Replies

1. 
   DonaldCBrown | Aug 11, 2002 02:05am | #1

   They are for two different types of stock removal: Taking lots off in a hurry, and taking a little off to make it smoother or to even up, for example,  a glued-up panel.

   Consider the hand tool equivalents. If you wanted to get rid of large amounts of unwanted surface (twists, warps, cups, too thick, etc.) you'd reach for a plane. If you simply wanted to smooth an already even surface or knock down some small high spots, you might prefer a sanding block.

   That is not to say that in theory you couldn't sand off a quarter-inch of thickness from a 24-inch panel. You just probably wouldn't want to. Same thing with a light-weight thickness sander. You'd probably run out of sandpaper before you got through many panels.

   A thickness planer will hog off lots of thickness in a hurry. It also sometimes causes defects (tearouts and the like) in the surface that must somehow be tended to through hand planing, scraping, sanding, or some other method.

   Enter the drum sander. It removes stock by abrasion rather than crude hatcheting (which basically is what the circular cutter of a thickness planer does). So its best application is for difficult grains, removal of small differences in thickness, evening up wide panels, and the like, after the basic thicknessing has been done with hand or power planers.

   It's not a choice of one or the other, in my opinion.

   
   

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   Edited 8/10/2002 7:07:37 PM ET by Donald C. Brown

2. 
   user-24343 | Aug 11, 2002 04:26am | #2

   Donald is right.  The 1.5 HP model sander you cite is not going to take off near the material as fast as a planer costing half as much.  That sander in my view has a hard time sanding much less thicknessing.   The guy at the lumber yard may have been thinking about a true widebelt sander.  Some are equipped with two or more belts and even a planer head as the first stage - factory one stop stock preparation.  Even a single belt widebelt can thickness items too wide for the shop planer, but day in/day out thicknessing is not a job for a machine only using sandpaper.

1. 
   SlyTheCat | Aug 11, 2002 05:20am | #3

   After posting this (next time I'll look first, honest!) I did a search and found a couple of relevant conversations consistent w/ the 2 posts here - the sander will take quite a while to remove stock - looks like it's back to the planer.  And a ROS?  I don't have any power sanders yet.

   Thanks for the responses

3. 
   TheOldTimer | Aug 11, 2002 07:37am | #4

   One thing that you need to keep in mind is that a planer will not remove defects in stock unless one side of the stock that you are planing is true.  If you pass stock thru a planer that does not have at least one side true and flat, the planer will follow the contour of the panel and will only remove stock to a predetermined thickness.  The stock will not be true after you are done planing and will retain the original shape unless it has a true side to work with.  This is where a jointer or hand plane comes into view.

   I have both a jointer, planer and drum sander in the shop.  Drum sanders will not remove stock as fast as a planer but they will true up one side of the stock if set properly and adjusted correctly.  If the stock is cupped, the drum sander will true one side of the stock and you can plane the second side to make it true.  You can also pass one side of the stock over a jointer providing that the jointer is large enough to handle the stock.  Six inch jointer for six inch stock etc.  If the material is twisted or is extremely cupped, you may have to remove more stock then the material is worth to make it true.  All machines have there place in the shop, you just have to justify there expense and how you want to use them.  Like any other tool, the drum sander has its limitations and will not take the place of a good jointer or planer. 

   If I had to make a decision as to what tool to buy, I would buy a good jointer followed by a good planer then a drum sander.  My drum sander saves me lots of time in the shop and completes all my sanding with the exception of the final sanding which is done by hand.  This includes the use of a random orbit sander and a good old fashion block of wood or sponge with sandpaper attached.   If you are only a part time woodworker or a woodworker that just occasionally completes projects then the expense of a drum sander is not worth the money.  It has taken me many years to obtain all the tools that I have in the shop.  Take your time and set your priorities on tool purchases and only buy tools that will last you a lifetime.  I do not think it fair to say that a good drum sander is not worth the expense.  I use mine all the time and that has justified the expense for me. 

   Well, that's my opinion for what it is worth.  Good luck and stay safe.

   The old Timer

   Chandler AZ

1. 
   bill_1010 | Aug 11, 2002 07:07pm | #5

   ill add that the cost of operating a drum sander as a thicknesser would be higher.  Sandpaper doesnt last as long as knives.

   If you buy mostly s4s wood and need little in thicknessing, maybe a drum sander is what you need. 

4. 
   AlanTurner | Aug 11, 2002 09:18pm | #6

   Like Oldtimer, I have all three.  I began with these tools in about 1985 with a 36" thickness drum sander, thinking that it could do the work of all 3.  It can, but at a price.  The speed is awful, the dust incredible, and the cost of abrasives to thickness sometimes abusive.  But, it can be done.  Ig I could do it again, I would start with a planer. I first did a 12 1/2" Delta portable, and moved up to a 20" WoodTek, and used a wedged sled to flatten the top before flipping it to thickness.  A pain, but faster than the sander by alot.  A jointer would be second (although for me it was #3), followed by the sander.

   You might think in terms of older industrial equipment.  It may be comparable in price to newer,  but less well made, tooling.

   Good luck.