Question re: Sanders

[dankc908]

Hi All --

I've decided that my next tool purchase will be some type of 'drum' sander. My question is: Will I be happy with the "Sand Flee" sander(s) or should I look for something more substantial. I'd sure appreciate any input you fine folks might be willing to offer!

Dan

 

[RetiredJake]

Depends on what you want to do with it. If you just want to lightly sand the surface sooth and flat, it should work fine. If you really are thinking about a thickness sander, you won't be very happy with it. YMMV

Jake

 

[mhbeauford]

I have a Jet 10-20 benchtop and love it. I use it mostly to sand veneer and inlay material to thickness. I have also used it for light surfacing after planing.

 

[mwhatch]

Grizzly has their 10" drum sander on sale for about the same price.

G0716 10" Drum Sander

 

[OOPS]

I had an opportunity to try a Sand Flee at a Woodcraft Sales event about two years ago. The rep had a large stack of wood samples which had been laser cut. Their thickness was about 3/8" and very fragile, as they were lasered to look like someone had made an intricate scroll saw pattern. The rep made multiple passes across the sander with these samples, showing how these fragile pieces could be sanded without destroying them. The amount of wood removed was negligible, and I mean negligible. Multiple passes showed the wood becoming smooth, but no visible loss of thickness. The Sand Flee is not made for thickness sanding AT ALL. The rep was marketing it as a way of delicately sanding intricate pieces of work and I think that's really what it should be limited to. I hope this helps you in your decision making.

 

[Lenny]

At work we have a 37" Cemco, 3 Phase ... a very heavy duty piece of equiptment. It was purchased second hand, it had been in a school shop. After 6 years we had an older gentleman from Tennessee (where they are made) come to rebuild it. He said it is a better unit than you can buy today. HE ALSO SAID "It is a finish sander" and is "Not meant as a thicknesser" .... The point is, whatever you buy, they are meant to take light passes!

Now if someone would just tell my boss that I would appreciate it! I guess as long as he is paying the repair bills we will continue having to run 18 foot 6"x8" Fir beams through it! :bulgy-eyes:

https://picasaweb.google.com/107184566542142762446/Shop#5455740673421539346

 

[gbpens]

I use a JET 16-32 horizontal drum sander to reduce thickness when I am building laminations where I need accuracy down to a couple of thousandths. It works just fine but these are small pieces, say 6 to eight inches long and an inch wide. For larger boards I would use a 3 blade thickness planer. Sanding and planing are not related techniques.

 

[plantman]

Dan; After looking at the Sand Flee and several others, I would go with one that has an auto infeed. The reason being more controll. You push the stock in one end and it comes out the other, you don't have to control downward pressure or speed by hand. That Grizzly looks quite sturdy for the same price. Like Jake said, it depends what you want to do with it. These machines are ment to surace sand, not take off 1/8" of wood in one pass. Merry Christmas to all !!! Jim S

 

[RetiredJake]

we will continue having to run 18 foot 6"x8" Fir beams through it! :bulgy-eyes:
https://picasaweb.google.com/107184566542142762446/Shop#5455740673421539346

We have 2 Jet 16-32's in our Woodshop at the RV park in AZ. Big sign attached, "Do not put pine, fir, tamarack or spruce through this machine." Messes up the sandpaper real bad.

Jake

 

[jfoh]

I have a 10/20 that I have used a lot and am very happy with it. A 16/32 might be a better option if room is not a problem. I have come to the conclusion that bigger is often not better in a shop limited by space. Moving one big power tool to get to another gets real old in a shop full of stuff. You can never have too much counter space, work space or floor space.

 

[Tom T]

Dan,
I had a 16/32 that worked very well auto feed vacuum hook up. It was great I gave it to my son when I got a performax 22/44. Same set up as the 16/32. Really smooth. With 80 grit they take off a lot of wood. I normally keep 220 or 320 on it. You can move up on grades and finish flat wood very nicely. When running several pieces through at the same time you get equal thickness on all pieces. Very happy with the machine.
Tom

 

[Wingdoctor]

From what I have seen the Sand Flee will smooth a board that is flat and ready to finish sand. If that is what you want to do it would probably work. For me I have a Performax 22-44 Drum Sander. This will flatten an irregular board, finish sand with fine grits and use as a slow planer with 60 grit belts. I normally use to sand boards to a specific finish thickness and prepare the surface to be finished with a random orbit sander. It is very precise and also expensive. I've had mine for 4 years and wouldn't be without it for flat woodworking. I ran a bunch of walnut through this evening that I had resawed from a 5/4 board to make 1/2" finished panels for some Christmas toys I'm making.

 

[jttheclockman]

If you are serious stay away from the sand flee. It is a fleece on your money. Therer ahve been many people who have made their own sand flee sander for a loty less money. I have the Performax 16/32. It is a work horse in my shop. I do other woodworking so I need quality and performance and I get it with this tool. Meeds to be adjusted when received but works well and easy to adjust. I buy rolls of sand paper and cut to size. This in conjunction with a thickness palnner is 2 tools that are very useful. Be warned though a good vac setup and air cleaner should be used unless used outside. They do generate alot of dust.

 

[alamocdc]

I LOVE my Performax 10/20! I have a planer for thicknessing, but for thin lamenations and veneers cut on my band saw, it just tears them up. But several light passes through the sander at 1/4 turn per pass and a relatively slow feed is just what the doctor ordered!

 

[rherrell]

I LOVE my Performax 10/20! I have a planer for thicknessing, but for thin lamenations and veneers cut on my band saw, it just tears them up. But several light passes through the sander at 1/4 turn per pass and a relatively slow feed is just what the doctor ordered!

I have the same one and love it!:biggrin:

 

[Russianwolf]

I have the Grizzly 10 inch (10/20). Solid Machine.

Similar to the Jet 10-20 the crank makes the sander head go up and down and the bed is static. On some of the larger machines the head stays static and the bed raises/lowers. I like the static bed better as you can easily set up infeed/outfeed tables for longer boards if you work with them. If you are using it for complete cabinet doors, then that may not be as big a concern.

I can't reemphasize enough about the DC needs for this thing though. It makes A LOT of FINE DUST quickly.

 

[Deadhead]

Has anyone used the sand flee for segmented bowl rings; if so how does/did it work?

 

[danrs]

Was going to ask who RE Sanders is; but now I know.