The sand-flee is a benchtop drum sander that’s been around for a few years, but there’s a new model—the SF-925—which I was able to preview. This model (available early 2012) has a thicker top, which at 1⁄4-in. thick by 13 in. wide by 23 in. long, provides ample infeed and outfeed support. The table on the machine I tested was dead flat. The new model also includes a fence, which helps keep edges square to the face and can be moved to reach fresh grit on the drum. The SF-925 features a 9-in.-wide sanding drum. Belts (sold separately in grits from 100 to 320) are spirally wound on the drum and held in place by hook-and-loop fasteners, and changing them is a snap.

A 2-1⁄2-in. dust port below the drum is very effective, and a number of accessories can be mounted to the drum shaft outside the cabinet to increase the tool’s versatility.
The sander is easy to use. Adjust the drum just high enough to contact the workpiece, and push the stock across the table, maintaining a steady feed rate to avoid hollows. The Sand-Flee works much faster than a random-orbit sander but the drum leaves imperceptible snipe on the end (I noticed it only by laying a straightedge on the surface), which is easily removed with a sanding block. It’s great for removing mill marks and works well for flush-trimming joinery on boxes and drawers. It will also work well at flush-sanding inlay.

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