WoodMaster Drum Sander Update

[Doug Mason]

I picked up a Woodmaster 3875 drum sander (made in 1999) around three months ago. Well, after using it for maybe 2 hrs total time, the copper bushings on both the front/rear cylinders gave out. Why this happened I'm not sure? I suspect it had happened on the rear cylinder before I bought it, and by using it I wore out the copper bushing on the front cylinder. So I called up WM for advise. What I found is that I was talking to salespeople who had never taken the machine apart (even though it is a fairly simple machine)--so I didn't get the best feedback on the best fix. Eventually, I was put into contact with a guy off-site named Berry (I think he used to work there?) who knew the machines inside out and got me on the right track.

On the newer machines the front cylinder has ballbearing (mine didn't), so I ordered and installed a new cylinder, per below:

123639

Below you can see the old cylinder with the copper bushing and the new one with ballbearings:

123640

Per below, on the rear wheel cylinder, I just put in a new copper bushing. In writing this, I wonder if the rear cylinders have bearings as well--or is it just the front cylinders?

123641

So this process has been bittersweet--in that while the new parts are inexpensive, I have wasted alot of my time (very valuable) working on the machine; but on the other hand, as with any tool you fix up, I know how the dang thing works now!

[David DeCristoforo]

The WM sander has gone through a lot of changes over the years. Why it was ever designed with bushings on the drum shaft(s) is incomprehensible. But it was and as you mentioned, "later" models incorporated ball bearings. I encountered a similar design glitch on mine. What happened was that, somehow, the threads on one of the elevating posts got stripped. It looked like a pretty simple task to pull the shaft out and replace it. But...NOT! As it turned out, the only way to get the shaft out of the machine was to cut it into several pieces, leaving the section that was threaded through the flange on the bed in place and then unscrewing that piece after the upper and lower sections were removed. !?!?!?!? Newer machines have a "breakaway" on the flanges that can be removed to pull the shaft out. So what should have taken a few hours at most took a whole day. But, I do have to say that, even though the technician I spoke with was obliged to hand me several "unfortunatelys", he was as helpful and polite as he could be and I got the necessary parts sent to me promptly so that my "down time: was kept to a minimum.

I would still encourage anyone to buy one of these machines. They are well made and reasonably priced and, as mentioned, the later models have a lot of improvements over the early ones. Anytime you buy a used machine, you run the risk of encountering problems that might not be apparent when you initially inspect the machine. Such is the "nature of the beast". Why your bushings "gave out" after only a few hours of run time? Probably just bad timing.....

[Bruce Page]

Doug, I’m pretty sure that they are oil impregnated bronze bushings and not copper but I’m surprised that they didn’t use ball bearings from the get go. :confused:
I’ll have to take a look and see what mine has.

[Chip Lindley]

I am amazed that the pricy Woodmasters (even older machines) did not have ball bearings on the conveyor cylinders (more commonly called *rollers*) The Woodmaster, otherwise, is a very solid drum sander with great reputation. Those bearing inserts are a bronze (or babbit) material, rather than copper. They work well under light loading, but wear easily with heavy use! They have no grease inserts, and lubrication is *iffy* at best.

I had this same issue with a Grizzly G1066 24" DS! Babbit inserts front and rear, but on the machine frame, rather than contained inside the ends of the conveyor rollers. As can be seen below, the bearings were worn to a taper from the tension needed to track the conveyor belt.

I found some nice used commercial *take-up* bearings for the adjustable front, and flange bearings for the stationary rear. I made my own mounting plates that bolt right to the Grizz As Is. That *babbit issue* will never come up again!

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

copper bushings

Huh? I think you mean brass or bronze but not copper.
I can't see copper a sticky gooey spall prone metal as a bearing surface.

[Bruce Page]

Cliff, did you ever machine ofhc copper? Gawd, I hated that stuff!

[Doug Mason]

Yes - I meant bronze; and I'm very pleased with this machine--everything about it is heavy-duty and well-built. This is just a bump in the road.