Replies

1. 
   WillGeorge | Aug 26, 2005 08:30pm | #1

   Gee.. I just have the 18" BandSaw.. I like it alot.. All I can say...

2. 
   boxmaker | Sep 04, 2005 05:58pm | #2

   Hello Webdesigner.

   I have the Rikon sander you mentioned.   At first I liked it a lot. 

   Pluses:

   Heavy (= stability), nice fit and finish, disc positioned below the belt, large cast-iron table for the disc, reasonable price for features, single dust collection port for both belt and disc, nice flat & smooth (graphite pad covered) platen for belt, nice, substantial miter gauge that comes with adjustable fence.

   Minus:

   I had only used the disc since I bought it a couple weeks ago. Yesterday, I used the belt for the first time and it started making all kinds of noise as soon as I put a load (workpiece) on the belt.  The manual says that means the timing belt is too tight.  I checked it and it does not appear too tight.  It has the specified amount of deflection. (6mm)  What I did notice is that the motor pulley and drive pulley are not in line with each other, so the belt is wanting to come off the pulley as it turns.

   I'm taking it back to Woodcraft today to compare it with their floor model.  If their floor model does not have this problem, then I will ask them for a new unit to exchange with me.  

   I hope this is just one that slipped through quality control, and that I can get a replacement that does not have this problem, because, otherwise, I really like the sander alot. 

   I'll let you know what I find out if you are interested.

    

    

1. 
   mikegagne | Sep 05, 2005 01:10am | #3

   boxmaker, check the pully setscrews to make sure they have not come loose and realign the pullies to each other. That should cure the problem. aloha, mike

1. 
   boxmaker | Sep 05, 2005 07:54pm | #5

   Hello Mike,

   Thanks for the tip.  However, I'm not sure what you mean by "pulley set screws."

   The only adjustment in the manual in regard to the pulleys is how to tighten the belt.

   That is done by loosening the four bolts, then pushing up on the plate that the bolts are in, thus raising the pulley.   This however, does nothing about the pulleys being in line with each other.   The top (drive) pulley sticks out from the machine further than the lower (motor) pulley.   As a result, the belt keeps wanting to ride off the pulleys.  A lip on the outside of the drive pulley won't let this happen, but it keeps trying, and will probably cause prematur wearing out of the belt.  

   I can't see any obvious way to align the pulleys.  That is the adjustment it appears to need. 

   I'll try to add photos, but I'm new to this forum (and forums in general), so not sure If I can figure that out.

   Thanks,

   Frank

1. 
   mikegagne | Sep 06, 2005 04:54am | #7

   < I'm not sure what you mean by "pulley set screws.">The set screws are usually visible on the part that contacts the shaft either under the belt (remove it) or on the side of the pully near the edge. Watch for a keyway and the screw should be tightened against it. This will most likely need a hex key to tighten. Good luck! aloha, mike

2. 
   webdesigner | Sep 05, 2005 05:48am | #4

   Hi Boxmaker,You're new to our forum? Would like to know more about you, please fill out the profile.Thanks for the response, I'm very interested in what you find out regarding the belt.
   Mine is still in the box, so if I need to I can return it too. I thought it was a good value, large sanding belt and the 10" disc is not bad either.Let me know soon please.Thanks again, Gary

1. 
   boxmaker | Sep 05, 2005 08:24pm | #6

   Hi Gary,

   Yes.  I'm new to the forum.  I tried to add profile info by clicking "update profile" andit only had name and e-mail address, none of that other stuff.  I'll add the info when I figure out how.  I'm in Austin, TX.  I'm a beginning to intermediate woodworker.  It is my hobby, not my profession. (yet)

   I went back to Woodcraft yesterday, and tinkered with it for some time with the guy there.  We first tightened the belt.  (even though the manual says excessive noise is due to the belt being too tight)  That got rid of the really loud noise.  We then manually pushed the sanding belt with the cover off of the timing belt.  After several turns, the belt teeth would come out being meshed with the pulley teeth, and the belt teeth were actually riding on top of the pulley teeth for a revolution.  

