• Shop the Store
  • Best Sellers
  • eBooks
  • Books
  • Plans

  • Videos
  • Tools & Workshops
  • SketchUp

  • Finishing
  • Turning
  • Joinery
• Books
• Plans
• Videos
• Magazine
  • Subscribe
  • Renew
  • Give a gift

  • Current Issue
  • Digital Issue
  • Online Extras

  • Magazine Index
  • Contact Us
• Subscribe
• Renew

• Blogs
• Knots
• Gallery

Tool Addicts

AWFS Tool News: Combo Drum/Brush Sander Could be a Boon to Pros

Asa Christiana, editor, Fine Woodworking magazine

27 users recommend

The 90-degree corners on this ogee profiled door remained crisp after having gone through the Fladder head sanding process.

The secret is small 1/4-in.- and 1/8-in.-wide flaps.

Add Comment
Print

Any small-shop pro who does a lot of cabinet work should take a hard look at the new SuperMax Combo Drum/Brush Sander. At $2,200 it represents a unique opportunity to have a serious drum sander that accepts a number of time-saving heads. It comes standard with the "Fladder" head, a type of fine flap sanders that handles both flat surfaces and tight profiles in a single pass. The secret is small 1/4-in.- and 1/8-in.-wide flaps and the machine's AC power inverter that allows the user to slow down the RPMs to avoid rounding over crisp details while still smoothing every surface.

The other great feature is SuperMax's own SandSmart controller, borrowed from its bigger sanders, which maintains the drum rpm you have chosen, and if it can't, slows the conveyor belt to so it can maintain RPM.

I saw an ogee-profiled door that had been through the Fladder head, and it was super-smooth yet the corners were broken ever-so-slightly, friendly to the hand but still crisp. Pretty amazing that you can pre-sand a door for finishing in one pass. I did see some cross-grain scratches on the rails, but the tech expert at the booth said that using a finer grit would have taken care of those. Heck, if you need to, you could always make another pass with 220, which leaves cross-grain scratches that are not visible under a finish.

The aforementioned flat sanding drum, a nylon bristle head (for denibbing a finished surface), and a wire brush head (for a weathered look) are all available and change out quickly. The SuperMax 19-38 Combo Drum/Brush Sander is available at SuperMaxTools.com.

Add Comment Print

AWFS Tool News: New finish combines the best of oil and water-based products

Back to List

AWFS Tool News: Put this amazing toggle clamp on all of your jigs

Comments (2)

JohnLonea writes: (link didnt work but you can see it here anyway): http://www.drum-sander-reviews.com
Posted: 10:21 am on August 8th

JohnLonea writes: Drum sanders are a great alternative to the more expensive wide belt sanders out there. If you dont have the money or the need for a wide belt, drum sanders are the perfect choice, and in my situation this is exactly what I did.

Particularly the newer oscillating models that Jet/Performax have been coming out with recently, have heard nothing but good things from those, can be a little pricier than the standard drum sanders though...but still a heck of a lot cheaper than a wide belt. I dont have one personally, I am currently using a standard open stand model from Jet (629004K), but I am looking into investing into an oscillating model soon. I read a good review here (still not decided yet though):drum sander reviews .com

Looking forward to the type of results I can expect from an oscillating sander, I've heard the finish they produce is excellent, and better than your standard sander.
Posted: 10:20 am on August 8th

You must be logged in to post comments. Log in.