Homemade drum sander


Dave H

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would covering the top of the front and back openings at the drum affect dust collection any? I noticed you still had a little dust you swept off the ramp.

not completely enclosing the drum, just covering about 75 percent of it. Partly because you still need that adjustability...

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JHop the dust collection works very well there is some dust left on the table, but as far as airbourne I think it gets almost 100%. I've ran it at night and after ten, or fifteen minutes turned the lights out and shined a flashlight around the shop and didn't notice any particles in the air, so it works pretty well for a home made dust collection system on the old drumsander. The table is the thing that moves the drum and the dust collection is stationary I'm not too sure what I would do to too make it more efficent.

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  • 3 months later...

Dave,

Looks great! I seriously doubt you're straining the 2HP motor at all. The lathe is built to turn the equivalent of the weight of the drum (and more) and there is only slight resistance in the surface sanding it's designed to do. Please tell me where did you get the velcro covering for the drum and the sandpaper? I'll admit, when I read your first post, I wasn't optimistic. I'm a believer now and am looking differently at my 48" lathe! Wonder if you could put a Wixey digital measuring device on it???

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Thanks Tim, your right and I'm no longer concerned with overloading the motor. But in the the begining I wasn't so sure wheather I'd be putting undo stress on my lathe motor. The hook and loop sanding stuff I got from Woodmaster Tools, Inc. 1431 N. Topping Ave, Kansas City, MO 64120 Ph. 316-483-0078 . I can't find the web adress, the velcro mat I used was a peel and stick and the sticking power was impressive, go slow and do it right the first time because it don't like to unstick, and I bielieve the length was about 8'. The 80 grit sanding paper was 3"x25 yards the total order cost me $59.75 delivered. I'm not to concerned with the thickness of my veneers because when I'm making a project I make all the veneer at the same time, resaw everything on the same set up, and thickness sand eveything in the same sequence all on the same set up who cares the thickness as long as everything is a uniform thickness if I need to know the exact thickness of something I use my dial calipers hope this answers your questions and thanks for your comments it was a fun build give it a try it's very rewarding. Dave

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  • 4 months later...

I've found that I turn to my thickness sander more and more often, it has become one of my favorite go to tools I don't think I could live without it anymore. Eventhough it breaks down fairly easy from my lathe I find I hesitate to change back and forth between the two functions because I love playing on the lathe also, I just don't play on the lathe very often anymore. If I had to do this again I think I would get a motor and make a stand alone thickness sander. Oh well hindsight is 20/20.

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  • 9 months later...

I'm thinking about buying a 16-32 from jet, I really like my lathe powered drum sander for small veneers it works great. But yesterday I was sanding half of a table top I'm building, half of the table is 15" x 5' long with such a short table, and it being so high I didn't get a very good result. Does anyone have an open ended sander, and do you get good results running a table top through?

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I have an original 16/32 Peformax drum sander . I use it daily in my small custom cabinet shop. I have sanded 30" wide by 12 ft long tabletops with it. Had to set up support rollers, infeed and out feed tables all shimmed up to one flat plane but it worked. Take small amounts off in each pass, don't skip a grit, 60, 80, 120,150 and maybe 180 for a real smooth finish. Random orbit will take it from there.

I use mine to abrasive plane curly and figured stock, no tear out or chipping! Does take a bit more time and patience . Any more questions just give me a shout.

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I have the Performax 22/44 Plus and it's great.  It is the most used tool in my shop, as far as I know.   :rolleyes:  I have the infeed and outfeed tables on mine, but I occasionally use roller stands for longer boards like Steve does.  Tear out is non existent.  Like Steve said, it's not fast by any means, but worth the wait because it does a great job.

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Thanks wd, and stahlee I think I'm going with the 16-32 Jet when the old tax refund check comes in I'll order it. My home made drum sander works well on smaller pieces like veneers, but it didn't do a very good job on my table top this is the second day I've been hand sanding, and I've just got the table top flat again I made some 4"x18" sanding blocks by glueing some 4" belt sander belts to some particle board the top is very flat once again now just some final sanding with my ROS. Any way it will be nice to have a stand alone drum sander, and my lathe back.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Jet 16-32 is being delivered thursday I'm getting excited. I'm glad I'm getting my lathe back looking forward to playing on the lathe again without haveing to switch back and, forth betweem functions. I have some space cleared out ready for assembly. Has anyone bought the castors for the jet and, if so are they totally locking or, just the wheels?

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Thanks Steve, from what I read there is a middle shelf. The reason I was asking about the casters is I've used the locking type on several things around the shop, and even though the casters are locked they still swivel and, that causes unwanted movement. Now I've seen these total wheel locking swivel casters for sale at Rockler and I'm thinking those would be the ticket, so do your casters have the total locking feature(the wheels and, swivel lock in one). I guess when my drumsander arrives today I'll just measure the hole diamiter in the foot, and order the total locking casters from Rockler.

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I get my total locking casters from Peachtree Woodworking, locks the wheels and the swivel. I think they have a better price and quality. I have a commercial account at a caster supplier and they beat his price, but he has industrial stuff and stainless steel when I need it.

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Thanks wdwerker the jet ones are over a $100 I can get total locking casters for $40 from Rockler I'll price out the casters from Peachtree Woodworking. Jet 16-32 update it works great I just got all the ilregularities out of my patio table straight and smooth breadboard ends tomorrow it's fun geting new tools.

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  • 7 years later...

I am impressed with the way you have taken the a lathe and turned it into a sander. Your thinking and build ideas are unique from my perspective. I see it would be a bit of a hassle going from one tool to the next. My thinking is if it works it is a good idea. Great job well thought out. John

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  • 3 months later...
On 6/19/2020 at 7:08 AM, Check Twice said:

I am impressed with the way you have taken the a lathe and turned it into a sander. Your thinking and build ideas are unique from my perspective. I see it would be a bit of a hassle going from one tool to the next. My thinking is if it works it is a good idea. Great job well thought out. John

Thank you @Check Twice it was one of my favorite builds I miss the lathe powered thickness sander, but I'm in love with my Jet 16-32 I use it on almost everything I build.

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  • 3 weeks later...

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