Drum Sander Advice

[Josh Baldwin]

Hey everyone so I've decided I need a drum sander, ha, or at least I want one. I know that a wide belt would be better, but I don't have the budget for it and I really don't want an old used one that I have to fix. I'm also running single phase in my shop.

I'm torn between the Supermax 37x2 and the Woodmaster 38". I like that the Woodmaster is made in the US. It seems like a beefier unit. However, the Supermax is a little cheaper and comes with 2 drums.

Any thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated. I am also keeping an eye out for a used sander, but haven't found the right one yet.

[Bruce Page]

I have had the 26” Woodmaster for a number of years. I haven’t used a double drum sander, so I don’t know how big of an advantage that is. The Woodmaster is built like a tank but it does have a large footprint.

[George Waldner]

I don't know why anyone would want two drums, but maybe I don't know better.

[Michael Burnside]

I don't know why anyone would want two drums, but maybe I don't know better.

From what I understand when I was looking, you can have two different grits setup. I think you only sand with one drum at a time. I could be wrong though. I love my 19/38, but the Woodmaster looks pretty nice too.

[andy bessette]

I don't know why anyone would want two drums, but maybe I don't know better.

So you don't have to keep changing sanding belts.

[Warren Lake]

what kind of work do you do
hobby or make a living

[John TenEyck]

I don't know why anyone would want two drums, but maybe I don't know better.

I have a two drum sander. I normally run 80 grit on the first drum and 100 grit on the second. Both drums contact the wood as the board passes through, so it sands both fast and gives a better finish than a single drum sander. If you care more about speed, then run the same grit on both drums. Two drums adds options over a single drum.

John

[Josh Baldwin]

I have had the 26” Woodmaster for a number of years. I haven’t used a double drum sander, so I don’t know how big of an advantage that is. The Woodmaster is built like a tank but it does have a large footprint.

Thanks for the feedback Bruce. They definitely seem like a good company. How simple do you find it to change the sandpaper?

[Josh Baldwin]

From what I understand when I was looking, you can have two different grits setup. I think you only sand with one drum at a time. I could be wrong though. I love my 19/38, but the Woodmaster looks pretty nice too.

Hey Michael, how long have you had the 19-38? No problems at all? Have you used it near it's full width? Just wondering how well the sand then rotate then sand again works. Thanks

[Erik Loza]

No opinion except to say that the Supermax was probably the most common drum sander I saw in small pro shops.

Erik

[Josh Baldwin]

what kind of work do you do
hobby or make a living

I make a living building custom furniture. Usually 1 piece per month.

[Josh Baldwin]

I have a two drum sander. I normally run 80 grit on the first drum and 100 grit on the second. Both drums contact the wood as the board passes through, so it sands both fast and gives a better finish than a single drum sander. If you care more about speed, then run the same grit on both drums. Two drums adds options over a single drum.

John

Hey John, which sander do you have? Would you recommend it? Thanks

[Warren Lake]

done that many years stroke sander a better choice.

[Bruce Page]

Thanks for the feedback Bruce. They definitely seem like a good company. How simple do you find it to change the sandpaper?

Changing the paper is not hard at all. You might struggle the first couple of times getting the layout right (I did) but the Velcro system makes it easy to readjust.

[John TenEyck]

Hey John, which sander do you have? Would you recommend it? Thanks

I have a General Int'l 24" that I bought lightly used around 10 years ago. It has a 3 HP motor and I often wish for more, but it does a very good job and has never given me a lick of trouble. The perforated rubber like conveyor belt is top notch and has never needed tracking adjustment. Sanding strip changes are easy and the clips hold securely. Thickness is limited to something around 6". That hasn't been a limitation for me but could be for some. It also would not be a good choice if you need a full 24" of sanding width. My friend has a Steel City with a 25" drum and thickness limit of about 12". Otherwise, the two machines look identical. His would be a better choice if the limitations I mentioned were critical. If not, either machine would work well. I sand hundreds of feet of shop sawn veneer with mine, sometimes as thin as 0.025". I'm very happy with it.

John