> Hi Paul,

> I'm trying to visualize what a 10" sanding disk looks like in a table
> saw ... can't think of any I've ever seen, but very useful if I have a
> "stripper" in my future. Is it a "thin" edge grinding
> wheel that replaces the blade in any old table saw? Could you steer me in
> the direction of a national chain store or website that has info. about
> this?

Dave has already mentioned the disk from Sears. Think of a 10 inch saw blade with no teeth, and a circular sheet of sandpaper glued to the side of it. Very simple and effective. I'm using a ShopSmith, which uses a mehcanical variable speed device to allow a single motor unit to power several different tools. With this it is very easy to turn the RPMs down for good sanding. My sanding disk is an aluminum plate which mounts directly on the motor when I remove the arbor for the saw blade. It works the same.

The speed I use for the sanding disk is in the range of speeds used for drilling, which suggests that a flat sanding disk might be chucked into a drill press. A wedge shaped jig could be secured to the drill press table, or that table could be tilted. The end of the strip to be scarfed would be aligned on the table or jig, and the feed mechanism of the drill press could be used to lower the sanding disk. The strip would sit still and the sanding wheel would grind off the end of the strip, giving a long tapering edge.

Or, if you have a way of mounting your RO sander, you could use that (a little more slowly). a solid backing plate for the sandpaer would be desirable.

A jig to hold a belt sander would be nice, too.

I'm considering a jig that owuld let me use a thickness planer, but I am not sure if I could go all the way through a 1/4 inch strip on one pass. Might need two jigs -- which would be nothing more than angles cut from 2x4 stock. Secure the strip to the jig and pass it through the planer with the cutters set about 3 1/2 inches above the table. The rest of the strir goe through with no problem, but the end held on the jig is planed to form an angled end, taking off aobut 1/8 th inch, maximum from the end of the strip. Pop that strip on a jig that is 1/8th inch thicker than the first, and the planer finishes making the cut for the scarf.

Hope this helps.

Paul G. Jacobson

PGJ