Replies

1. 
   tom77 | Feb 24, 2007 09:31pm | #1

   Your question is pretty broad, so let me answer part of it and offer some opinions, and others can chime in.  I think wide belt sanders like the Performax have limited value for most woodworking.  There are special circumstances for which they are valuable, but you could better spend your money on a couple of planes for most tasks.  I like the speed and quality of surface that I get with planing flat, then planing smooth, and then finishing with random orbital sander.  I had a drum sander and sold it because it didn't speed up the process.  You could buy a new fore plane and smoothing plane and have money left over when compared to the Performax.

   The reciprocating spindle sander, on the other hand, can be quite valuable.  I use it a lot for curved work, especially for smoothing and fairing curves on templates.  It is very handy for lots of other tasks.

   You can search the various woodworking magazines for comparitive analysis of various brands.  I bought an inexpensive recip. spindle sander from Sears and it works well for my set of tasks.

   Good luck, Tom.

2. 
   cadiddlehopper | Feb 25, 2007 03:57am | #2

   Your choices depend on what you make. My drum sander (Performax 10-20, not expensive) cost much more than it is really worth to me. It requires a dust collector, another expense. My Ridgid oscillating belt/spindle sander is worth far more than its meager price and is guaranteed for life. My newest, an orbital 1/2-sheet Bosch, is just great! It uses plain sandpaper, collects the dust, gets into corners better than ROSs, and is perfectly balanced. Bosch makes a 1/4-sheet model if price is a problem. I have not seen any circular scrathes from it or my other orbital sanders. These do most of my sanding. I currently lust for a 6x89 belt sander which Wilke has at reduced price. I really don't want to own another 250-pound machine, so I resist the urge as we communicate.

   I also have a Delta benchtop disc/belt sander which definitely has seen a lot of use, more the disc than the belt. Many brands of discs don't adhere well, BTW. I have a small hand-held belt sander which seldom comes out of the cabinet. I have a set of Singley drums which use plain sandpaper. Their use is quite specialized. They have proven quite satisfactory, however. Now get ready for everyone else to sing the praises of random orbital sanders. I'll never know why.

   For what it is worth.
   Cadiddlehopper

3. 
   mrbird90 | Feb 25, 2007 04:36am | #3

   In any given year I make from 50 to 70 drawer boxes. Most are 4" to 10" in height and most are 18" to 22" deep and 10" to 31" wide. My client requires that all drawer boxes be sanded with a min. of 120 grit. I have found the Performax 16/32 has been most valuable. What used to take me hours of sanding with a Bosh orbital can be done in 1/10 the time and with perfectly flat components. All I am doing is removing planer marks and removing only a 1/64 per side. It is not a high volume production machine but sure suits my needs. Needless to say I sand all surfaces before dovetailing and assembling.