We saw back in Tips No. 3 that one of the big advantages of the WASP sander is that you can choose from a wide variety of different drums to suit your work - all using the same standard belts that you can buy in any hardware shop. You can purchase an Accessories Kit for the WASP that contains 3 extra drums but workshop enthusiasts often prefer to make their own.
But what if you don't own a wood lathe?

Here is an answer - not our idea but a good one - passed on to us by one of our readers. We have tried it and it works well. A firmer gouge works if you don't own a wood-turning gouge.

WARNING: chances are if you don't own a wood lathe you probably haven't been shown how to do wood-turning safely - so make sure you get some tuition first.

Here is the setup - You need a live centre form a lathe to support the bottom end of your work (too much chatter of the workpiece otherwise), and a piece of mild steel rod - say 16 mm DIA - to act as a tool rest. The wooden base shown here is a piece of 90 x 45 radiata pine.

Aligning the top and bottom centres can be done using a temporary pointed rod. When the centres are aligned the wood base is clamped in position as shown above. Make the point on the alignment rod by filing while it is spinning in the chuck.

When the centres are aligned place your work-piece (see Tips No.3) in the chuck and make an indentation in the bottom by driving it down as shown here.
Now you can easily move the chuck and table up to the top and realign everything ready to start turning.

Here is another drum you can make yourself - see Tips No. 3 for more. You will need this one if you are going to use a leather belt for stropping - as was described in the last column on knife sharpening. You can buy leather belts from us - see our website for more.