Have you ever waxed your Drum sander drum???

[Bill Huber]

The worst thing that I do in the shop for me is to replace the sand paper on the drum sander drum, I just hate it. It always takes me 4 or 5 time to get it tight and running the way you should without overlaps.

So today it was time, took the old paper off and noticed that the drum was dirty so it was time to clean it. I use Mineral Spirits to clean it and then I thought what would happen if I waxed it.

Got out the Johnson wax and went to it, wax the whole drum, let it dry and then buffed it off.

What a difference, the new paper went on really easy and tightened up very good the first time. Just reset the spring clips on each end once or twice and there it was. I ran some board though it and then checked it, running just like it should, no over laps and it look great.

So I don't know if this is normal with a waxed drum and will work every time but it sure work good this time.

Give it a try and see what you think, let us know how it comes out.

[Bruce Page]

I wish I had tried that when I had my Delta 18/36. It always fought me when I had to change paper. Changing paper is not a problem with my current DS and it's velcro covered drum.

[Bill Huber]

I wish I had tried that when I had my Delta 18/36. It always fought me when I had to change paper. Changing paper is not a problem with my current DS and it's velcro covered drum.

That is cheating with Velcro....

I have thought about changing my 10-20 to Velcro but am just not sure how it would go.

[Anthony Whitesell]

I have not had much issue with getting the paper on my 16-32. Rolling it back up to store if I change grits, is another story. My concern with waxing the drum, would be just that. The wax. Even if you buff it off, there must be some left. As the paper and drum heat up, I would think the wax will soak into the sandpaper. Do you think the paper will now be stuck to the drum? What happens if too much wax gets into the paper (repeated application/buffings of wax and reuse of the same paper)? Will the paper last long enough to worry about that last question?

[glenn bradley]

I've only had the drum sander a few months so this is great info for me. One of the things I enjoy is how quickly and easily I can change paper on this machine. I don't hesitate to work up through the grits but, I certainly would if it were a battle. I am going to make sure to keep the drum clean and try out the wax idea to help keep it that way. I will chime in on the wear and tear on the pinkies whilst rolling and unrolling the stuff. Thanks for the tip.

[Richard Amabile]

Bill:

I had to smile as I read your post. Replacing the paper on my drum sander is one of the things I hate to do. It is time consuming and rarely works out as well as I would like. I am sure I must be doing something wrong and would love to get some "hints" on how to do it work better.
Your suggestion about waxing the drum is interesting. I am not sure I am adventurous enough to try it yet. But, I will certainly keep it in mind. I just wonder why it works so well and why the manufacturer would not have suggested it as well.
Thanks for the interesting idea.

[Mark Bolton]

Bruce beat me to it but I was envisioning gobs of wax in the velcro. We have a dual drum (velcro) and I use to really fuss with getting the paper on but I really just kind of "get it on there" now. Its not to say its loose or gaped but I dont fuss with it nearly as much. I can swap the paper in about 5 minutes I'd guess.

I can see a smooth drum really benefiting from the wax allowing the rolls to slip/slide as needed.

[John TenEyck]

I have an Delta 18x36 and I love how easy it is to change the paper. The spring clips are easy to use and never, ever let the paper slip. I rarely change from the 120 grit I use for most everything, but when I do, it's a 1 - 2 minute job. No lie. I do clean the drum once or twice a year and blow/vacuum out sawdust that gets inside the drum. Waxing the drum might be good though. It should let the paper slide more easily and let the spring clips tension it uniformly. Might have to try that. Thanks Bill.

John

[Anthony Whitesell]

I've only had the drum sander a few months so this is great info for me. One of the things I enjoy is how quickly and easily I can change paper on this machine. I don't hesitate to work up through the grits but, I certainly would if it were a battle. I am going to make sure to keep the drum clean and try out the wax idea to help keep it that way. I will chime in on the wear and tear on the pinkies whilst rolling and unrolling the stuff. Thanks for the tip.

Unrolling is easy. Rolling, especially to get the roll anywhere near tight difficult on the fingers. I took a 5" long piece of 3/4" copper pipe and soldered a cap through it. Before soldering, I drilled a 1/4" hole in the cap and placed a 1/4-20x 1 1/2" bolt through it. I took a pneumatic cutoff wheel and cut a 3 1/2" long slot in opposite sides of the other end. (cutoff wheel opposite to hacksaw because it created a wider cut) Now I chuck the contraption into a battery powered drill, insert one end of the sandpaper in the slot, and pull the trigger. Nice, tight roll every time with little fuss.

[Bill Huber]

ok, maybe I am just screwed up... oh waite, I know I am screwed up but for me changing the paper has been a real pain. I have a Jet 10-20, It has spring clips on each end of the drum that tension the paper.

1. Unrolling the paper is a fun job, it is so tight that it does not like to be unrolled and you have to fight it just to get started.
2. Every roll I have gotten from Jet or Klingspor have all been to long, even with the paper into the clip as far as it will go it is still to long. I have to cut a little off one end to get it to fit correct.
3. In the past I would get the the paper on and then try it and it would lap over itself at some point and I would have to work on it until I got it flat again, this would happen 2 to 4 times before it would stay like it should.

This time, after the wax, I cut a little of one end and rolled it onto the drum, put the other end in the clip, kind of moved the paper back and forth and then tightened the clips again and started using it.

It has work fine, I have sanded about 50 foot of board though it and it still looks fine.

Now on rolling the paper back up, that's not a problem, it rolls itself up.

[Wade Lippman]

Unrolling is easy. Rolling, especially to get the roll anywhere near tight difficult on the fingers. I took a 5" long piece of 3/4" copper pipe and soldered a cap through it. Before soldering, I drilled a 1/4" hole in the cap and placed a 1/4-20x 1 1/2" bolt through it. I took a pneumatic cutoff wheel and cut a 3 1/2" long slot in opposite sides of the other end. (cutoff wheel opposite to hacksaw because it created a wider cut) Now I chuck the contraption into a battery powered drill, insert one end of the sandpaper in the slot, and pull the trigger. Nice, tight roll every time with little fuss.

Any pictures of the procedure? It is hard to visualize.
My new Supermax 19-38 is better than my old Jet 16-32, but it is still a pain.

I might try the wax; if it lets you slide the paper around easier it would solve half the problem.