marc rosen wrote:
Hello All,
I just acquired a drum sander and was looking over the available
grits and applications in the owners manual. My goal was to use it
mostly for finish sanding with occassional rough sanding or glue
line removal. I have thickness planer too and a sampling of hand
held sanders from over the years. So I guess my question is ; What
do you use you drum sander for and what grit wraps are you using
the most? (My current project is a cherry bed and a dining room
table, chairs to follow).
Thanks in advance for your opinions and suggestions.
1. #50 for surfacing rough lumber and/or dimensioning. I like it
better than coarser paper (cloth, actually)...not as stiff and just
about as fast.
2. #80 to smooth up from the #50 and/or dimensioning depending on how
much I want to take off.
3. #120 after the #80.
I *have* used up to #180 but rarely...just about as easy/fast to use a
1/2 sheet sander for finer grits starting with the same grit as the
last used on the drum.
I don't know why these guys are griping about sanding marks...abrasive
paper makes marks no matter what tool is used. The machine is NOT
hard to set up or to keep in alignment.
With the #50 paper I'll cut off up to 1/16 per pass depending on wood
hardness and width. With #80, generally 1/32. With #120, never more
than 1/48.
It is important to realize that with any grit the wood will not be
thinned by the amount set in just one pass. Additional passes at the
same depth setting will take off more wood. That is important to
know - particulary with finer grits - because trying to take off too
much is likely to burn and glaze the abrasive which will in turn burn
the wood. There is nothing wrong with increasing depth of cut after
each pass; it all depends on the amount and the wood but 2-3 passes as
last ones will give a better surface.
Yes, commercial belt/drum sanders are lots faster. One also has to
haul your wood to and fro. I'd rather do it myself and my 10 year old
16/32 has been one of the most used - and useful - tools I've ever
owned.
--
dadiOH
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