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Thread: Need advice about drum sander paper selection.

  1. #1

    Need advice about drum sander paper selection.

    I just purchased a second hand 16-32 drum sander. Im looking for some advice on what brand paper rolls and feed belt to use.

    Id rather hear from people that use their drum sander on an everyday basis for hours at a time. In particular, what type of grit do you use/brand. My objective is to feed my stock from the planer to the drum sander with minimal hand sanding involved.

    I have a Dewalt 735dx which leaves a fairly decent surface.

    Would using a 120-150 grit belt be sufficient for most finishes. This grit seems to be fine for my oscillating belt sander in most cases.

    I would rather avoid using a 220 belt to sand off the planer for fear it would gum up to quickly, but if i am mistaken please let me know.

    This recommendation would also need to include media type. Whether garnet, aluminum oxide or Zirconia

    Wood species would vary in hardness from Cypress heartwood to Black Walnut and sometimes Curly or hard maple.


    I will be sanding panels and thin flat stock.

    Thanks,


    Added:

    This Paper seems to be a high quality.

    https://www.fintechabrasives.com/san...-sanding-rolls
    Last edited by Robert Wolf; 10-25-2016 at 8:25 PM. Reason: Typographical errors.

  2. #2
    I have a 2 drum sander and run 80 grit on the first drum and 100 on the 2nd. When I had a single drum sander I mostly used 100 grit.

    I buy abrasives from Klingspor. They sell rolls that are marked out with cut lines color coded for different size machines. This is resin-over-resin cloth backed paper and it lasts for many hours of use.

  3. #3
    I use 100 grit in mine and I definitely have to sand after that. I mostly used my drum sander to sand thin stock and stock that would not work well in a planer (because of chip out). I've never thought of it as a finish sander.

    [Highly figured stock will often have chips taken out of the surface by the planer. It's really upsetting to get the stock close to the thickness you want and then have these big "dings" in it. The drum sander is slower but safer for that kind of stock. I can use the planer to get within maybe 1/8" (sometimes more) of the final thickness, and then I go to the sander. If I get some dings, they're usually taken out by the drum sander. It all depends on how the wood behaves in the planer.]

    Mike
    Go into the world and do well. But more importantly, go into the world and do good.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    Edmonton, Canada
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    A few things to watch for:
    - Take very light passes (this is probably the single most common source of problems people have with drum sanders). Then the sand paper burns and so does the wood.
    - I have a double (this is my 2nd sander) and use 80/120 and works well. You still have to do hand sanding (or ROS) afterwards. Even when you think it's good you still might see the strikes of the drum sander after you apply finish. So be watchful of that.
    - I have switched from Aluminum oxide to Zirconia and I find it's much better than Aluminum oxide; it's more $ but lasts longer and less burning.

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