Dust Related Gloats

[Mike Cutler]

Well, I gotta a few new toys lately. First off is the new Performax 16-32 sander. This is a really nice machine, I don't totally have the hang of it yet, but I like it. I'm having trouble with long wide stock, I just can't seem to get the drum head pressure set right. It starts out fine but then begins to bog down and trips the motor. I'll get the hang of it eventually. The sander is really nice for the smaller stuff. 2nd on the list is a new Fein Vacuum. I can't believe I'm 45 years old and a new Vac trips my trigger. My old vacuum finally blew it's bearings :D after 15 years. If I'd a known how nice the Fein was. I'd a put degreaser in those bearings years ago. The only machine in my shop louder than this vacuum was the 15" Jet planer, this baby was loud. The Fein is really quiet. I looked at the Festools and they were really nice also, but I needed a vacuum immediately and couldn't wait for the drop ship ( I've got a Shop-Vac that may need replacing soon tho.... now where'd I'd put that degreaser :p ). Anyways here are the pics for Tyler and the Pic's Police. Any tips on the Sander would be mucho appreciated. Thanks

[Scott Coffelt]

Your taking too big a bite. Keep in mind that it is best used with very lite passes. 1/4 turn max. Your sandpaper will also last longer. This is a sander not a planer. You have to be patient and also keep the belts clean.

[Cecil Arnold]

Assuming that you are not taking too much bite on the piece, unplug the unit and take the circut breaker out and replace it. I had a simuliar problem and even though I turned the crank about 1/8 turn, it would still kick the unit's breaker. I bought two breakers, one a 15a (I think) which is what comes in the unit, and another 20a breaker, just in case. I replaced the origional with the one rated the same and it has worked well since. I meantioned this to Performax when I talked to them about an unrelated problem (broke the feed belt, my own fault but they replaced it for free anyway) and they said that there were occasional problems with with elecrtonic components. I think that should be expected and that we can't hold them responcible for an ocasional bad breaker. If you are using the unit on a 15a circut and the unit's breaker is going I think you can safely assume the unit breaker is bad.

[Bruce Page]

I think I was 52 when I bought my Fien vac and it still trips my trigger!:D

Congrats on the new sander too!

[Greg Heppeard]

To me, it sounds like the problem with the Performax is no support on the long, wide lumber. Try to use outfeed rollers and place them slightly higher than the feed belt on the sander and about 3 feet away from the sander.

Nice gloat, I'm seriously considering a nice Fein vac for my shop really soon. Been using them at the store for over 3 years...no problems at all with them.

[Mike Cutler]

Greg. That's the first I've heard to set the outfeed table slightly above. In the manual it addressed the issue by indicating to place the outfeed table slightly lower, I'm assuming to allow for bowing. In all fairness to the machine the material I was pre sanding was 13' long,12" wide Jatoba boards that were 1" thick. This is some heavy wood. I was able to get it done, but as I posted I tripped the motor more than a few times in the learning process. Regardless of my ineptitude, I like the machine alot.
Scott you're correct. When I first got it I was trying to take too much at once. The technique I arrived at was to let the material feed thru with the drum off and find the highest spot that causes the drum to turn. Set it there and begin to sand. I then go in ~1/6 to 1/4 turns. I also found that a faster feed speed worked well.
My initial impressions of the machine are very favorable, I see it saving me a grunch of finish work time. I was impressed with the free stand that came with the sander. Usually these things are really cheap flimsy items. The performax stand is quite robust and very solid.

[Daniel Rabinovitz]

Mike
I think that you are taking too deep of a cut (read that sand)
Try only a twelft of a turn. (is twelft a word?)
On a pizza - 2 lines between each quarter.
So 3 adjustments to each quarter on the circle.
Duh! does that make sense?
Daniel :D
Ok, OK - I went and got the dictionary - I need an "H" added on. The word is twelfth.
Which reminds me of the film "My Cousin Vinny"
The phrase read - "These two youts"
The judge said - "What was that word? - youts - What's a yout?"
The actor said - "Yea - youts" "All right, all right - These two youths"

[Kevin Beck]

I've got the same Fein vacumn. Now if the wife would just let me borrow it back I'd be okay :)

Kevin

[Greg Tatum]

Nice gloat but I want to know what you are gonna do with a 13' 12" wide chunk of Jatoba :)

Greg

[Mike Cutler]

Greg. The Jatoba is being made into an integrated Library shelf/ desk system. The desk area is 27" wide and 10' long and will be comprised of 2 wide lower shelves that run full span. the top itself is 1' thick and is just slightly longer an wider than the shelves. Set on top of the desk top will be 2 more seperate book shelves, each one will be 45" long and 11" wide and will be 52" tall, and have 4 evenly spaced shelves. These will sit on top of the desktop and on either side of a window that the desktop will be centered under. The Jatoba has come in widths of 9-15" and man is it heavy in the rough. The design of the project is based on the free standing bookshelf I made earlier, that was a copy of the piece "Making Waves" by C Michael Vogt. When it's finished I'll be sure to post pics. Ive also got a door and frame to make out of the Jatoba that will be the entrance to the library.

[Tyler Howell]

Nice Haul, Love the Fein;)