On 3/24/2018 7:50 AM, Meanie wrote:
On 3/24/2018 12:09 AM, Leon wrote:
Meanie wrote:
I'm contemplating the purchase of a bench top planer. After looking
around for a used machine, I often thought about a vertical drum sander
instead. Obviously, I know the difference between the two but they
basically do the same thing. Therefore, seeking the sage advice, could I
get by with a sander instead of a planer?


A vertical sander?

A horizontal drum sander performs a similar function as a planer.

Before any one can advise you on which to get you must first tell us why
you want either one.


I meant horizontal.

Main reason is to even out the "plane" after gluing boards together for
a larger piece.

The planer should come first, to flatten roughsawn boards efficiently
and to be sure your boards are the exact same thickness before you glue
them up.

At one time I thought I wanted a horizontal drum sander, but I did not
have the necessary budget, dust collection or shop space. By necessity,
I learned how to improve my gluing technique to keep the boards even in
the first place, and how to use my hand planes and scrapers to level the
inevitable differences. I now have the budget and space for a sander,
but no desire to own one. I enjoy using my skills, and prefer a
planed/scraped surface to one that has been abraded. The last big panel
I made was about 3' x 5', made up of five boards. It took less than an
hour to bring both sides flat and parallel, ready for finish.

If you are not doing production work, and don't want to learn the manual
skills, find a local shop that will run your panels through their
sander. My brother-in-law had a 24" x 50" coffee table top sanded for
about $15.