Rick500 Posted February 3, 2008 Report Share Posted February 3, 2008 (edited) I'm thinking about buying a Jet 10-20 drum sander soon. Just wondering if anyone who has a drum sander that size thinks it's adequate or if it's better to wait and buy a 16-32. I know the obvious answer is "if you don't plan to sand things larger than 20 inches, it's fine," but I guess I just want a sense of how often you think to yourself "I should have gotten a bigger sander." Edited February 3, 2008 by Rick500 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Posted February 3, 2008 Report Share Posted February 3, 2008 I'd prefer to save up and get a bigger sander for cabinetry work, less hassle overall. The only thing I've heard bad about the 10's and 16's is that some have tracking issues. I don't know how common of an issue this is, I certainly hope I don't buy a dud when I go for the 16-32. But my 12" is definitely limiting. It's also a closed end so I can't flip around the workpiece and take down the other half. My drum sander Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fryovanni Posted February 3, 2008 Report Share Posted February 3, 2008 I have a 16-32, and I only wish I had gone for the 22-44(I think that is the right size). There are a lot of guys over at the OLF that speak highly of the 10-20, so you will have a good machine with whichever model you choose. The nicest thing about the 16" drum is that it can do bodies in one pass. Which is a very good thing. If you can swing a 16" I would go that route, you will appreciate the capacity and put it to good use. These drum sanders last for a long time, so it is worth getting a model that will serve your needs well for many years to come. Peace,Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick500 Posted February 4, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 4, 2008 Thanks for the replies, guys. I'll think about whether I want to spring for the 16-32. It's a choice between just the 16-32 ($825...which includes the stand), or a 10-20 ($550) and a Ridgid oscillating spindle sander ($200). I think I'd get a lot more immediate practical use out of the 10-20 plus the spindle sander, but eventually I'll probably wish I had the larger drum sander. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fryovanni Posted February 4, 2008 Report Share Posted February 4, 2008 Thanks for the replies, guys. I'll think about whether I want to spring for the 16-32. It's a choice between just the 16-32 ($825...which includes the stand), or a 10-20 ($550) and a Ridgid oscillating spindle sander ($200). I think I'd get a lot more immediate practical use out of the 10-20 plus the spindle sander, but eventually I'll probably wish I had the larger drum sander. A spindle sander is a handy tool also. I have a delta, and it is a great help for certain tasks. I am sure you will have a lot of fun with them. One nice thing about a Performax sander is that you will have no problem selling one used when(if) you ever choose to upgrade, so your cost of upgrading can be offset. Peace,Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC Ross Posted February 4, 2008 Report Share Posted February 4, 2008 Hey Rick, Not sure if you've considered it or not, but the Grizzly G0458 looks like a nice unit. I don't own one, but have seen one in person & will probably be my next major purchase. It can handle up to 4 1/2" thick material (vs. 3" on the 16-32) and has an open-ended 18" width. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fryovanni Posted February 4, 2008 Report Share Posted February 4, 2008 Hey Rick, Not sure if you've considered it or not, but the Grizzly G0458 looks like a nice unit. I don't own one, but have seen one in person & will probably be my next major purchase. It can handle up to 4 1/2" thick material (vs. 3" on the 16-32) and has an open-ended 18" width. What is the min. thickness you can sand with that Grizzly? My Performax will do fine binding down to .010". I believe the Grizzly is much like the Delta design, but am not familiar with the machine. I am sure the extra depth could come in handy, but I have never needed more capacity then the Performax offers. Peace,Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Posted February 4, 2008 Report Share Posted February 4, 2008 On my 12" Grizzly, it says not to take the wood less than 1/8". I have taken it a little thinner from time to time (.110"ish) but after that it started catching wrong. But I'm not pleased with the conveyer belt design of the baby drum sander, it's a type of rubber that causes the ends of the boards to be pressed down into it. This has caused me a fair amount of waste when doing my fingerboards, and for that I do not recommend it for precision work. Couple that in with the velcro hook and loop system and you've got quite a few variables to fix for simply getting your boards flat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC Ross Posted February 5, 2008 Report Share Posted February 5, 2008 Hey Jon & Rich, The 18" Grizzly can go down to 1/8" & uses an abrasive belt (vs. rubber), but doesn't use the hook & loop system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fryovanni Posted February 5, 