Looking at Harbor Freight 12" Disc Sander to fine tune miters

Sleeper · Nov 27, 2013

I recently cut up a length of Oak into 45 deg miter cuts and some of the angles were a hair off.

I believe the saw is accurate, but it might have been the board wasn’t so straight. I didn’t run it though the joiner like I should have because the pieces were small and I didn’t think it would mater much. So I was flipping the board over for each cut to save wood and avoid changing the saw position. Well one side was perfect and the other was just a hair off probably because the board on the other end was a little warped.

Plus I had the glass cut at Lowe’s and I discovered that after two separate glass projects their gutter is not a true square. If I would have known that I would have compensated for the length of cuts so I could at least get the frame square.

Anyway I was thinking that if I had an accurate way of sanding the angle true, I would be able to fix them when they pop up. I was looking at a porter cable bench sander, but I already have a HF 6" Belt sander only this looked a little more accurate.

Then I stopped at HF and saw this 12” disk sander for much less money and looks even more accurate.

So what do you think? Anybody use one of these bad boys for miter joints?

Doomi · Nov 27, 2013

I've never used one for miters, but it seems to me like it actually would make things worse... unless you are just mitering a very small piece. I'm trying to imagine how you would run a long, mitered edge against that with any sort of consistency.

Sleeper · Nov 27, 2013

I was thinking that largest miter surface would be like a 1x3 or 4” max and the length not more than a couple of feet.

Ttharp said:
I recently picked up a grizzly 15"disk sander and it has fast become one of my favorite tools in the shop. I have used it to do exactly what you are suggesting. It is so easy to sand things perfectly square once I set the table and miter gauge up.

I’m sure the grizzly 15"disk sander would be great, but in my little home shop, I would only be using it 3 or 4 times year unless I had another purpose. So I don't know if I could justify the expense.

mdntrdr said:
I think you would find the HF sander underpowered for anything but the lightest work.(5.7 Amp) I doubt the disk would be very flat or run very true also. Just my opinion. :smile:

I don’t know anything about the power but the reason I’m posting this is to find out about it running true. That really is the main consideration. Since I’m not actually cutting miters with it and only straightening them out, I don’t envision it would need much power.

The thing that impressed besides the large disk was the large table. I think I could make something to slide on it giving me good control.

Trav · Nov 27, 2013

I recently picked up a grizzly 15"disk sander and it has fast become one of my favorite tools in the shop. I have used it to do exactly what you are suggesting. It is so easy to sand things perfectly square once I set the table and miter gauge up.

mdntrdr · Nov 27, 2013

I think you would find the HF sander underpowered for anything but the lightest work.(5.7 Amp) I doubt the disk would be very flat or run very true also. Just my opinion. :smile:

BassBlaster · Nov 27, 2013

mdntrdr said:
I think you would find the HF sander underpowered for anything but the lightest work.(5.7 Amp) I doubt the disk would be very flat or run very true also. Just my opinion. :smile:

Do you have this sander?

woodnthings · Nov 27, 2013

don't even go there

Save your money and get this:
CMT 299.112.00 10" Table Saw Balance Blade & Sanding Disc Set 5/8" Bore - Amazon.com

It's a great way to align your table saw blade because it's totally flat AND you can use it for sanding with you miter guage! :yes:

Sleeper · Nov 27, 2013

woodnthings said:
Save your money and get this:
CMT 299.112.00 10" Table Saw Balance Blade & Sanding Disc Set 5/8" Bore - Amazon.com

It's a great way to align your table saw blade because it's totally flat AND you can use it for sanding with you miter guage! :yes:

Wow, I've never seen anything like that. I would never thought something like that would sand.

Dave Paine · Nov 27, 2013

I have a Grizzly 12in disc sander.

http://www.grizzly.com/products/G0702

Not cheap, but I love this machine. I pondered the 10in disc Woodnthings linked, but decided I wanted the bigger diameter.

There are times I wish it was the 15in dia machine.

