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Bench Top Drum Sanders


NotYou

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I know craigslist is the place to go for power tools. There are a lot of guys who buy nice tools because of a midlife crisis, retirement project, or just a general itch to be a woodworker, then use them once and sell them online for like half the price. I'm sure hand tools are the same way.

Craigslist is how I afforded my big bandsaw, jointer, workbenches, compressor, etc, etc, etc, etc..

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  • 1 month later...

I have a large collection of hand plans and always head for the drum sander to do most of my work. Nothing like it for guitar building. I use hand planes for joinery or removing material where a drum sander cannot go. I suggest you buy a used plane on ebay, and save some bucks. Put the rest of the money towards a real drum sander. Every time I see those open roller table top sanders I have to laugh as there is no way to properly thickness a board.

As has been said drum sanders will snip the end of a board, its not the sander but the first feed roller that spring down (once the wood passes) and causes the wood to jump up into the drum as the pressure is released on one end, this causes snipe. Using some scrap wood behind your expensive guitar wood .will eliminate most snipe. Even pine will work, stopping the roller from dropping abruptly. You do need to support the wood as it comes out the other side as well.

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I love my drum sander. It's not very good, changing paper is a pain, but I wouldn't be without it. I enjoy using my hand planes more (less dust, kind of zen), but the only one I use a lot would have to be the Lie Nielsen block plane. The size 5 (and old Record) and the Jointer plane occasionally come out to play, but chiefly in wood prep. I do like thinning acoustic tops (spruce) with a nice, sharp hand plane from time to time, but the thickness sander is a godsend.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Changing paer is a pain +1. even harder if you buy uncut rolls like I do.

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NotYou, don't waste your money on that. My local Woodcraft had one and after a demo returned it. It is in a nice word "DANGEROUS" things can fly off at speeds that will hurt you. Also keeping a fixed thickness is near to impossible as you are the thickness guide, since it has only one reference plane. :D

Completely agree.

An open ended drum sander is a much better option if you need something that will sand wider than 13".

I have one of these and I am very happy with it. I never had any issues with snipe or anything like that. It gives me a beautiful surface every time and changing the paper isn't a big deal.

The dust collection works very well too.

DSCF3686-1.jpg

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I've just ordered a carbitec open ended sander. Will post reports once it arrives and I get it sussed.

Brian - I've been looking on eBay and bidding on several sanders, a couple of them performax but never became the victor. I wonder if i had bid on yours! You bugger! Congrats though.

Did you recently do an out of eBay deal on this one? There was one about a month ago where I was trying to work a deal with the seller then all if a sudden he pulled the auction. Wonder if that's yours!

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demonx, I got mine a few months ago now - went through the whole auction process, so the one where he pulled the auction wasn't mine.

I was going to go for the Carabtec one, and actually payed about the same for a second-hand performax as a new Carbatec. Just got carried away with the bidding, but I don't regret it.

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Even a few months ago you would have bene bidding against me!

I've thrown low bids on nearly every victorian sander for te last six months and finally gave up last weekend and ordered a new one.

Congats. I'd have loved to pick up a performax.

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Yep, I'd be the guy!

On a side note - mine just got delivered today and the guy unloaded it for me and trollied it to where I'll be assembling it, but I have a damaged elbow ligament at the moment so I can't even get the thing unboxed! I'm not happy right now. It's a massive tease tyo have a brand new boxed toy sitting in my shed and I can't even pull it out! I can't even work on guitars at the moment.

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Quickly get some sawdust on it so it will really look like it's been there forever!

I've already run through a few things to make a laminate neckthru neck (mahogany with 2 maple stripes, the maple stripes bordered by four thin pieces or brazilian rosewood)

I was a happy man!

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