2008 Report Share Posted February 5, 2008 Hey Jon & Rich, The 18" Grizzly can go down to 1/8" & uses an abrasive belt (vs. rubber), but doesn't use the hook & loop system. Please keep us posted on how it works for you. First hand reviews after you have put some miles on them, are really helpful . If they say it will go 1/8" it will probably go thinner for making bindings, venners, acoustic sets and what have you. I have had really good luck accurately tuning my performax, and find it very reliable thicknessing down to very small tolerances. I will be curious to see how the adjustable table does in this regard. Peace,Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC Ross Posted February 5, 2008 Report Share Posted February 5, 2008 Hey Rich, unfortunately it'll be a few months before I can get my grubby little paws on one, since I just bought a new band saw (BTW, thx for the advice in the other thread), but I'll definitely report back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick500 Posted February 5, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2008 Speaking of band saws... I already came to the conclusion that the next thing I "needed" (read: "wanted") was an oscillating spindle sander and a drum sander. I wonder if you guys would offer different advice... For power tools, I currently have: 12" band saw (handles everything I need for now) 10" benchtop drill press (gets on my nerves now and then, but okay for now...needs to be replaced eventually) Table saw (not the most accurate, but I rarely use it anyway; just for cutting up template material, etc.) 6" jointer (serves its purpose very well) 13" planer (perfect) bench disc/belt sander Bosch 1617 router, plunge & fixed bases, and router table I don't have any immediate plans to build any acoustics, just solid/semi-hollow. Curious to see what you guys would be looking to acquire next based on that information. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Posted February 6, 2008 Report Share Posted February 6, 2008 Oscillating spindle sanders definitely aren't a requirement for guitar building, but man do they speed up body shaping in those rough hard to reach areas. If you're willing to put some money down for one, you wont regret it. But you can definitely live without one. Regarding drum sanders, I seem to use mine for everything as long as I can fit my workpiece through it. They're incredibly helpful for figured woods. I'm looking forward to having a wider setup so I can fit full body blanks through it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick500 Posted February 6, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 6, 2008 Is it just a matter of convenience being able to put a body through in one pass, or is the quality of the surface affected by having to make two passes through a smaller sander? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Posted February 6, 2008 Report Share Posted February 6, 2008 It's a matter of convenience. I haven't heard anything about the work piece being "un-even" from taking two passes. I am not speaking from personal experience though, so I'll leave that to the experts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fryovanni Posted February 6, 2008 Report Share Posted February 6, 2008 oscillating drum sander is a handy tool, more so for electrics than acoustics. I am very pleased with mine. Single vs two pass. You can get a pretty spot on second pass with an accurate drum. That said two pass is a pain in the rear to me. I would MUCH prefer a single pass. That is just my honest opinion. Not saying taking two passes will not work, because it will. It obviously doubles the work and time, and there is a small amount of clean up(pretty slight if you really set it up well though). For acoustics, my 16" drum is just barely enough to make one pass. If I do a larger plate it would require two passes. Also if you want to surface a lot of pieces at one time wider is much better (say 50+ pieces of binding, flipping bookmatched blanks through in single passes, soundboard sets in one pass and so forth), but there again I process a lot of wood(which you may not want to do). DC, Keep us posted. Tool reviews are great! Peace,Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick500 Posted February 6, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 6, 2008 Thanks for the info, guys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick500 Posted February 14, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 14, 2008 I've been doing a little more window shopping and am just about ready to buy the drum sander I've been thinking about. I did find today, online, a Steel City 16-32 drum sander for $699 shipped. It looks remarkably similar to the Jet/Performax. Anyone have any experience with the Steel City model, or know if it is the same sander rebranded? $699 sounded pretty darn good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Posted February 14, 2008 Report Share Posted February 14, 2008 You may have to check them out locally to compare the specs to make sure it isn't the same sander re-branded. It's not likely, but possible. I'll definitely be checking out the Steel City one, a quality