Woodmaster Sandpaper

[Leigh Betsch]

I bought a used Woodmaster drum sander (3875) a few months ago. I need to replace the sandpaper. Does anyone have a recomendation for the grit I should buy? I plan to sand some shop cut cherry veneer as well as cherry and maple hardwood. I want the best finish I can achieve but I'm concerned that if I get too fine of grit the wood will burn. So far I've been using the 100 grit that was on the drum when I bought it. Does anyone have a better source for 6" wide felt backed paper, Woodmaster gets $60 for a 25 ft roll 6" wide 100 grit.

[Jim Tobias]

Leigh,
I have the 3875 and use paper from Woodmaster. I have looked but have not found a better deal on "good sandpaper". I use grits all the way to 220 and fidn that feed speed and pressure are more important in preventing burn. You just have to play around wiht it a little and get a feel for speed and pressure on certain woods. I typically keep 100 on half the roller and 150 on the other half unless I am sanding something wide.
Nice sander, you will love it. I use it instead of planer on some exotics and figured wood. Slower but sure!

Jim

[Leigh Betsch]

thanks looks like I'll be ordering from Woodmaster

[Dick Jones]

I get my paper from this source Half the price and excellent quality.
http://www.onlineindustrialsupply.com/6indrsaro.html

[Larry Edgerton]

I just bought a woodmaster 2675, and was just starting to look into that. I buy a lot of my abrasives from Klingspor, so I was going to call them first. If I find anything good Ill let you know.

Cold spell is finally over so I'm going to be warming up the shop again, $758 dollars last month! Ouch!

Will get that plane out when I'm back working. I did land a small laundry cabinet job today. Hooray! I can pay my heat bill.

I got that blade, thank you very much and you should have that check about now as well.

Larry

[Bruce Page]

I have only used the Woodmaster paper but I've been happy with it and will probably buy it from them again.

[Leigh Betsch]

The cold spell is coming back here. Almost made it above freezing today but the weekend has highs of 6 or 7. So back into the deep freeze for us. Big shops do cost to heat up here. My shop is 20' x 50' and another 15' x 20' kennel for the hounds + 16' x 16' that I also heat cause if I don't the water will freeze up. So I know where you're come'in from on the heating cost. Hope your work load picks up.
Let me know about the Klingspor. Dicks lead is really not to bad for price if it is good stuff.
I hate to say it but I actually work for a sandpaper make'in company (3M), we don't make sandpaper at our location though. I searched the company web site and I really can't buy anything cheaper than any of the general public unless I get a deal on some reject material. And reject material in the right size/grit is hard to find some times. A couple of months ago I needed finishing paper so I bought $38 at the company web site, had it sent to my home. About 2 weeks later I got a deal on some reject stuff. Bought 10x the amount for $4. But to find a deal on reject paper for my drum sander will probably take a year. Hope the blade works well for you.

[Chip Lindley]

Leigh, there are plenty of sanding roll bargains out there, 4" to 6" wide and in long lengths, but finding *felt-backed* will be the trick. Good Luck!

[Leigh Betsch]

Anybody ever try to glue on felt to bare backed paper? I haven't taken the paper off my drum yet so I don't really know what the felt looks like. Will paper narrower than 6" work?

[Rob Cunningham]

I buy 6" rolls for my Woodmaster from either Supergrit Abrasives or Klingspor. Any width paper should work on the sander. I don't think you would have much success gluing felt on bare backed paper.

[Robert Payne]

Klingspor's Woodworking Shop has 6" H&L rolls (http://www.woodworkingshop.com/cgi-bin/9507D244/mac/qryitems.mac/itemDisplay?lenSgDsc=3R6KHOOK%20AND%20LOOP%20ROLLS %20-%206%22%20WIDE&qryType=GRPSG&group=ROLLS) that are 25 meters long in grits from 40 to 220 -- I generally use 100 and finer grits on my 26" Woodmaster and they run < $70 per roll.

[Joe Chritz]

Leigh, I don't know about gluing on felt, it is likely not worth the effort.

Any width paper that can wrap the drum will work, for example I run 6" on my drums (which I cut from a stroke sanding belt) but if I buy the hook and loop kit is calls for 4". That is likely because it is cheaper or more available, who knows. Obviously you will need longer strips of narrower paper to make the full wrap and will have to experiment to get the ends right if you don't have one as a master.

I haven't found any better deal then getting sanding belts in some multiple of the size needed and cutting them down. I forget what the length was that I bought but I got three wraps for the drum out of one belt. This won't work for hook and loop however.

Joe

[Louis Reed]

Jim Tobias, I have the same woodmaster you have and I also use it more than my planer. However, I have not tried splitting sandpaper grades on the roller, great idea ! Do you just stop and tape, then start the second grit with tape as you would when applying a single grit 38" wide ?

I have been using 150 and 220 at medium speed and have never had burning. I bought this machine three years ago for a large kitchen cabinet job not thinking I would use it so often. I use this sander every day and strongly recommend this american made product to small shop woodworkers. :)

Louis Reed
Northern Calif.

[Jim Tobias]

Louis,
Yes, exactly. Juts cut 2 pieces (different grits) instead of 1 long piece. Put the same tapers on the end(I always use an old piece that fit well as a cutting guide). In most cases I don't need to tape the ends as long as I have the sandpaper on in the right direction in relation to the tapers (hope that makes sense). If you find that it is coming loose at the ends, then use a little narrow packing tape.
I always use a piece of blue painters tape to mark on the top where the changeover point is between ther 2 different grits.
I probably use my woodmaster as much as any tool in the shop.
Jim

[Robert LaPlaca]

I use mostly 120 or 100 grit on my Woodmaster drum (2675). Most of the sandpaper that I have used has come from Klingspor, although last time I bought paper I purchased it from Woodmaster directly (Mirka brand abrasive). The 25 meter roll from Klingspor is enough for 10 reloads on the 2675, I think it yields 8 on a 3875..