   The top (drive) pulley is clearly sticking out further from the machine than the lower (motor) pulley.   They are not in line with each other.  We loosened the allen screw that allows the sanding belt part to be raised to the vertical position, raised it up, then lowered it back down.  When the belt part was lowered back down, its natural resting position was kind of cocked over to the left, or the non-drive-end of it was protruding out toward the front of the machine, which, in turn caused the upper pulley to move.   We pushed (forced) it over the other way, then tightened the set screw, and it appeared to cause the belt to track a little better.   However, I did not want to have to do that with a brand new machine, so I exchanged it for another new one in the box.    Got it home last night.   The sanding belt part seems to stay in proper (better anyway) alignment when going from vertical to horizontal, but the darn upper pulley is (again) protruding further out from the machine than the lower pulley.   I turned it on and it is working, but the pulleys being out of alignment bothers me and will, I'm afraid, cause premature belt wear.   If you hand move the sanding belt, you can watch the timing belt trying to come off the upper pulley, but it doesn't due to the lip on the outer edge of the pulley.   You can actually hear the rubber belt kind of "crackling" as it tries to ride up on that outer pulley lip.  You can also see the timing belt protruding about 1/16" or so off the right edge of the lower pulley (that has no lip).  Seems it should track about in the center of the pulley.

   Another poster, Mike, said something about pulley set screw adjustment to align the pulleys.   I'm all for that, but not sure how to do that.   Hopefully he will respond.

   I've been waiting a long time to upgrade my little 4"x36" belt, 6" disc sander, and this Rikon had a perfect combination of features and price (for me), so I want to make this thing work.  Other than this problem, it appears to be a well made, durable tool. 

   I've attached some photos to help illustrate what I'm talking about.  Let me know what you think. 

   Thanks,

   Frank

    

    

    

   
1. 
   mikegagne | Sep 06, 2005 05:05am | #8

   Okay, I see what it is now. My guess is still that one of those pullies is adjustable for better alignment but I would also reckon it is not as important as you might think. Those pullies are selected to work that way without the need for perfect alignment but they do have to be parallel to each other. Use it for awhile mindful of the warranty and see if it wears in properly. aloha, mike

1. 
   boxmaker | Sep 06, 2005 05:36am | #9

   Hello Mike,

   Thanks for the reply. Yea, there is no set screw on this pulley.  The shaft that it is on has a flat on one side.  The pulley has a matching flat on its inside diameter. 

   Yes, you are probably right.  I don't suppose they have to be in perfect alignment.  Those kind of things just bug me though!   I guess it's a form of OCD.   I do like the sander, so I'll work with it for a while.  I'm going to call the manufacturer tomorrow to see if they have any comments.  They have pretty responsive customer service.   I called them to ask questions before purchasing the sander.

   Thanks again,

   Frank

2. 
   kennyb | Jan 21, 2006 09:20am | #10

   I bought the Rikon sander a few months back. The first model had a broken base and the disc sander was warped. Rikon picked the first sander up then sent the second.

   The second disc sander was warped and the model took a long time to build up speed. Rikon refunded my money but decide to not pick up the second unit.

   I bought the Jet without the base. I use the rikon on a limite basis. The Jet is so much more powerful and the quality is far superior.

   I origionally bought the Rikon sander to check out the quality. I was hoping the quality would be great and later i would purchase the  18" bandsaw.

   For now Rikon is on my "do not buy" list.

    

   Kenny

   Edited 1/21/2006 1:21 am ET by kennyb

3. 
   boxmaker | Jan 29, 2006 07:03pm | #11

   Kenny, 

    

   Thanks for the info.  I returned my first Rikon sander to Woodcraft and still have the

   2nd one.   Mine had trouble with the drive belt pulley not being aligned with the motor pulley.     I was not as pleased with the quality as I would like to have been.

   It does have a lot of cast iron which makes it stable.  I've found it has plenty of power for my needs.   I really like where they placed the work stop on the belt part,

   as it gives you use of just about the full length of the belt, unlike many other models.

    

   I took a long look at the Jet.   I came close to buying it.   I'm sure it's a good sander.

   However, for my shop, it wouldn't have worked.  I have very limited space.  The

   configuration of the Jet requires the operator to move around the tool to go from

   the disc to the belt.   I just don't have room for that.   With the Rikon, I can stand

   in front of the sander to use either the disc or belt.   Also, it was about $200 less.

   I guess we'll see how it holds up over the long term.

    

   Well, at least you now have two sanders.   You can set up different grits on them to

   speed up some of your projects.