# Thickness sander on the cheap...



## anotherBob (Oct 28, 2009)

I was out taking some pics in the shop today and I realized something that may be able to help someone looking for an inexpensive solution for thicknessing your stock. Almost 10 years ago, I had to thickness a bunch of different types of wood for a project, having only a Sears oscillating spindle sander, this is what I came up with:




























hopefully a little better pic of my oops... I didn't realize at the time that the tension spring which is supposed to be connected to the bent j-roller... wasn't connected.  well, I never put this thing on it's side before...:










It's not fancy, but it really works great for small stock for say band sawn veneers, drawer stock, drawer bottoms, thinnish stuff that you might want to bookmatch... Anyway, this was the project at the time... 11 different types of wood altogether. It was supposed to be a gift for my Mom, but with 2 years researching/working on it on weekends, she died of cancer the very week I finished it... never seeing it. There's life for ya sometimes...:


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## dutchman 46 (May 23, 2007)

Hello Bob: That's a pretty nice solution to a problem like that, and the wood is extremely beautiful. Thats great thinking on your part. Sorry to hear about your mother. Always a big loss when it's a family member, and a mother is hardest.


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## anotherBob (Oct 28, 2009)

Thanks for the kind words dutchman 46. Ya, I guess the moral of the story is that sometimes we don't have as much time, as we might expect. She was a believer, so I know where she is now...


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## BigJimAK (Mar 13, 2009)

That's one of finest pieces I've seen... and you're right, you know where she is and she's looking down and smiling right now...


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## CanuckGal (Nov 26, 2008)

That is remakably beautiful!


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## Duane867 (Oct 25, 2008)

Absolutely stunning ! 
That really is a work of art my friend. GREAT JOB !


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## Dr.Zook (Sep 10, 2004)

Exquisite work Bob. The book match up is superb. You know your Mom wood have been so proud to receive it.


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## xplorx4 (Dec 1, 2008)

I am sorry for your loss, we always have a joy when we know that a loved one is in His presence. That is quite a work of art, very well done.


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## Gene Howe (Jul 10, 2007)

One can see the love. Beautiful. Can't find enough superlatives adequate to describe your work.
Hope to see a lot more.
BTW, the thicknesser is ingenious.
Gene


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## Ghidrah (Oct 21, 2008)

Truly a masterpiece in matching. What species is used for the sides and drawers? I began slobbering all over myself admiring the patterns. It reminds me of fire caught in still pics. 

I like your drawer slide solution, that requires precise moisture content and control to maintain ease of movement and symmetry.

I envy the owner of that piece of art and the skills and patience of its maker.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Bob

I have seen many items on the forum ,many,many are great and then one comes along that's really great and you have made one of the great ones... 

NICE JOB

======


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## anotherBob (Oct 28, 2009)

BigJimAK, CanuckGal, Duane867, Dr.Zook, xplorx4, Gene Howe, Ghidrah, and bobj3 - hey thanks for the kind words guys/gal... it's you guys that make this a really nice place on the web.



Ghidrah said:


> What species is used for the sides and drawers? I began slobbering all over myself admiring the patterns. It reminds me of fire caught in still pics.


It's quilted western maple, or I have been told "pea quilt". It's funny... I passed on it the first time that we saw it... it just looked furry. One Saturday, my wife and I went to Crosscut Hardwoods Eugene, Portland, Beaverton, Hillsboro Seattle Lumber Plywood Decking to just look around and see what they had. They had a bunch of this stuff stacked up in a vertical bin leaning on an A-frame thing. Anyway, you could see a bit of figure in most of the boards in that lot, but nothing that really jumped out at you... except this one in the back of the rack that didn't look like it had any figure, just weirdly furry... like it had whiskers or something... all over, top to bottom. I was a newbie, didn't know any better at the time, and passed on it. Went back the following weekend, and it was still there, so I figured what the heck, it's like $6 a board foot (alot at the time, to me), and was curious what was under all that fur.

Took it home and ran a hand plane over part of it, I couldn't believe my eyes! Ran inside, grabbed my wife, dragged her out in the garage to show her... her eyes were as big as mine. Some how we stumbled on a little treasure, not having a clue what it was... but we liked it. The board was almost 8 foot long and just a tad wider than 4 inches... then began the research into what became a "tool chest" for Mom's sewing/quilting tools. Believe me, she must have been a woodworker at heart, cos she had a b u n c h of tools... 

If you like quilted maple, I know of a few places where you can get it:

Crosscut Hardwoods - Crosscut Hardwoods Eugene, Portland, Beaverton, Hillsboro Seattle Lumber Plywood Decking - where I originally got this board, but it really is a hit or miss thing there, but they do have a wide variety of other stuff too.

Randal Woods - Randle Woods - My brother and I made a ~90 minute drive there one weekend, years ago, came back with a little quilted maple, some tiger stripe maple, and some really cool spalted/tiger stripe maple. It's been a while since I've been there, but you want to be looking for "(AAA) Quilt" on this page: Wood Price List Warning though... it is expensive, maybe you'll get lucky...

Gilmer Woods
Gilmer Wood Company Maple Guitar Woods

Gilmer Woods is my all time favorite wood candy store... absolutely amazing variety of the very best hard woods that I have ever seen. Figured wood is the norm there... if you have some time... like maybe a weekend... it's worth checking out there site. There are a lot of pages at that site, so it could take some time, but if you are ever in Portland Oregon... that is one place you would not want to miss... trust me.


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## Ghidrah (Oct 21, 2008)

Damn Hoss! 
I began questioning myself on whether it was wood or some kind of factory compsite materials. Quilted maple! I Googled it and found some outrageous pics. It comes in many shades too.

Thanks for the links, one of the Lumb Yds. in our area sells Port Orford Cedar that's from your area, maybe they'd be able to get some QM too.


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## CanuckGal (Nov 26, 2008)

Bob thanks for the wood info. I will be keeping an eye out for some, it's absolutely astonishing!


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## jd99 (Jun 17, 2009)

Yes Thanks, I was wondering what that wood was also, my brother is up in that area I'm going to have him keep an eye out for it.

Also Great Idea on the sander, and a fantastic looking project.


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