I’ve gotten a ‘new’ tool (new for me, it is ‘previously owned’), a wide belt drum sander!
Drum Sander, installed along the Sanding Wall.
This sander is a Performax 16-32 Plus Drum sander. It has a sanding drum that is 16 inches wide but, because one end is open, you can run a piece that it wider than 16 inches, presumably up to 32 inches wide! I’ll have to do some fine tuning to achieve that, however, as the sanding belt installation needs to be perfect in order to sand a board that extends beyond the edge of the drum and not leave any tell tale marks.
I’ve tried a number of pieces through the sander, including a ‘surprise’ project. Check it out:
DrumSander
[img src=https://tomstudwell.com/wordpress/wp-content/flagallery/drumsander/thumbs/thumbs_img_5083.jpg]9260Here is the Drum Sander installed along the 'Sanding Wall' and hooked into the dust collection system.
[img src=https://tomstudwell.com/wordpress/wp-content/flagallery/drumsander/thumbs/thumbs_img_5073.jpg]8850To test out the sander, I wanted to sand down some bandsaw cutoffs of Walnut.
I originally tried to plane these on the thickness planer. The one piece literally blew up! That was the incentive to look for a sander...[img src=https://tomstudwell.com/wordpress/wp-content/flagallery/drumsander/thumbs/thumbs_img_5074.jpg]8680You can see the uneven thickness of the original piece.
[img src=https://tomstudwell.com/wordpress/wp-content/flagallery/drumsander/thumbs/thumbs_img_5075.jpg]8460Here they are after sanding with 36 grit (which was the grit installed on the sander when I got it).
[img src=https://tomstudwell.com/wordpress/wp-content/flagallery/drumsander/thumbs/thumbs_img_5078.jpg]8340This is after thinning down with 120 grit.
I learned that the drum sander cuts deeper trenches than normal sand paper and it took a lot more passes to remove the trenches from the 36 grit than I expected.[img src=https://tomstudwell.com/wordpress/wp-content/flagallery/drumsander/thumbs/thumbs_img_5079.jpg]8240Next test was to try a small piece. This is a prototype key fob where the engraving wasn't very good and the piece was too thick anyway.
[img src=https://tomstudwell.com/wordpress/wp-content/flagallery/drumsander/thumbs/thumbs_img_5082.jpg]8180Sanded nicely to a usuable thickness so I can reclaim this stock for another fob!
[img src=https://tomstudwell.com/wordpress/wp-content/flagallery/drumsander/thumbs/thumbs_img_5098.jpg]8160Finally, looking for a 'real' project to use the sander, I made this Pizza Peel!
[img src=https://tomstudwell.com/wordpress/wp-content/flagallery/drumsander/thumbs/thumbs_img_5085.jpg]8100Boards glued up. You can see the sander in the background.
[img src=https://tomstudwell.com/wordpress/wp-content/flagallery/drumsander/thumbs/thumbs_img_5089.jpg]8020After running through the sander. PRETTY SWEET!
![[img src=https://tomstudwell.com/wordpress/wp-content/flagallery/drumsander/thumbs/thumbs_img_5083.jpg]9260Here is the Drum Sander installed along the 'Sanding Wall' and hooked into the dust collection system.](https://tomstudwell.com/wordpress/wp-content/flagallery/drumsander/img_5083.jpg){kind=link}
[img src=https://tomstudwell.com/wordpress/wp-content/flagallery/drumsander/thumbs/thumbs_img_5073.jpg]8850To test out the sander, I wanted to sand down some bandsaw cutoffs of Walnut.
![[img src=https://tomstudwell.com/wordpress/wp-content/flagallery/drumsander/thumbs/thumbs_img_5073.jpg]8850To test out the sander, I wanted to sand down some bandsaw cutoffs of Walnut.I originally tried to plane these on the thickness planer. The one piece literally blew up! That was the incentive to look for a sander...](https://tomstudwell.com/wordpress/wp-content/flagallery/drumsander/img_5073.jpg){kind=link}
I originally tried to plane these on the thickness planer. The one piece literally blew up! That was the incentive to look for a sander...[img src=https://tomstudwell.com/wordpress/wp-content/flagallery/drumsander/thumbs/thumbs_img_5074.jpg]8680You can see the uneven thickness of the original piece.
