best drum sander?

[BigJim]

I am wondering what kind of drum sander to purchase. I currently have a performax 10-20 and not satisfied.
Oh it does ok but being a cantileaver style, I feel concerned about running more than one piece at a time through it. I can feel the pressure ease up on one lamination as the other goes through. Am thinking about a supermax 25. Please help with feed back.

thanks, BigJim

[Diamondback59]

HI BIGJIM  I BOUGHT A JET  A FEW MONTHS BACK  IV TRYED 3 OR 4 DIFFRENT ONES AND THIS ONES  THE BEST IV GOT  HOPE THAT HELPS YA GOOD LUCK BROCK

[Brandon Stahl]

[BigJim]

Good advise guys. I am looking into the supermax and possibly a wide belt sander. There is nothing wrong with the performax except that I don't like the cantilever style and I will only run 1 piece of a time.

anybody have any experience with supermax?

thanks, BigJim

[Holm-Made]

Big J, I have the performax 10-20 as well.  What I do is run 2-3 lams through it til I get close then just one.  When I get within 5 thousands of where I want to be I stop adjusting the height.  I flip the lam over and run it through then swap it end for end and run it through.  The last 3 trips through the sander true every thing up and I lose a few thousandths in the process WITHOUT ADJUSTING THE HEIGHT.  Takes a little extra time but the lams come out perfect.  More true then anything I ever bought from a supplier.  

I'd like a bigger sander some time but I get very good results with what I have.  What I don't like about the 10-20 is the belt tracks all over.  
Chad

[kennym]

Exactly what Chad said is how I do em,takes more time,but worth it! I have a Griz widebelt,had to adjust a couple times,but it has stayed true since.

[BigJim]

Kenny- do you like your griz wide belt? What model do you have? I like the ease of changing sandpaper.
I make all my own lams including tapers and as far as I can tell, This is the only step left in my bow production process that I can speed up without sacrificing quality.
I do my lambs the same as you guys described, but when I run more than one through at a time, I must have a good hold on them or one may come flying out of the back of the machine.
The supermax shoppro 25 looks to be a good non cantilever style drum sander, but I have no feedback on it.

thanks guys, BigJim

[kennym]

Emailed ya Jim...

[Glenn Newell]

I have a Performax 10-20 as well and I do the same as Chad does with grinding the laminations, they come out spot-on. I am glad to see that I am not the only one having tracking problems with the Performax belt, I had to take the guides off mine so as not to damage the feed belt...Glenn...

[BigJim]

I havn't had any tracking problems after say the first month. Don't know that I have done anything different though.

Anybody use a supermax?

thanks, BigJim

[greyhawk_39]

Howdy big Jim I have a 16x32 performax and have used it for 8 yrs with out anyproblem.I have only had to change the sanding belts and one conveyor belt because I didnt notice in time and it caught and ripped it.When I put the new one on I had to adjust and everything is fine.It has alot of power when feeding stock into it I have dimmed the lights in the house when I got to rammy with my wood on risers getting the glue off...but don't give up on the performax...thanks...hawk.

[Cupcake]

I have the Jet 10-20, which is the same as the Performax.  I hade to keep after the belt tracking when first using it but now it only moves a bit and if you watch it you can tweak it as you work.

I use a similar procedure to Chad's and have also found that keeping the drum height set and slowing down the feed rate will remove a few thousandths more stock.

I have been able to get accuracy as good as the lams I have gotten from Kenny with his fancy set-up.

[Tunames]

While you're all on here talking about sanders. I too have the 10-20 and am just geting started.Right now working on making a "sled" for tapered lams. Have some lams from Binghams .002's. Any advice ?

[BigJim]

I laminated multiple pieces of oak and then trued them for my sled. This way you are less likely to have your sled warp.

Then I used two sided tape and stuck a tapered lam to it and glued a small piece of phenolic at the thin end of the taper.

Works fine.

BigJim

[Tunames]

Big Jim thats exactly what I did step for step...
Great minds think alike they say!
I used red oak and no phenolic. Do you use two sided tape to hold the lams on that your making?

[BigJim]

Tunames -  I never have and don't really see the need. I also do 40+ pieces in a sanding session and this would really slow things down. If however I weren't getting accurate lams, I would do what I had to.

BigJim

[Tunames]

OK thanks sounds like I'm on the right track...

[Buemaker]

Interesting, has there been any improvement in sanding machines since 2008. I wonder why no company is buiding a sander after the same principle as a planer, but with a sanding drum or sanding belt  instead of the cutter knives. I think this would be the most accurate. bue--.

[PV]

My Delta is three years old with a few thousand lams put though it.Still grinds true.Use the heck out of it for other projects as well.No problems with the sander yet.My WOODEN sleds will sometimes move a few thousanth's.If I get a pair of lams that are off I check the sander with a piece of 8/4 stock at least 6" wide and 36 " long.SO far it's been the sleds and not the sander thats been off....

[2treks]

Buemaker, Grizzly makes a couple of different small drum sanders like you mention. General equipment does as well. I have not used the General but the Grizz does good work but they are known to break a cheap plastic gear in the feed belt motor.I had to replace one in a machine I borrowed for testing. The General is a pretty nice machine and will set in my shop one day.Soon I hope.
I know about 6 or 8 bowyers now that have the Delta,They all love it.
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