Sioux Angle Drill

"Barry N. Turner" wrote: (clip) Which is the more useful speed range for sanding on the lathe? ^^^^^^^^^^^ I use the one with a 3/8" chuck, and I find it very comfortable and effective. I have not seen the other two, but I suspect that a drill with a

1/2" capacity would be heavier, larger and, perhaps, more awkward.

I prefer the smaller, lighter ones for just powered lathe sanding. No need for anything big here. I also find the lower speeds on these sanders working best. It doesn't mean that the drills capable of higher speeds have to be run that high for this purpose though.

- Andrew

The Sioux 3/8" 1300 rpm and the 1/2" 750 rpm are identical in size 2"X

10" and weight 3.1 lb. and amp 3.5, only gearing is different, the 2500 rpm is discontinued to my knowledge, the Milwaukee is very similar if not identical, I have a 1/2" Milwaukee and bought and use it for the slow speed and the ability to get in deeper and smaller bowls, else I use a regular variable speed drill, so far am pleased with it.

Have fun and take care Leo Van Der Loo

Leo Lichtman wrote:

Hi Barry, A drill with 0 to 1300 rpm is adequate. As you know, there are other variables: diameter and timber of the bowl if it's spinning. Diameter and grit of the sanding or buffing device, finish desired, etc.

Small size and weight of a hand sanding device is best. Most sanding arbors have a 1/4" shaft anyway. *********************** OT. You might want to consider a light weight flexible shaft threaded for a small chuck, nuts & flanges. I hang mine to the ceiling well above the lathe, along with retractable air and vacuum lines and a shadowless light source. A swing arm to hold them out of the way ought to work. Arch

Fortiter,

do be warned...the Sioux is a great tool for sanding, but due to the construction, the bearings wear quickly! Be prepared to do maintenance on them regularly.

I suspect the lateral forces from sanding could play a part in any excessive bearing wear in angle drills. What do you think? Thanks. Barry

750 > >1/2" and a 0 to 1300 rpm 3/8". I seem to remember seeing a 0 to 2500 rpm > >model as well. Which is the more useful speed range for sanding on the > >lathe? Thanks. > >

I think dust and grit have a bunch to do with it, too. I settled on a flex shaft, and it's a giant leap over drill motors.

Cheap, too.

I have been using the Sears (Craftsman) angle drill with no problems so far for about 2 years. Slightly cheaper than the Sioux drill, especially when you catch them on sale (around $100). Robert

Barry:

The Sioux 3/8" angle drill is a favorite with a lot of turners. Many use the

2500 rpm model, and some use the 1300, especially if you use large sanding pads. Personally, I use the Milwaukee version, which is mostly a different color. The internals seem to be identical. The only discernible difference between the two speeds available on the Sioux is the final gear ratio. In all of the models, the armature is really spinning at full speed!

As others may have mentioned, there is some maintenance when using these drills as full time sanding tools. The front bearings are pretty good, but you will be replacing the back bearing on the armature every 200 hours or so of sanding if you are like all of the turners in my area... The front bearing rarely if ever needs to be replaced, as it is running in a virtual pool of grease, but the back one does die occasionally. Replacement isn't a big deal, especially after the first time or two. After living with the Milwaukee 1300 rpm version for a couple of years, the only reason I would have for getting a 2500 rpm Sioux is for the occasional deeper vessel that needs buffing at the bottom... but as I turn mostly open forms, I get by with a buff on a longer shaft when I need to do the odd deeper vessel.

Typical sanding speed for me is 400rpm on the lathe spindle and up to 1300 rpm on the Milwaukee. Does just fine for me, and would only burn up more sandpaper (or pads, as I use hook and loop) if the drill were turning faster. As I mentioned before, the only real reason I feel for having the faster one is for buffing, and I do most of my buffing with a large fixed buffing setup.

Thanks

--Rick

"Barry N. Turner" wrote:

Hi Barry,

I have two models of the Sioux drill which are 3/8"/2500RPM, and I rarely use the 3/8" size chuck for anything besides 1/4" mandrels.

I also have put a speed limiter on the paddle switch to prevent myself from inadvertently running it too fast - probably 500RPM is what I average - lathe revolving around 500-900 RPM or so.

Although I blow out the drills daily (I turn professionally), I end up paying ~$80 every 2 years or so to replace the switch and bearing(s).

With my new 2HP dust collector, I notice that I put much less dust into the drills, so perhaps maintenance will be less in the future.

George

Barry

I use an angle drill - but mine is made by Millwaukee - I think it is made by Souix, but sold by them - it is the 3/8 reversible - and it works great - the speed range is about 1000RPM's or less. I do all of my sanding with it.

I think the Millwaukee version is cheaper and available at Home Depot - it is best to wait for a sale or the 10% hand toll return sale - that way, you can get rid of an old tool and get a 10% discount for it!

Ray

Thanks Ray. I had a suspicion the slow version might be the way to go. Have you had any trouble with bearings? I'll check out Home Depot this weekend.

Barry

750 > > 1/2" and a 0 to 1300 rpm 3/8". I seem to remember seeing a 0 to 2500 rpm > > model as well. Which is the more useful speed range for sanding on the > > lathe? Thanks. > >

Barry, The Souix and Milwaukee are identical drills. Both made by the same company. I have used Milwaukee parts in my Souix (bearing and switch). My Milwaukee seems to be less trouble than my Souix. You can get a Milwaukee on ebay for about $70 or so. If you blow out the drill the rear bearing will last longer. The rear bearing costs about $9 and you can get a sealed bearing for about $12. I bought the Souix first thinking the higher speed would be useful. Wrong. Rarely if ever use more than about 1/2 speed on either drill...If you go the ebay route be careful of the knock offs that are there for about $30

"Darryl" wrote: (clip)..If you go the ebay route be careful of the knock offs that are there for about $30 ^^^^^^^^^^ I ran across a bunch of those at a parking lot/tent tool sale, for even less than that. They look almost the same as Milwaukee (riding by on horseback you wouldn't notice the difference). I bought all he had, and passed them on the my friends/turners. The general attitude was ...cheaper than getting the Milwaukee repaired. The one I kept for myself works fine.