Clarke CS6-9C Belt and Disc Sander - Tool Review

[@o.g.bwoodwork]

What a great time for this review to come out. I’ve been thinking about getting one of these for ages. Cheers Keith!

[@garethsharp4039]

That looks like an absolute beast of a sander! I'm going to add that to my wish list for sure!

[@adammono1839]

Great honest review Keith. Has anyone mentioned to you cleaning sanding belts and discs with an old trainer sole? Did it the other day and it works pretty well!

[@RagnBoneBrown]

Thanks, I use one of these www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07PSHZ96Q/ref=cm_sw_r_wa_apa_i_ncalEbFQM99HQ

[@adammono1839]

Better than stinky old trainers I suppose

[@AndyJenkins999]

Adam Mono I always used an old piece of hosepipe, cheap and works well

[@steved8038]

I always assumed because of their lower price that they would be poor quality but your review has changed my opinion , and I shall be buying a replacement pillar drill soon . thank you for a good honest review.

[@andypitz1]

Enjoyed the video especially the quick tip about using a heat gun to remove worn sanding discs. Thanks for tossing that in!

[@pashvonderc381]

Used to love shopping at Machine Mart, never really had any. complaints from their Clarkes line..👍🏿

[@davidclarke5313]

I do remember the look on my wife’s face after she said I could buy any tools I wanted but only as long as they had my name on them, and then I turned up with a Machine Mart catalogue :-D

[@RagnBoneBrown]

My Dust Extraction Video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qmSyZ6F7n7uKqK8 My Mitre Station Videos: part 1: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qJ_JqWR_apd-orM part 2: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eIragZueZc-draM Clarke CS6-9C available from Machine Mart: www.machinemart.co.uk/p/cs6-9bd-belt-disc-sander/ MY TOOLS: For links to the tools I use, plus some of my favourite consumables, finishes and more see links below. As an Amazon Associate I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases: UK affiliate store: www.amazon.co.uk/shop/ragnbonebrown US affiliate store: www.amazon.com/shop/ragnbonebrown HELP SUPPORT THE CHANNEL: Support with Patreon: www.patreon.com/ragnbonebrown Support with PayPal paypal.me/ragnbonebrown SHOP: Etsy: www.etsy.com/uk/shop/KeithBrownMaker teespring.com/stores/rag-n-bone-brown-merch

[@selfmadeworkshop4324]

I've got the little brother to this, (the first one you had.) It does the job for now but I think I'll definitely be upgrading to this

[@SMee67]

"...and keeping it on there does make for a nicer sanding experience... as if there was ever such a thing" 🤣🤣 bwahahahahaha🤣🤣 you're such a straight shooter Keith! Looks like an absolute beast, score mate! 👍🏽

[@jamesgeorgeloveridge5426]

Hi Kieth. I too have an old 80's 4" Clarke and find it pretty good. Just had to replace the fuse but still works in good order. Like you I have a variety of Clarke tools. Although they're cheaper to buy I consider the workmanship to be great.

[@RagnBoneBrown]

Cheers James, yeah I agree, they're not always the most "high end" of tools, but they certainly represent excellent bang for buck! 👍

[@karlpopewoodcraft]

That is a beast of a sander. 💪

[@berniesr]

I have an almost identical machine here in Australia branded as Carbatech. Had it for years very happy with it

[@hansdegroot8549]

Great review of the machine. Thanks for sharing. You greatly improved your skills talking in front of the camera. You slowly can become a newsreader at the BBC (although I don't think that's the kind of job you're looking for). Thumbs up.

[@RagnBoneBrown]

Thank you!

[@puzzlering1]

Thank you for a great interesting and informative video, I, like you had an old Clarke sander, I got it given to me, it was 3rd hand but it worked great for me until it gave up it’s ghost, I am thinking buying another Clarke, so thank you again for a great to the point review Sam

[@diarmaidok]

I have the same sander, the dust extraction gets much better if you use 50mm hose to the sander...I have an axminister ducted system set up a bit like yours, I used loads of trailer boards chained together to use the auto start from my extractor to start it with any/all of the machines.

[@alangoodwill5365]

Mr Brown #old Aviva colleague. I'm very jealous of your workshop, I'm just setting up myself, and as it happens my old sander has just died so many thanks for posting the review. Looks a good bit of kit.

[@garethlorman1136]

Great clear review, I purchased this sander June last year and have used it a handful of times and it is a great sander however I used it this week for 5 minutes with great results and went to use it again and it doesn't work. I went to switch on as normal and it just " hummed " at me and I noticed the switch sparked, I tried it once more and had the same result, totally gutted! I cleaned it all down checked everything and I don't know but it could be the starter motor which was encased in a loose plastic wrapper and it was full of rancid smelling oil! The "oil " had leaked all over the place. I'm just confused now I will dig out the receipt and get in touch with machine mart as it should be I warranty. If anyone has any idea what is going on with the sander I would love to hear from you.

