Replies

1. 
   JohnWW | Apr 18, 2007 10:02pm | #1

   Jeff,

   Sorry it took a couple of days for me to respond to your question, but I was traveling and got delayed by the storm that hit this area of the country.

   The article we did in issue 145 was the first, and last, time we did a review of wide sanders.  We still have the open sided Performax 16-32 Plus that was reviewed in that article.  Based on what we learned researching that article, and my subsequent work with the Performax, I would suggest going with an enclosed machine with as much horsepower as you can afford.

   The open sided Performax has trouble holding thickness settings and can only take minute amounts of stock off per pass, finishing even one side of a board with a bandsawn surface is a study in patience.  By its nature, sanding requires lots more power than a bladed cutter to remove the same amount of wood, so having sufficient horsepower is critical for all but the smallest jobs.

   John White 

1. 
   jszens | Apr 19, 2007 05:45am | #2

   Hi, John;

   Thank you for getting back to me on this issue, and no problem with the time in between messages.  Having spent most of my life in the Midwest, I know all about weather and how it impacts travel.

   I wondered about that open sided PerformaX unit; didn't see how that overhead beam could possibly be rigid enough to avoid flexing.

   I've been studying the closed-frame 5hp Powermatic.  Do you know anything about this unit?  It seems like the most rigid unit with the most power on the market.  It also looks like it's built along the lines of the industrial sanders I've used in the past.

   Again, thanks.

   Jeff

   Edited 4/18/2007 11:18 pm ET by JZens