Disc sander issues

[Bacms]

Hi Folks,

I have bought a Record Power DS300 disc sander a couple of weeks ago and just had the chance to play with it this weekend.

However, I wasn't able to get end grain to plane square which I initially attributed to the sandpaper not been glued uniformly across the disc as I could see some building in the middle of the disc. So I removed the disc and check squareness against the metal instead. I can see two things are I am assuming are problems, firs the disc is slightly concave so the outside of the disc sticks out more than the middle. In addition, if I rotate the disc manually around while focusing on the same point there is a wobble of around 2mm or so, see attached video.

I am assuming that both of these things are problems and if so is there anything I can do to correct or is it a question of returning it?

 

[AJB Temple]

Send it back. Disk needs to be flat and reasonably balanced.

 

[Bacms]

Send it back. Disk needs to be flat and reasonably balanced.

That was my fear. I picked it up while I rented a car for a holiday so sending it back is going to be a pain as I either need to rent a car again or pay for postage as the weight of that beast makes it neigh impossible to carry it to the store

 

[Eshmiel]

So .... it appears that the disc is not flat and the arbor or bearings of the disc is not running true. In other words, it doesn't function as a disc sander is supposed to function because its been badly made. Would you keep a new car with oval wheels or try to replace the wheel bearings if those fitted caused three of the wheels to wobble and shake you and the passengers to jelly every journey. I suspect not!

Why do we accept junk TSO not-really-tools? I know - price. And we've got used to them being everywhere, along with trying to fix them as we heave a resigned sigh of frustration.

Eshmiel

 

[Bacms]

Yep, to be honest, I wouldn't have picked junk if I could avoid but I couldn't find a decent disk sander. I picked this one obviously because of its price bracket and because it seemed to have better reviews than the Axminster versions. But the disc sander market just does not seem to offer to many options there is Axminster, Record, jet, SIP and other Chinese knock-offs? Or is there something else I have missed?

 

[Blackswanwood]

It may be worth speaking with the retailer and asking what they suggest. Presumably the machine will need to go from them back to Record so it may be that they can just arrange for Recorf to do a swap directly with you.

 

[sometimewoodworker]

That was my fear. I picked it up while I rented a car for a holiday so sending it back is going to be a pain as I either need to rent a car again or pay for postage as the weight of that beast makes it neigh impossible to carry it to the store

If you have a local machine shop it may be easier to see their cost to true up the disk, then talk to the retailer to see if they will pay as it’s their responsibility to supply a product that is fit for purpose and it’s clear that yours isn’t

 

[Deadeye]

If you have a local machine shop it may be easier to see their cost to true up the disk, then talk to the retailer to see if they will pay as it’s their responsibility to supply a product that is fit for purpose and it’s clear that yours isn’t

But check whether the wobble is the arbor or disk first!

 

[sometimewoodworker]

But check whether the wobble is the arbor or disk first!

Absolutely. The disk can be trued the shaft probably not.

 

[Rorschach]

Since it is brand new I would send it back. If it was second hand there are ways to true the disc in situ.

 

[Bacms]

Thank you for everyone suggestions. I just wanted some confirmation that what I was seeing was indeed a problem and not just wrong expectations. I will get in touch with the store and/or Record and hopefully get confirmation of their reputation for great customer service.

 

[marcros]

Your contract is with the retailer, and I am certain that they will give you a refund without an issue.

In this instance though, I would start with Record themselves and try to speak to the technical dept. They may be able to talk you through what to check, and may save you having to return the machine if it just needs a couple of parts. you have nothing to lose.

you didn't say who the retailer was and it isnt really important, but I would doubt that they have the same technical backup and access to spares. Whether Record themselves have spares on the shelf is another question of course!

 

[Bacms]

Your contract is with the retailer, and I am certain that they will give you a refund without an issue.

In this instance though, I would start with Record themselves and try to speak to the technical dept. They may be able to talk you through what to check, and may save you having to return the machine if it just needs a couple of parts. you have nothing to lose.

you didn't say who the retailer was and it isn't really important, but I would doubt that they have the same technical backup and access to spares. Whether Record themselves have spares on the shelf is another question of course!

The retailer is Mackays in Cambridge I have tried calling but they don't seem to pick up the phone and I remember the message saying "We are too busy dealing with our customers in-store to pick up the phone" so I have sent them an email and see whether I could just get a replacement as the 14 days grace period for returning has passed.
But I like your idea of contacting record and see if they this is an easy part replacement or a back to base job so will try to give them a call and see where I get

 

[marcros]

the goods are faulty, so dont worry too much about the 14 days.

 

[marcros]

also, I see you are in Cambridge, they are in Cambridge, and you dont have a car. rather than hire one, they may be able to collect from you, or if not then send it in an uber maybe.

 

[transatlantic]

Record have a 5 year warranty, I would personally go straight to them assuming you registered the product? They might send you back to the retailer, but at least you'll get a reasoanbly quick response (I always do)

 

[marcros]

I wanted a disc sander a while back and it is issues like this that have put me off. They are a relatively simple machine, but there are a few areas that could cause issues. The next concern is that if it is replaced, will the replacement be any different? It is 50% of the reason I prefer to buy tools that are used- somebody has already sorted the issues. The other 50% is made up of hating that oily gunk that they put on new machines, having to assemble things, and the price difference!

 

[transatlantic]

I wanted a disc sander a while back and it is issues like this that have put me off. They are a relatively simple machine, but there are a few areas that could cause issues. The next concern is that if it is replaced, will the replacement be any different? It is 50% of the reason I prefer to buy tools that are used- somebody has already sorted the issues. The other 50% is made up of hating that oily gunk that they put on new machines, having to assemble things, and the price difference!

I have the Record DS300. It's a solid machine and mine runs very true, but ....

- The mitre gauge was way out of square, replacement mitre gauge was probably worse. I gave up with them
- The table mechanism arrived completely seized, ill fitting parts that had been forced into place. I filed things, and now its all good
- Both table and disc are very roughly milled, flat as whole, but rough milling marks. Certainly not as smooth as the top of my record bandsaw. Far from it
- sharp edges all over. Not big deal, happy to do a little filing

 

[AJB Temple]

Be under no illusion that the Record is a light duty machine, manually braked, and cheaply made. I have had two. The first went back to Record in short order (days) as in my experience they do zero quality control and simply accept that some customers will send stuff straight back.

The reason I say it is light duty is because you can easily slow it in use with wider pieces of hardwood. I stupidly skipped an industrial quality m/c made by my former FIL (deceased) because I had no space some years ago when I moved. The 12" Record is a feeble substitute.

Adrian

 

[Bacms]

I gave a call to the store which suggested for me to find a way to get into the store and having their staff having a look at the sander with me and if needed refund me.

I also followed the Record route and they have asked for measurements of how much off the disk is. I didn't have a good way to do this so ended up just "fixing" a digital calliper to the table while measuring recording the measurements I was getting, this came to 0.3mm on the disc wobble and about 0.5mm on the difference between the outside and the middle of the disc.
Which, I have to be honest, are lower than what I was expecting visually but even then still too big for accurate end trimming in my opinion. However, the folk at Record claim and I quote "I have spoken to the quality assurance teams and these measurements do fall within tolerance for the machine. All the discs do have a slight concave on them I am sorry to say". So their offer is to send me a new disc but it is likely to suffer from the same issues.

Are they correct in saying this within acceptable tolerances? If so it seems I may have to follow a different route