[@Thesidingsworkshop]

Good review. If your using a 32mm hoover hose for the dust extraction get a 32mm solvent weld branch and glue stubby bits of pipe into the branches with enough length to push the hose onto the three sides then you have a splitter.

[@RagnBoneBrown]

Thank you

[@raysmith1992]

Thank you Keith, I have a Clarke pillar drill too and I’m looking for a sander so might pop down and have a look

[@simonsrbgatesfencing2811]

hi ive just watched this vid again as i need to up grade my sander i was going to ask how its been going since you got it but ive looked it up and it not available any more from what i can see ?

[@alan_clarke]

Seems to have gone to 'wishlist' only, probably due to supply issues, found it's page here so it may return www.machinemart.co.uk/p/cs6-9bd-belt-disc-sander-2/

[@Brian-mb9ez]

Good honest review, beast of a machine, thanks for sharing

[@PhilPKay]

As luck would have it, I'm looking to buy a bench sander, thanks for such a good review and just at the right time 👍

[@JohnMadeit]

Good review. It's good to know what your previous experience was with other Sanders.

[@scott21171]

Not sure if you're aware of this little tip: If you have an old plimsoll or similar, you can hold it against sanding disc and it cleans it up a treat!.... Plimsoll,there's a word that gives away my age!

[@jakematic]

.... and mine for knowing exactly what you meant. 👍

[@uktony1525]

Screwfix sell a large lump of latex for cleaning belts and discs. Pricey at £8.49 but saves you heaps in discs and belts. I bought mine for a couple of pounds when they were on sale eons ago but still going strong.

[@archiebamberfisher3480]

I'm 25, I had plimsolls in school as well. Don't worry you're good!

[@scott21171]

@@archiebamberfisher3480 We'll,that's good to know lol!... I thought plimsolls died a death in the early eighties!

[@RagnBoneBrown]

Yeah I just one of these www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07PSHZ96Q/ref=cm_sw_r_wa_apa_i_ncalEbFQM99HQ

[@1954JDR]

You can make new mitre gauges by cutting strips from a plastic cutting board to fit the slots.

[@shanedavies9369]

Hi there Do you possibly have details of the capacitor please? I have the older version of the cs6-9. Best regards Shane

[@jakematic]

Nice machine and honest review. Wish we could get the Clarke line, or equivalent, in America as they seem very well built and reasonably priced. Re the mitre gage... that and the push sticks that come with new machines are the first things I bin, then build or buy better ones.

[@bigpete4227]

I think the ryobi version of the smaller one is the same as the smaller Clarke model.

[@jakematic]

Big Pete think so too. Hard to find them in the bigger size here. Have a 12” Harbor Freight disc but would really like that in between size.

[@David_K_Dickson]

06:23 If you put in a splitter adapter, you might want to fit a blast gate to each branch. Otherwise you might lose a lot of pressure. Just a thought.

[@RagnBoneBrown]

I think the pressure would still be enough as it's only small, light particles coming from the machine. I could be wrong though! It'd be nice to be able to go from belt to disc and vice versa while sanding without changing anything

[@barryroberts6470]

Great review Keith, and i have just seen the price and not so good review on that ha ha ha. Clarke do some good machines that seem to last a good while, i have been tempted by a Disc Sander a few times, now i know that they last. Barry (Wirral, ENG)

[@hippoandbearmakes3416]

That looks like a good piece of kit!! I wish I had room for one but at this minute no luck. Nice video though. Very informative

[@JHA854]

Should do a video making your own mitre gauge for it, easy job 👍

[@awantamta]

something to aspire to. Thanks for that

[@cgoodwin2875]

I have a couple of these and yes they are cheaply built but thats OK because they are so cheap to buy. I use one for wood and the other for steel. A knife grinder it isn't but it shifts steel well and is good value.Upgrading from Clarke abrasives is a good move.

[@andrewlambert4934]

Nice that you get free machines.. I didn't even get a penny off when I bought all my set up. Well over £2k

[@ChickenboneJohn]

I've had the smaller Clarke sander, and the Record . The Record is just junk. Out of the box the bed wasn't flat I had to hammer and sand it true, and the belt NEVER runs true under load, it always drifts to one side. After 18 months, the big problem is that the drive shaft bearings had seized and worn through the drive shaft about a millimetre, making it unusable an unrepairable. Failure of the on/off switch on all woodworking machinery is very common - often a clean out and spray with Servisol switch cleaner will do the job, but under heavy use in a dusty environment, it is always good practice to have spare one handy - they are readily available.

[@matthewbutcher5295]

I have the smaller version of this clarke sander. Annoyingly now and again it wont turn on.. Don't get why as another time it will work first time. If anyone has any ideas why? Thinking it might be a faulty capacitor, but don't know enough about them. Google was little help.

[@RagnBoneBrown]

It could be the NVR switch possibly? Apparently they're easy to change although I wouldn't know how 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@chemcody5119]

Nice review Keith. Looks like you have a winner. How's the new floor patch working out?

