This time of year, I make a lot of toys for family and friends that call for wood wheels. I usually use a hole saw to cut the wheels to size, but that leaves the edges pretty rough. What I needed was an easy way to sand the wheels. My solution is this sanding jig. The jig allows me to sand wheels quickly on a drill press, using a sanding drum attachment.
As you can see in the drawing below, it’s nothing more than an auxiliary base with a pivoting arm. It simply attaches to the table of my drill press. A carriage bolt, washer, and star knob at the end of the arm allow you to mount the wheel for sanding. And a slot in the auxiliary table allows the arm to travel in a smooth arc.
To use the jig, slip the wheel over the carriage bolt and tighten the star knob just enough so the wheel can still rotate. Then turn on the drill press and swing the arm over until the wheel makes contact with the sanding drum. Using your other hand, rotate the wheel against the drum until the edge is sanded smooth. The key is to keep the wheel moving to avoid sanding a flat spot. Now I can make all the wood wheels I need quickly and accurately.
