DECIDED TO BUY A DRUM SANDER AND TOOK RECCOMENDATION OF FW REVIEWERS IN #145 AND CAME HOME WITH A DELTA 255x. TURNED IT ON (IT WAS A FLOOR MODEL SO ALREADY ASSEMBLED). MACHINE HAD EXCESSIVE VIBRATION–THAT SHOULDN’T BE! TRIED SANDING SOME WALNUT WITH 80 GRIT PAPER- -MORE VIBRATION. OPENED THE LID -OBVIOUS THE DRUM WAS REALLY OUT OF ROUND AS THE DRUM WAS ONLY CONTACTINNG THE WOOD ABOUT HALF THE CIRCUMFERENCE.
SO I RETURNED THE MACHINE AND THEY GAVE ME ANOTHER IN THE BOX. TRIED IT OUT. WITH 80 GRIT IT SEEMED O.K.-VERY LITTLE VIBRATION. BUT, AS I WENT TO FINER GRITS IT BECAME OBVIOUS THE DRUM WAS STILL NOT CONTACTING THE WOOD AROUND THE CIRCUMFERENCE TO THE SAME DEGREE. SOME BUILDUP OF DEBRIS ON ONE SIDE OF DRUM AND A STREAK ON OTHER SIDE WITH ALMOST NO BUILDUP.
MY QUESTIONS. AM I BEING TOO PICKY? SHOULDN’T THESE DRUMS RUN TRUE? HAS ANYONE ELSE EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM? WILL A PERFORMAX MACHINE BE ANY DIFFERENT? HOW ABOUT A WOODMASTER IF I DECIDE TO SPEND THE BUCKS?
Replies
i just ordered the 255x too and can give you a review when i get it in a week or so. i went to amazon.com to read reviews on the 250. people either loved it or hated it. my local tool expert said he loved it, so i bought one. i've heard that, if you have problems, delta is really easy to work with. why these things are sometimes not round is a deep mystery to me since delta usually has such a great reputation. it seemed that the people who hated this machine were using them as planers. i'm buying this for finish sanding of long stock, table tops, cabinet doors etc.
jeff
ps. by the way, fine ww tested these in issue 145 (i think). they rated the delta as their pick too.
Thanks for your reply. I tried out two Delta's. Both were out of round, so switched to Performax and it works as it should! Hope you had better luck than me. Bill
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