[@dejanbrice8774]

I've had a few clarke stuff and generally regard their stuff as not that good after my experiences, I still use their bench grinder as a polishing station which is all it can just about handle. But on the note of the mitre slide I've never understood why they never dovetail the slide and fit a gib like most higher quality machines use to allow you to get that perfect near 0 slop.

[@michaelevans1658]

Nice review Keith, have you thought about a plastic type sleeve for the mitre gauge so it runs better in the mitre slot ?

[@zorro587]

Looks like a nice bit of kit. Didn't your BDS150 have a 6" disc as opposed to the 4" that you said? Isn't the 150 a reference to the diameter of the disc? Also the NVR switch, same as on the Clarke, is what was at fault on the Record sander, and I'm surprised that it didn't have a tracking adjustment control to prevent the "alignment issue".

[@RagnBoneBrown]

You are right, I'm bad with numbers! But the Clarke is bigger, it's actually 9 inches. The record power does have alignment setting, but it was too late to use it because the belt had already turn off the piece of metal by the time I could reach for it

[@LluisTheWoodWorker]

What happened to your Mirka sander? any regrets buying it?

[@RagnBoneBrown]

I'll be talking about it in my next vlog actually 👍 should be ready early next week

[@GrumpysWorkshop4]

That looks great!!!! You are a lucky guy

[@AndyJenkins999]

Good review cheers I might get one of these. Not surprised the record had issues from my experience of using one of their disc sanders a lathe chuck and bandsaw, the build quality has been pretty poor (read absolute garbage) as such I will never be buying record power tools again.

[@GrumpysWorkshop4]

You could get the hook & loop comversion. That may be better

[@AndreiIR000]

@Rag 'n' Bone Brown: "... a nicer sanding experience as if there was such a thing .." - sir you deserve a medal for this! :-D

[@H2Dwoat]

Hi, given you have a few Clarke tools how would you rate them as a brand?

[@RagnBoneBrown]

From the 5 machines that I've had I would say they are good value for money, reliable and solid machines, without flair or gimmicks. The drill press I have lacks a bit of power / torque but it's designed as a metalworker tool where slow feed rate is usually called for which could explain why and I need to upgrade at some point. I wouldn't hesitate in recommending them as good bang for buck

[@LeightonGill]

Thanks for the review. I very nearly bought one of these last year, however I decided to build my own using plans by Matthias Wandel. It was a challenge but so satisfying to finish and use!

[@ajb-64]

thanks for the review. However one thing that annoys me about these machines - the longer belt would be more useful if it was oriented facing you (like a wall) instead of flat like a table. And that is the one orientation you cant have!

[@RagnBoneBrown]

I'm pretty sure it can be oriented like that. I don't understand why it would be more useful though

[@ajb-64]

@@RagnBoneBrown It looks it would need some kind of jig to use it on its side, no? I am cutting shapes out of 1/2" sheet and want to grind long edges flat and square. At present this means using the disc sander with the table, but as mentioned in the video the longest edge is half the disc diameter this way. Turning the machine on its side (and adding a correspondingly longer table) would make things easier

[@onlywood1483]

You need to get a sand paper cleaning stick for your belt and disc they are about 7£ from amazon just search up sandpaper cleaner

[@RagnBoneBrown]

I have one

[@scotchcrofter9964]

Nice.

[@twwanderer]

In the context of "all sanding is awful", is this piece of kit worth £310 (MachineMart at time of posting) vs £116 for its baby brother?

[@RagnBoneBrown]

I think it depends if you need the extra capacity and have space for the larger machine. It's at a similar price point to the other larger sanding machine offerings by the likes of Charnwood... I'm sure there are probably others but I can't find many that are available in the uk! I think it's well priced 👍

[@David_K_Dickson]

04:40 I have seen a tip on fine-tuning the width of a mitre gauge, and it was from one of the big names in KZbin woodworking, but I can't find the original any more. However, I found this one, which describes the same technique, but I don't recognise the presenter. kzbin.info/www/bejne/q6HSe4mhjq97ga8 Hope this helps.

[@RagnBoneBrown]

That's good 👍

[@rivergate]

Agreed, my Record Power BDS150 is poo too. The complete opposite of most of your Clarke good points; it was a disappointment and an unfortunate purchase 5 years or so ago. Never again.

[@RagnBoneBrown]

Yeah it's pretty poorly made. To be fair I also have an extractor and an air filter by them which both seem good, however I don't think they're actually made by record power they seem to be machines made overseas that they just apply their branding to 😒

[@rivergate]

@@RagnBoneBrown Agreed, and rightly pointed out. Amongst my 2 larger JET Chip extractors, I've a DX1000 and DX4000, and these seem fine.

[@c.a.g.1977]

2:04 don't we all...

[@bigpete4227]

Fair comment but those switches are about 3 quid.

[@williamn01]

He said the bearings went aswell

[@bigpete4227]

williamn01 which is why I said fair comment. I’ve also got one and have replaced the bearing on one side but couldn’t get the screw out of the other side to replace it. Not sure if it’s reverse thread or just cheap and stripped. Which is also fair comment because it makes them kind of useless when the bearings go. If anyone is reading this and has any experience with this please let me know.