wrote:

I don't think this is a crazy idea but...

All crazy ideas are initially described that way.

I'm having a heck of a time finding someone with a drum sander to a 42"
wide table top I've glued up. You can now rent floor sanders that are
essentially 4 random orbit sanders. My understanding is that they're
not very aggressive (although more so than the big square orbital
sander)

Why wouldn't this be a good way to sand my table top? Has anyone tried
it? The material is white oak.

It'd probably work. Not sure how dead flat it would get it and how dead
flat you really need it.

In my situation, having to drive to rent the sander, lugging it back,
sanding the table top, returning the sander, paying the rental fee and
buying however much paper I'd used...well, I'd be more likely to use
planes and scraper planes. It's more work, but I'm cheap, I like
planes and the exercise is good for you (at least I'll believe that
until next week when they'll come out with a new study saying
otherwise!). I doubt the sander would save you enough hours to
compensate for the travel, rental and gym club membership unless your
glued up top isn't very flat to start with.

R