Replies

1. 
   Bear | Jun 19, 2005 09:49pm | #1

   Rod, I looked at the powermatic sander and couldn't justify the price, well over $2000. I pruchased the shop Fox for about $1600 and I'm very pleased with it.

   
1. 
   mcrod | Jun 22, 2005 03:03pm | #3

   Thanks for the info,will look into it. do you know anything about an acura drumssander,did you consider it when getting the shop fox? thanks.Rod.

2. 
   WillGeorge | Jun 21, 2005 10:39pm | #2

   24 inch dual drum sander? at 2000 plus it is a big invertment for our small shop

    

   AND just think what that sandpaper costs!

3. 
   Miami | Jun 22, 2005 04:51pm | #4

   The folks at the CA shop where I rent space bought this Powermatic about a year ago, drop me an email and I'll put you in touch with Harry.

   Clay

4. 
   hammer1 | Jun 22, 2005 05:10pm | #5

   A few years back, I bought a Performax Supermax. It was their top of the line 36" single drum. It was expensive and turned out to be almost useless. Any hard drum will cut striations in the piece that will have to be removed. The most frustrating thing about the sander was that it would burn your work or the paper would get loose or break. Of course, it would always do this when a piece was partially through the sander. It ended up spoiling so much work and taking so much time to adjust, change paper and use, that I sold it. You can barely take off 1/32" at a pass, which means lots of passes in a working shop. I seldom, was able to get a dozen pieces through the machine without problems and I needed to do hundreds of pieces.

   If I were to buy another sander, I would not choose a Performax. These drums looked promising to me but I haven't used one. Once bitten...
   http://www.max-ind.com/m_catalog7.asp

   Beat it to fit / Paint it to match

1. 
   Adrian | Jun 23, 2005 04:59pm | #6

   Also had a Performax....dual drum 25". Also useless. I don't think I would buy another dual drum sander unless it had a better system to calibrate depth of cut on each drum.

   We have a single drum Woodmaster here, 25". Quite a good machine; it has held up well. No drum sander is going to give a perfect finish though; random ordbit sanding will almost always be required.cabinetmaker/college woodworking instructor. Cape Breton, N.S

1. 
   hammer1 | Jun 23, 2005 05:30pm | #7

   Adrian, I'm still looking for a viable surface sander. I was spoiled by a big Timesaver years ago. Of course, I want something that can do abrasive planing to a certain degree and veneer sanding, too. Unfortunately, I can't afford or power a Butfering. I keep turning up possibilities in my search. Ramco makes an open ender with pneumatic tracking and an oscillating head. So far, I have only found these features on mega bucks sanders. Without a platen and oscillation, drum sanders don't add any value to my shop. They take too much time fussing with them and you have to re-work whatever comes out.
   http://www.max-ind.com/m_catalog30.aspBeat it to fit / Paint it to match