It Worked for Me: Downdraft Sander

by Tom Harper

Originally published in American Lutherie #120, 2014



A small downdraft sander that attaches to a drill press is a handy shop item that can be used for shaping and thicknessing. Although there are some very nice commercial offerings, I have found that this homemade one meets my needs. I got the design from a neighbor and made it from pieces of scrap plywood I had on hand.

The box is held in place with two cleats that slide into the drill-press table slots and a screw that passes through the table’s center hole into a T-nut embedded into the bottom of the box. The drum-sander hole has a rabbet around it that lets hardboard inserts provide a flat surface with a small clearance around different diameter sanding drums. A 1/8" clearance provides enough support surface and air movement. Suction is created by attaching my dust-collector hose to the box through a side hole. The down draft removes dust as expected and also helps reduce sandpaper clogging.