DIY Brush sander

[NateF350]

Hello, I'm Looking to make some distressed flooring for my house. I'd like to pony up for a supermaxx unit but it's not in the budget for a number of year. I've seen a couple homemade brush sanders but I can't find any details on what they use for brushes, motor speed or anything like that. Anyone make or using one? 

[low_48]

Depends on species of wood and how extreme you want to distress it. I doubt if a sanding brush head would do much on hardwood, probably have to go to a wire brush drum. http://www.quickwood.com/abrasives/steel-brushes/

[NateF350]

Yes most have nylon and steel brush heads. The homemade ones were using steel brushes but it was hard to tell what type they was. At $1000 a head for the supermaxx ones there has to be better diy options I'll check out the link you provided thank you

[Brad_bb]

A less expensive option would be the Makita wheel brush sander wouldn't it?  I have 2 of them.  I have cleaned a lot of barnwood.

[Ruffgear]

I have no input on the brush sander. If you have planer you could sharpen irregular spots in blade to give you hand scaped look. Just an idea

[Ljohnsaw]

I'd bet that @tule peak timber would have some ideas and maybe some pictures of shop-built tools.

[tule peak timber]

I have to laugh....We just came up for a design on a rush job. I will post pics of the prototype tomorrow. Rob

[Crusarius]

This is gonna be good.

[hackberry jake]

 

[tule peak timber]

Attached are pics of the prototype wire brush we developed last week for a rush job on the horizon.I can go into the thought process ( long litany ) but this works and allowed us to bid the job.Version 2.0 is next week with bearings and a power feeder. It is a wire brush and NOT how we typically distress.  Cheers Rob

 

 

[Crusarius]

Have any pictures of the end result?

[tule peak timber]

That will be next week when the bearings arrive. Previous pics were this morning.

[NateF350]

Attached are pics of the prototype wire brush we developed last week for a rush job on the horizon.I can go into the thought process ( long litany ) but this works and allowed us to bid the job.Version 2.0 is next week with bearings and a power feeder. It is a wire brush and NOT how we typically distress.  Cheers Rob

 

I thought about doing a setup just like this, the only thing I don't have is the wire brush. Care to share where you found that one? And I also would like to see the end results.    If this isn't how you typically distress, how do you distress? 

[tule peak timber]

Solo Horton is where I've been buying the 4 inch arbor mount wire wheels.
  The best wire wheel cup I've found is the 6 inch Makita that mounts to a big angle grinder. Really heavy but will raise the grain in oak - no problem.
  We distress with lots of different tools in stepped sequence, and always with at least 3 people to prevent pattern forming. Lastly I critique and add a little this and that- always looking to break patterns.Once the distress is done a great deal of enhancement can be achieved with subtle coloration ( adding dirt and oxidation ) where it should be accumulated over time.
  The level of distress is different for each customer and the size of his pocket book

[Southside]

So you are trying to distress the lumber or the customer?  :D

[btulloh]

Those brushes are usually used to clean barn siding and such. You probably would be better off with some kind of flail for distressing. Just my two cents. 

[NateF350]

Thank you tule peak, I'm going to order some brushes and give it a try. Those makita brushes ain't to cheap ether wow lol

[tule peak timber]

Nate we have not set up the arbor brush 2.0 because we don't have a signed contract on that particular job. I will post if we get the go-ahead.  Rob

[tmbrcruiser]

Thank you the pictures TPT. I have a similar need for a different reason. I air dried some cypress outside before it went to the kiln, now the lumber has some sticker stain, surface stain from rain and darkening from the sun. My customer wants the cypress as ship lapped paneling with a rough face. I've used an angle grinder with a cupped wire wheel to clean the face but that is very slow. Your plan will speed things up, thank you again!

[tmbrcruiser]

I just sent out an order of ship lapped cypress siding that the buyer wanted a rough finish on. I read the thread and built a similar setup. Made a few changes 5/8" thread all, put spacers between the wire wheels, two pillow bock bearings and angled the rods at about 45 degrees.
Also used two short pieces of 4"x4" screwed to a piece of plywood to mount pillow blocks on. Added the shop vac with the wide collector and pushed the boards in and out from the under side of the wire wheels. Thanks for the idea TPT.

[tule peak timber]

Super.....We still don't have the contract . Bought all the parts to set up like
tmbrcruiser, just waiting........

[tule peak timber]

I might have the contract next week so we set this up today.

 

 

[Southside]

Do you have a photo of the finished wood? I have a customer who asked about distressed flooring today. 

[samandothers]

I just sent out an order of ship lapped cypress siding that the buyer wanted a rough finish on. I read the thread and built a similar setup. Made a few changes 5/8" thread all, put spacers between the wire wheels, two pillow bock bearings and angled the rods at about 45 degrees.
Also used two short pieces of 4"x4" screwed to a piece of plywood to mount pillow blocks on. Added the shop vac with the wide collector and pushed the boards in and out from the under side of the wire wheels. Thanks for the idea TPT.

@tmbrcruiser did you take any pictures of the finished product you could post?
 
Tule Peak, nice set up.

[tule peak timber]

Do you have a photo of the finished wood? I have a customer who asked about distressed flooring today.

I will post some pics when we get rolling. This setup is for VERY light wire brushing which is what the customer wanted.