drum sander is what I am currently lacking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick500 Posted February 14, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 14, 2008 Haven't been able to find one locally, unfortunately. That $699 shipped price is from a tool dealer on eBay, btw, if you want to check it out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodenspoke Posted February 15, 2008 Report Share Posted February 15, 2008 Get the 16-32 or you will be limiting what size's you can run through the thing. Plus you have more sand paper to use if you are running multiple parts and need to move around the drum so you don't destroy the paper in one spot. I have never had to run anything through twice using the 32" feature. I have run some very large boards through this machine and its a work horse. Spend the extra bucks. Also tracks fine. If I am thickness planing I usually run the board at an angle to use more paper. The on a lighter grit passes are made straight through. I have also run many pieces through the sander at once by staggering the pieces across the 16" width and feeding them at different times. This could be a long explanation but just figure the deeper and wider the cut the harder the machine works. Snipe like a planer may occur. A scrap piece feed against the end of a body will eliminate this problem. If I was rich I would find a 24" double drum unit with belts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fryovanni Posted February 15, 2008 Report Share Posted February 15, 2008 I've been doing a little more window shopping and am just about ready to buy the drum sander I've been thinking about. I did find today, online, a Steel City 16-32 drum sander for $699 shipped. It looks remarkably similar to the Jet/Performax. Anyone have any experience with the Steel City model, or know if it is the same sander rebranded? $699 sounded pretty darn good. That isn't the same sander rebranded. The basic design is the same with a few changes. Note the frame is tallers and allows for greater capacity (5" vs 3"), they have added a drum stabalizer at the open end (I assume it is removable). Horse power is the same, conveyor and belt appear to be the same. I think they based their design on the Performax 16-32 (which has been a very popular and reliable sander), then addressed one item that users would like to have(which is greater clearance). I would point out that MANY companies have released Performax clones in a similar fashion, but I have never seen a model with the taller frame as steel city has. Worth checking out, If the extra clearance is important to you their model may be appealing. If you do not need the extra clearance, I personally would go with the time tested model(Performax), as you can't do an absolute comparison on bearings, possible effects of the taller fram that may not be desirable, durability of electrical components(including motors). That is my take, and I like Steel City, but only enough to consider them when looking(I am not sold on ANYTHING they offer just because it is Steel City). Keep in mind that you will have this tool around for a very long time (I have been running the heck out of mine for better than 5 years, and it works as well as the day I bought it). so a few extra dollars should not absolutely drive this choice (look at features, and reliability). I would point out also that I could sell my performax easily as used for at least half of what I paid for it (a quality drum sander holds its value pretty well, because of that longevity). Peace,Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erikbojerik Posted February 15, 2008 Report Share Posted February 15, 2008 Curious to see what you guys would be looking to acquire next based on that information. A router table with a decent fence, and another router. IMO it is the best way to do body roundovers and slot for truss rods & CF rods. I don't have anything fancy, just the Craftsman and a Craftsman router (the newer larger one with 1/2" and 1/4" collets), but I way like it. Good choice on the 16" drum sander. Size matters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick500 Posted February 15, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 15, 2008 Yeah, I'm all set on the router table... could use a second router (and in fact the on/off switch on my Bosch has gotten a little dodgy over the past couple weeks). After having thought about it for a couple of weeks and taking all of the above comments and my research into consideration, I've decided on getting the 16/32 sander, not sure if that'll be the Steel City or the Jet/Performax model yet. Too bad I can't find a place nearby that has one of the Steel City sanders so I can see it up close. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick500 Posted February 24, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 24, 2008 Just picked up a Ridgid oscillating spindle/belt sander today. I've only used it for a few minutes so far, but I can see tons of uses for it already. Still going to get the 16/32 Steel City or Jet/Performax drum sander soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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