![[img src=https://tomstudwell.com/wordpress/wp-content/flagallery/drumsander/thumbs/thumbs_img_5074.jpg]8680You can see the uneven thickness of the original piece.](https://tomstudwell.com/wordpress/wp-content/flagallery/drumsander/img_5074.jpg){kind=link}
[img src=https://tomstudwell.com/wordpress/wp-content/flagallery/drumsander/thumbs/thumbs_img_5075.jpg]8460Here they are after sanding with 36 grit (which was the grit installed on the sander when I got it).
![[img src=https://tomstudwell.com/wordpress/wp-content/flagallery/drumsander/thumbs/thumbs_img_5075.jpg]8460Here they are after sanding with 36 grit (which was the grit installed on the sander when I got it).](https://tomstudwell.com/wordpress/wp-content/flagallery/drumsander/img_5075.jpg){kind=link}
[img src=https://tomstudwell.com/wordpress/wp-content/flagallery/drumsander/thumbs/thumbs_img_5078.jpg]8340This is after thinning down with 120 grit.
![[img src=https://tomstudwell.com/wordpress/wp-content/flagallery/drumsander/thumbs/thumbs_img_5078.jpg]8340This is after thinning down with 120 grit.I learned that the drum sander cuts deeper trenches than normal sand paper and it took a lot more passes to remove the trenches from the 36 grit than I expected.](https://tomstudwell.com/wordpress/wp-content/flagallery/drumsander/img_5078.jpg){kind=link}
I learned that the drum sander cuts deeper trenches than normal sand paper and it took a lot more passes to remove the trenches from the 36 grit than I expected.[img src=https://tomstudwell.com/wordpress/wp-content/flagallery/drumsander/thumbs/thumbs_img_5079.jpg]8240Next test was to try a small piece. This is a prototype key fob where the engraving wasn't very good and the piece was too thick anyway.
![[img src=https://tomstudwell.com/wordpress/wp-content/flagallery/drumsander/thumbs/thumbs_img_5079.jpg]8240Next test was to try a small piece. This is a prototype key fob where the engraving wasn't very good and the piece was too thick anyway.](https://tomstudwell.com/wordpress/wp-content/flagallery/drumsander/img_5079.jpg){kind=link}
[img src=https://tomstudwell.com/wordpress/wp-content/flagallery/drumsander/thumbs/thumbs_img_5082.jpg]8180Sanded nicely to a usuable thickness so I can reclaim this stock for another fob!
![[img src=https://tomstudwell.com/wordpress/wp-content/flagallery/drumsander/thumbs/thumbs_img_5082.jpg]8180Sanded nicely to a usuable thickness so I can reclaim this stock for another fob!](https://tomstudwell.com/wordpress/wp-content/flagallery/drumsander/img_5082.jpg){kind=link}
[img src=https://tomstudwell.com/wordpress/wp-content/flagallery/drumsander/thumbs/thumbs_img_5098.jpg]8160Finally, looking for a 'real' project to use the sander, I made this Pizza Peel!
![[img src=https://tomstudwell.com/wordpress/wp-content/flagallery/drumsander/thumbs/thumbs_img_5098.jpg]8160Finally, looking for a 'real' project to use the sander, I made this Pizza Peel!](https://tomstudwell.com/wordpress/wp-content/flagallery/drumsander/img_5098.jpg){kind=link}
[img src=https://tomstudwell.com/wordpress/wp-content/flagallery/drumsander/thumbs/thumbs_img_5085.jpg]8100Boards glued up. You can see the sander in the background.
![[img src=https://tomstudwell.com/wordpress/wp-content/flagallery/drumsander/thumbs/thumbs_img_5085.jpg]8100Boards glued up. You can see the sander in the background.](https://tomstudwell.com/wordpress/wp-content/flagallery/drumsander/img_5085.jpg){kind=link}
[img src=https://tomstudwell.com/wordpress/wp-content/flagallery/drumsander/thumbs/thumbs_img_5089.jpg]8020After running through the sander. PRETTY SWEET!
![[img src=https://tomstudwell.com/wordpress/wp-content/flagallery/drumsander/thumbs/thumbs_img_5089.jpg]8020After running through the sander. PRETTY SWEET!](https://tomstudwell.com/wordpress/wp-content/flagallery/drumsander/img_5089.jpg){kind=link}
Click here to see more about the Pizza Peel project.
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