Replies

1. 
   RickL | Feb 28, 2005 05:45pm | #1

   If it's what I'm thinking of it's not a jointer but a low budget drum sander being marketed as a kit. I would not imagine having a sanding drum as a jointer head would be efficient or worth the trouble. It would be very slow and would change in diameter in relation to the height of the outfeed table.

2. 
   walnutjerry | Feb 28, 2005 10:30pm | #2

   Hi Don-----you are not completely off base.  I live in the center of a lot of furniture manufacturers and they do use "abrasive" planers especially on glued up stock. I guess that was better to remove the glue than chipping up hard knives of tool steel.  I have not seen any such planers on the artisan level though.

                                     Cheers, Jerry

    

3. 
   Shanefe | Feb 28, 2005 11:15pm | #3

   Check out sandflee.

   I have no idea if it is good or not.

   http://www.woodpeck.com/sandflee.html

4. 
   jazzdogg | Feb 28, 2005 11:31pm | #4

   Don,

   A drum sander removes wood tissue more-or-less uniformly across the width of a board like a jointer or thickness planer. However, you can hog off much more with a jointer or planer in a single pass than you can using a drum sander of the kind typically found in a home workshop.

   I typically remove about 1/200th of an inch per pass with a finishing sander or drum sander, but I can remove far more with a planer or jointer. On the other hand, a sander won't cause the kind of tearout you'll get when using a planer or jointer on highly figured wood.

   When I'm squaring rough-sawn stock, I use a jointer, planer, and table saw. I wouldn't consider trying to use a sander to square rough stock.
   By the same token, I use a finishing sander to remove very small quantities from the face of a panel until the surface is uniformly flat and smooth - a task that's not well suited to my planer.

   Bottom line - IMHO, these tools have different purposes, despite their similar functions.

   -Jazzdogg-

   Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, you're right.

5. 
   Elcoholic | Mar 01, 2005 03:22am | #5

   Like the others said drum sanders are good for very light passes and not so good for dimensioning.  I have run a lot of bandsawn plys for bent laminations through a buddy's Performax ShopPro 25.  It's excellent for removing the band saw marks.  It's also excellent for taking out planer marks and reducing the amount of time spent with an R/O after traditional jointing and planing.   Burning is a real problem with drum sanders, especially with oily species.  QSWO and Hondo will tolerate no more than a 1/6 of a turn for successive passes.  Purple Heart just wanted to burn no matter what and when you burn it you loose a 12 - 15' roll of abrasive.

   John O'Connell - JKO Handcrafted Woodworking

   The more things change ...

   We trained hard, but it seemed that every time we were beginning to form up into teams, we would be reorganized.  I was to learn later in life that we tend to meet any new situation by reorganizing; and a wonderful method it can be for creating the illusion of progress while producing confusion, inefficiency, and demoralization.

   Petronious Arbiter, 210 BC

6. 
   DougF | Mar 01, 2005 05:59pm | #6

   Don,

   Some drum sanders can be used in the same manner as a thickness planer.  I have a dual head 25" drum sander with 36 grit paper that can remove as much as 1/8" in a single pass in softer woods but it is no real substitute for a planer/jointer.  I use the drum sander primarily for finish work.

   One drawback of a belt or drum sander at your primary thickness tool is that they will not flatten your stock as will a jointer.  A recent issue of FWW, at least I think it was FWW, had plans for a sled that can be used with a planer to flatten boards.

   Doug

1. 
   mudman | Mar 01, 2005 08:44pm | #8

   Doug,

    What brand of machine do you have? How much was it? And how much power does it have? Sorry if that is rude. I am looking at the Grizzly dual drum sanders. For less than $2000 they seem like good machines but I am fearfull of getting a "cheep" machine. I am also lookin at the Powermatic, but I'd have to find a used one. And that dosen't seem to be very easy.

   Mikeplease excuse my spelling.

1. 
   DougF | Mar 01, 2005 09:36pm | #9

   Mike

   I have the PerforMax 25 Dual Head.  I bought it used for $750 and put another $100 into it to replace motor pulley, belt and assorted small parts.  I think the machine new runs around 3-4K new, but don't quote me on the price.  I got really good deal but it takes up a lot of room, the roll paper is not cheap but when you need it, it an invaluable time-saver.  This is not a purchase I would recommend if you do not have your basic equipment already in place, including hand tools, and you are not planning to be more than a serious hobbyist.  I purchased this with retirement and furniture building in mind, not to support my hobby. 

   PS: This is a true 5HP motor drawing some serious amps.

   Doug

7. 
   forestgirl | Mar 01, 2005 08:41pm | #7

   Sounds like the Sand-Flee is what you saw.  It's awfully expensive ($595) and looks to me like it's mostly intended for smaller projects.  You can get a good jointer for that price.

   forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
   Another proud member of the  "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)