The usefulness of a drum sander is becoming ever increasing or is it the just the need for a new tool? But the ones in my price range, under or about $1000, seem to be underpowered when taken to their limits in terms of sanding hard wood boards that are as wide as the drum. From what I’ve heard the small cantilevered machines tend to bog down tremendously when working maximum width boards. So I hoping someone might have a suggestion or two.
Thanks and welcome to the New Year
Joe Roth
Replies
Greetings, Joe. I couldn't find it on the Grizzly site, but their catalog shows a drum sander (24 inches wide, if I remember) which is 5 HP and which sells for, I think, $1095 plus about $75 in shipping.
Does anybody have feedback on this Grizzly sander? I'm seriously thinking of selling my Performax 16-32 because of the vastly underpoweredness of the unit. To plane anything hard and wide I have to set the feed way back and can only take very, very shallow cuts. It can take *forever* to abrasive plane one side of a rough piece of lumber, prior to planing the other side.
John
John:
I looked at the Grizzly drum sander that you are talking about but it doesn't have a variable speed feed which I think is necessary to trouble free sanding. Now upon further discussion with Grizzly they do have a upgraded version with variable speed feed but the cost is around $1600. Also they have a 16" version, without the variable speed feed, for $750 but only 2 hp which puts it in the same power lacking category as you Proformax. So do we up our budget or compromise performance?
Joe
Interesting, and I'd like some other opinions here. I only use the variable speed on my Performax to slow down the feed rate when the motor can't handle what I'm feeding it. Being less aggressive allows the machine to continue working.
I'd think that variable speed wasn't all that important (I could be convinced otherwise ...) and that taking very light cuts would make the difference you'd need in sanding. But, perhaps when using very fine paper, variable speed also plays a part here.
Anybody care to share their opinions about variable speed and drum sanders?
John
My home made drum sander does not have power feed, but I only do small pieces. It is 14" wide and only has a 1 hp motor on it. I rarely use it for pieces over 5" wide and 2' long. It really could benefit from having at least a 1.5 hp motor.
An overhead drum sander is almost a necessity in a woodworking shop in my opinion. Power feed with variable speed would be the ideal way to go. You would NOT be over powered to have a 5 hp motor on a 24" sander.
One thing to consider is how fast the belts can be changed. Also, I'm not sure I would want one where only one end of the drum is supported.
But, being able to surface sand is great! And, being able to sand down to 1/16" thickness, or less, is great too!
PlaneWood by Mike_in_KatyPlaneWood
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