I use this to trim mitres, segmented turning segments and to sand curves on my cutting boards.

Sleeper · Nov 27, 2013

Well that sure is impressive, but I would really need more uses for it. Actually now that i think of it sanding curves would be nice

woodnthings · Nov 27, 2013

Nope

That would not be the correct way to save a dollar. :no:
Exposed teeth will eventually bite you or your workpiece.

If you were to sand on the up rotation, the teeth would catch and launch the workpiece.

The other issue is that sanding on softwood tends to gum the paper rapidly because of the sap and pitch in the wood. It would be much better if you could get your cuts perfect from your table saw sled or miter saw. :yes:

Sleeper · Nov 28, 2013

woodnthings said:
That would not be the correct way to save a dollar. :no:
Exposed teeth will eventually bite you or your workpiece.

If you were to sand on the up rotation, the teeth would catch and launch the workpiece.

The other issue is that sanding on softwood tends to gum the paper rapidly because of the sap and pitch in the wood. It would be much better if you could get your cuts perfect from your table saw sled or miter saw. :yes:

Thanks Bill,

I just have cheap Craftsman 12” miter saw that I’ve had for over 15 years and I’ve made 1000s of cuts with it. Most were good nice cuts and I believe the bad ones were simply my fault when cutting long boards. I don’t have a lot of room to have a nice long table and depend on using adjustable stands. Unfortunately I don’t always get them positioned correctly and I need to come up with a better plan. I have used a laser level to adjust the stands in the past with great results and I probably should have used it in this case seeing that the boards were 8ft long.

I have thought about buying a new saw, but I really don’t think it will make much of a difference. I also have a sled that makes perfect straight cut but it can’t make miters. I also have a new miter gauge for my table saw but I thought it would be easier to do it on my miter saw.

Trav · Nov 28, 2013

Sleeper said:
Im sure the grizzly 15"disk sander would be great, but in my little home shop, I would only be using it 3 or 4 times year unless I had another purpose. So I don't know if I could justify the expense.

I was not trying to suggest you get this machine. It is just my only experience with larger disk sanders. I was trying to express that if the HF machine runs true, I think you will really like it. The control I have with my machine is really impressive. I can mark a line and sand right to it every time.

FrankC · Nov 28, 2013

For what you are doing the Harbor Freight sander should work just fine, I have seen lots of 9" plywood disks on 1/4 HP motors, for that matter I have plans on my site:
http://benchnotes.com/DISK SANDER /Disk_Sander.html

Sleeper · Nov 28, 2013

It just occurred to me that I should have clarified the actually miter cut I’m talking about so I took a photo of the actual cut and drew a drawing of what a jig might look like if I were to do it on a table saw.

This might better explain why I was thinking about the harbor freight disk sander.

Doomi · Nov 28, 2013

I was thinking something closer to this one. You would just set the board you are cutting on the edge instead of the face. And the stop is helpful for consistently cutting the same length if you need to.

http://www.woodmagazine.com/woodworking-plans/jigs/tablesaw-miter-sled-woodworking-plan/

Tom King · Nov 28, 2013

The most accurate way to fine trim a miter is with a shooting board. The board can be made in the shop. The plane doesn't need to be a 500 buck shooting plane, but you do need to know how to get the iron super sharp on whatever plane that will be used. I use a #7.

Sleeper · Nov 28, 2013

I had absolutely no Idea what a “Shooting Board” was so I had to Goggle search it. :smile:

This looks exactly what I had envisioned for my table saw jig except that I was going to have miter bar to slide:

And this looks just like that table saw sled mentioned above.

I guess it might be fun to make to make one of these and I probably will, but I’m such a power tool guy. I have never mastered the art of sharpening and I hate it, so I don’t use the plane much and I buy new chisels when they get dull.:laughing:

Anyways I also have an 9” table saw that I use for small modeling stuff and cutting Plexiglas. I was looking it the 7 ¼” plywood blade that I use for Plexiglas and I think if I put it on backwards it would not be much of a safety hazard.

