Planer and/or Drum Sander Question

[Joe Chritz]

15" straight knife planer and a 24" dual drum here. I opted to use the upgrade money for a 20" and a spiral head to get a drum sander.

It isn't a wide belt (which I have within 8 miles I can rent) but it is infinitely useful for so many things.

If you do lots of case work with 5 piece doors you will love the drum sander. I wouldn't be comfy running a 5 panel door through a planer, even with a spiral head because of the cross grain section.

Other things are much easier also, like end grain cutting boards, narrow strips for laminations, shop sawn veneers, etc.

Someday I will likely get a spiral for the 15" planer but for now the drum works when needed. I am not full time production and if I was I would likely have both. Especially if I am paying someone else's wages.

Joe

[Joe Jensen]

Joe, sounds like you are running assembled doors throught the drum sander? Is this to get the rail/style joints flush? How hard is it to remove the cross grain sanding marks from the drum sander? thanks...joe

15" straight knife planer and a 24" dual drum here. I opted to use the upgrade money for a 20" and a spiral head to get a drum sander.

It isn't a wide belt (which I have within 8 miles I can rent) but it is infinitely useful for so many things.

If you do lots of case work with 5 piece doors you will love the drum sander. I wouldn't be comfy running a 5 panel door through a planer, even with a spiral head because of the cross grain section.

Other things are much easier also, like end grain cutting boards, narrow strips for laminations, shop sawn veneers, etc.

Someday I will likely get a spiral for the 15" planer but for now the drum works when needed. I am not full time production and if I was I would likely have both. Especially if I am paying someone else's wages.

Joe

[bob cohen]

Many of the sanders I've looked at allow you to run stock as short as 2 1/2 inches through it. Try that with a planer!

[Joe Chritz]

Joe I do run assembled door through the sander. Started a while ago renting time on a wide belt then I got my drum sander. The wide belt leaves fewer scratches since it is such a nice machine but even with the drum it isn't hard.

I run 100 and 120 grit on the drums. I used stroke sanding belts cut to fit the drums (you get 3 for the 24" from one big belt) and I ROS the rails with 80 grit. I switch to 120 and do the whole door as normal. Continue to whatever grit you would normally stop at. If you drop one grit is seems to make the scratches remove easy. Hickory and maple were a bit tougher but still much faster all around.

You have to remember with RP to make sure the panels are raised to be flush front and back if full thickness. Obviously flat panels are no problem. I just made some set up blocks that are at the right settings and I leave the material about .050 fat pre glue up.

I usually have the back flush as well and sand that all with the 6" and do the front with the 5" to keep from rounding anything over.

Joe

[Peter Quinn]

15" planer and a 22" performax pro here. I like having both. I can tune in loose tennons and splines to within thousands with the sander, tougher to do on my planer. For shop made veneer the sander is real handy where most planers would produce confetti.

I worked in a millwork shop with a 24" spiral head planer and a widebelt, seems there are uses for both machines in any event. I hate sanding out cross grain scratches, particularly on full size passage doors, and do everything in my power during construction to avoid drum sanding doors or face frames, sometimes it still happens.

I have yet to see a planer cut I would consider 'finish quality', though as per above post careful set up of the planer greatly effects cut quality. Of course the drum/widebelt sander isn't really a finish quality product IMO either, but it gets you closer than most planers. I could see a perfectly adjusted spiral head planer with sharp knives iliminating the need for drum sanding most panels, I just never seem to find mine in that condition!

[Jeff Duncan]

I use the DDS on doors also and have it setup for 100/150 on the sander then start at 120 on the ROS and sand up to whatever grit needed.
Removing cross grain scratches isn't that hard and is still much, much, faster and flatter than attempting to sand with just the ROS by itself.

good luck,
JeffD