Replies

1. 
   hammer1 | May 17, 2004 06:56am | #1

   I had a Performax Supermax. I'm suprised you were able to do a whole foot with 220. Even sanding 1/128" at a time, this machine will not do more than three or four boards before burning or jamming. Think about how the machine works. Hard spinning drum, no occilation, fixed position, the only thing making it work is the grit on the paper. As soon as the grit gets worn you are done, worse so is your work usually midway through a pass. How did you like it when you broke a belt or the belt stretched or the feed belt jammed. I got rid of mine, even pushed in the corner the splayed out legs were a tripping hazzard. Good idea but poorly engineered. Tech support was as useless as the machine.

   
   

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   Edited 5/18/2004 9:28 am ET by Hammer

2. 
   CharlieP | May 17, 2004 06:56am | #2

   I use my performax 16-32 that way a lot, and have little problem. 

   Could you be taking too much off at a time (as indicated by high current draw, and the wood and drum getting hot)?  This is not a substitute for a thickness planer - 1/64 of an inch is a lot to remove in one pass with the Performax.  I use the planer to get rough thickness, then sand for perfect level, no snipe, etc. 

   I also found I have better luck with the board going through at a slight angle, so it moves to a cooler (and cleaner) area of the belt as it goes through.  Also reduces the belt contamination caused by glue lines or sap pockets.  Since cherry burns so easily, you may need to stop at 180 or so.

   Is your dust collector working?  Without good dust collection, you will get burning and clogging. 

   Even using 220 grit you will still have fine sanding lines, so I plan on a quick finish with a ROS.  Although I have and use 220 grit belts, as I buy more, I doubt if I will go over 180 with the Performax. 

   ________________________
   Charlie Plesums  Austin, Texas
   http://www.plesums.com/wood

1. 
   nikkiwood | May 17, 2004 01:01pm | #3

   Will the Performax 16-32 work for this application?

   I do quite a lot of inlay work, and need 1/8" stock for this purpose.

   I rip the strips first from 3/4" stock, and then run them through my planer (Inca) to bring each down to 1/8" thickness.

   Ordinarily, this technique works just fine, but occasionally I will run into a board where blow-out is a problem.

   I wonder if the Performax is capable of thickness sanding such boards to a uniform 1/8"?

   I would appreciate any thoughts from those that have experience with this machine.

   Edited 5/17/2004 10:23 am ET by nikkiwood

1. 
   CharlieP | May 18, 2004 05:50am | #5

   I just cut some veneer edging last weekend.  I am "on the road" so I can't go measure, but I would guess it is about 1/16 inch thick. 

   I started with a piece of wood that matches the project, slightly thicker than the plywood.  I ripped (resawed) a strip off with the bandsaw, ran the stock through the jointer to get a flat edge again, cut another strip, etc., until the board was "used up."

   In theory I could just run the thin strips through the performax.  However, I hear that the feed belt is pretty expensive, so I didn't want to risk the drum touching the feed belt.  To avoid the risk, I ran a long relatively flat board through the performax to be sure it was absolutely flat, then raised the drum slightly and put the freshly cut strips through the performax on top of the board.  They came out smooth and fixed thickness. 

   If you are interested in tolerances, drop me an email, and I will put the digital calipers on the scraps when I get home this weekend.  ________________________Charlie Plesums  Austin, Texashttp://www.plesums.com/wood

1. 
   nikkiwood | May 18, 2004 06:53am | #6

   charlie,

   Thanks for info. Just today I found someone who will let me use their 16-32. So I get to "try it before I buy it."

   I like your idea about using a board for a bed. I can't see where that would be any more hassle than running the 1/8" strip through on its own. I would imagine I would be able to gang at least 4-5 of my strips on the board -- to get the batch through more efficiently.

   Thanks again.

1. 
   CharlieP | May 18, 2004 02:52pm | #7

   The only hassle of the "board for a bed" is that the strips being sanded can slide on the "bed", since it is smooth and the spinning sanding drum is pushing against the strips.  Since I generally hold the work firmly on the feed belt (to be sure it stays firmly flat), holding the strips on the board isn't much harder. 

   Yes, I did gang all 4-5 strips on a single board.  If you regularly do small pieces, you may be able to make a jig of the feeder board- with thin pusher pieces!

   I bought the 16-32 to do larger panels like table tops, but I find I use it for almost everything.  If you only will be doing smaller strips, Performax just came out with a smaller unit that may be adequate.

   As you try the machine, start with shallow cuts and multiple passes, and work up gradually.  The people who haven't liked it generally were trying to take too much off at once...it isn't a 10 HP production sander that can replace a planer!________________________Charlie Plesums  Austin, Texashttp://www.plesums.com/wood

3. 
   GHR | May 17, 2004 05:12pm | #4

   I have a Delta 16/32 but the idea is the same.

   200 lineal feet is about 25 8' pieces. I expect that should take 1/2-1 hour or so. (Might need some coffee to fill up the time.)

   I use 80 grit for sizing and then 100 or 150 for finishing. If the drum is 2 speed, change speeds. Light passes high feed rates.