Performax tool gloat

[Thomas Prondzinski]

Have been drooling for months.LOML let me buy a Performax 22-44 Plus yesterday. Will be doing a kitchen cabinet job probably starting next week. Figured it would be a time saver on the raised panel doors. Also can't wait to make some veneer.Here's the pics(Chris and Tyler)


Thanks for looking Tom

[Tyler Howell]

Way to go Tom,

Looks Like some serious business going on down there.:cool:

[Frank Pellow]

I don't recognize the tool. I could go and find out what it is from the Performax web site, but I thought I would reveal my ignorance here in the expectation that there are others reading this thread who will find the answer to the question helpful.

[Thomas Prondzinski]

Frank
Its a Performax 22-44 Plus drum sander. Played with it a little last night after setup and burned some Q.sawn white oak,I guess it has a learning curve. I kept cleaning the drum but it seemed like once it was plugged no matter what I did it still plugged up the sanding head.


Tom

[Jim Becker]

Nice tool, Tom! I'm sure you'll love yours as much as I'm happy with mine.

[Brian Hale]

Frank, think of it as a thickness planer that uses a sanding drum instead of a cutterhead with blades. It's not a replacement for a planer but a nice addition as it won't cause tearout.
Brian



I don't recognize the tool. I could go and find out what it is from the Performax web site, but I thought I would reveal my ignorance here in the expectation that there are others reading this thread who will find the answer to the question helpful.

[Michael Perata]

Tom

I have the 16-32 variation. I have found I can only reasonably expect to take off a quarter turn (1/64") each pass without loading the belt up.

You can't use it as a planer and once the belt is burned, toss it.

[Jim Young]

I want one too. That one is nice and big.

[Byron Trantham]

Tom, very nice gloat! :D I have been looking at this unit for some time but I need to make some space adjustments in my shop before I can buy one. :mad:

[Jim Becker]

BTW, make yourself some folding infeed and outfeed tables. They really help with supporting larger panels and are essential to avoiding "snipe" on longer stock. I wish I would have made mine, rather than buying the OEM non-folding ones; they work great, but increase the footprint of the tool significantly.

[Jerry Bittner]

Tom, glad you like it, I know I appreciate mine. A word of lessons learned. Performax says the smallest length you can run thorugh it is 2 1/2" however, as I learned, that needs to be qualified. It depends upon the height of the piece. I tried running a piece 4" long but about 5" high and it tipped over and got jammed. Even though I raised the head up to the full length, I could not get it released. Had to saw through it to get it out. Felt stupid about the whole thing but that's not a new experience for me.

[Joseph N. Myers]

Frank
Its a Performax 22-44 Plus drum sander. Played with it a little last night after setup and burned some Q.sawn white oak,I guess it has a learning curve. I kept cleaning the drum but it seemed like once it was plugged no matter what I did it still plugged up the sanding head.


Tom
Tom,

I just got my 16/32 out this morning for some sanding of red oak panels.

You'll want to make sure that your is parallel with the bed, especially when it's new. One way to do this is take a fairly flat board, put chalk lines across it and run it through. Using a different color chalk, put more lines on the board, turn the board around, lower the drum just barely (1/16 turn) and run it through again. By looking at the chalk marks, you'll get an idea if its parallel or not. And of course, check out the instuctions.

As far as cleaning your sand paper, you'll want to use one of those "eraser" while the unit is running with your dust collector turned on. You do use a DC don't you? I clean my drum every minute or so. It only takes 15 seconds or so and it really saves the paper.

By the way, its really hard to clog up the paper with oak; pine a different story. Like some one already said, no more that 1/4 of a turn (I usually limit mine to 1/8 to start but I have one of the original 16/32 so probably different). It almost sounds like your using too fine of sand paper for too rough of board. Depending on the board and assuming it is already planed, you might want to start with 120 (80 if real rough), and work upwards. I find that the sanding is so good that I rarely go above 180, many times stopping at 150. Remember, drum sanding is so much better that ROS that you have to adjust your thinking (and grid size) between the two. This of course, depends on the type of wood your sanding.

Good luck and enjoy your new "toy".

Regards, Joe