I have some 10” sanding disks and I thought I had a 10” plywood blade just like this one but I can’t find it, so I may have to buy the 10” balance blade Bill mentioned. The 7 ¼” blade would not be big enough to have it tilted to 45 so I would have make the jig I was thinking about earlier and have the blade at 90. I don’t really like tilting the blade on the saw because it’s such a pain in the butt.

RepairmanJack · Nov 29, 2013

So I probably missed it.. but what are you making? picture frames?

There's a Lee Valley/Vertias miter trimmer tool that squares up corners specifically for picture frames.

http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=32922&cat=1,42884

At over $200, it's not cheap, but it would correct any miter issues if you plan on making a lot of frames...

Sleeper · Nov 30, 2013

Thanks, I’m making shadow boxes out of red oak for knick knacks. well actually my wife’s salt & pepper collection and friends collections as well. Picture frames are usually soft at least for the ones I’ve had and I don’t know if that miter slicer would cut a 1x4 oak.

Today I was at Lowe’s and picked up a 10 “ fine tooth plywood blade for $11 to make a sanding disk for the table saw, but after carrying it around the store for awhile and thinking about it. I decided I wasn’t going to pursue the disk Sander any more, but instead I need a more accurate way of cutting them in the first place and thinking of making a fence for the miter saw to better support the piece.

I was looking at my joints and it was actually only one cut that that caused two corners to be off, because I flipped the remaining piece from the cut and used it for the next piece. I don’t if that makes sense, but if I caught it in the beginning, I could have corrected it.

I’m also going to make an attachment for my Harbor Freight 6” Belt/ 9” Disc Sander just in case this happens again. I've never actually used the disk sander because its flaky and I want to make something for the belt side, but that another thread.:smile:

Doomi · Nov 30, 2013

Whatever you do, please don't make a sanding disk out of a blade. That's just asking for serious trouble in my opinion.

Sleeper · Nov 30, 2013

I came very close today, but finally came to my senses after looking again at the PC Belt sander at Lowe's. :laughing:

woodnthings · Nov 30, 2013

I don't think sanding is a good method

If you have a sharp fine tooth blade either a full kerf blade or a stabilized think kerf blade you will get precise cuts. :yes:
Will they be accurate ??? ONLY IF your set up is accurate and your saw does not deflect either in the mechanism or at the blade itself.
So if it were me and I was determined to use a miter saw I'd check it for deflection first. If that proved to be the issue, I would make a good sled for the table saw and be done with it. The blade issue will be the same whether in a miter saw or table saw.
If you are taking just a small amount off a previously inaccurate cut that could also be an issue. In that case, you need to be more patient and move slowing in that case because the load is only on one side of the blade.

Sleeper · Nov 30, 2013

I have a sled, but the few times I tried to do miter cuts the strong back support was in the way. Actually now that I’m looking at the photo, it might have worked for this project, but that’s what the miter saw is for. LOL

cabinetman · Nov 30, 2013

Forget the disk for the table saw. It spins too fast, and can burnish the wood easily. Using the belt/disk machines or just the sanding machines work well if your jig/holder/guide is used properly, and you control the feed/hold of the subject piece.

Actually, for that "hair" of adjustment, a shooting board for a handplane, or a block sander works the best, IMO.

.

Sleeper · Nov 30, 2013

I really need to learn how to sharpen plane irons. I watched a lot of YouTube videos and even bought the DMT sharpening stones last year, but just haven’t gotten around to it. :blush:

Oh I forgot, I also have this:

I’ve destroyed many a chisel and also a couple of plane irons with this. LOL

Doomi · Nov 30, 2013

I tell myself this at least once a week.

Hawkeye1434 · Dec 13, 2013

Grizzly.com has some of the best stuff on the market for the best prices I recently bought a new 6 x 48 belt and 12 inch disk sander combo and it's one of my favorite tools in my shop I love harbor freight and tool for some stuff but never electronics or power tools.

Looking at Harbor Freight 12" Disc Sander to fine tune miters

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