodate the steel shaft of the sander, and the modified belt pulleys are screwed onto the disks as shown.