V-Drum Sander from Stockroom Supply

[tgiro]

I had been reading about the Sand-Flee and was really put off by the price. While visiting a Woodworkers Show, in Chantilly, VA, I came across the Stockroom Supply booth and watched the demos with their version of surface drum sander. I was impressed enough to buy the kit. All the basic kit gets you is the drum, bearings, belt & pulleys, and a couple 10 meter rolls of sand paper. For a little extra and they throw in the table top. Show price was $268 US.

I got the smallest kit which has an 18-inch X 2-in diameter drum. If you get the 24 or 30 inch kit, they come with a 4-inch diameter drum.

With the kit, they send a DVD with instructions and videos of how to cut and assemble the box for it. The motor, new, costs around $60, but you can get used ones for 0 - 25$.

I have to sat the whole thing went together very easily - probably took me all of 4 hours. And it works great! I have never gotten such smooth even finishes with my belts and orbital sanders. And it doesn't chew up fretwork panels like the orbital will. I'll gladly recommend it.

These folks are online @ :: Stockroom Supply - Your Online Sandpaper Store, but, if you can find & make one of Wood Magazines woodworker shows, you'll see one in action and get another 10-15% off the prices.

[minowevie]

Congrats. My neibor has one of these. and it does work great. I would love to try to make my own. I think it would work for all kinds of things. even corian. which I don't wont to put through a thickness plainer. your friend Evie

[mrsaw]

you did a great job on that! i started to buy the baby drum sander from grizzly but the price jumped up over $100 to about $540 i was so mad i never did buy one.tom

[workin for wood]

I planed corian..it's fine.

Your sander looks good. I am personally not impressed by any of those sanders. They area all overpriced for the work they can do. If you want to sand paper off a fret, I guess it's fine, but you can't do any real work with it. It does not keep the face parrallel with the back. It doesn't even have an outfeed lift like a jointer would have. I would spend a grand and buy a delta drum sander...er well I did, but that's what I would have recommended. A machine that lasts a lifetime and does serious work with acuracy.

[Rolf]

Jeff,
What model drum sander did you buy? As I trust your judgement in tools, since you directed me to the Jet spindle sander.

A drum sander is on my list along with a new lathe and sliding miter saw.

As far as the Sand flee type sanders go, I have one and use it a lot, it is great for what I do with it, quick surface prep and also post fretwork sanding.