Open end widebelt vs. drum sander

[Nathan Roelofs]

I am looking for input from those of you who own or have experience with the 15" open end wide belt sanders. I own a 25" General Int. drum sander that I bought new about a year ago. At this time of purchase, I was also looking at the open end wide belts that are on the market (Powermatic, Sunhill, et. al.). I decided to go with the drum sander because it was rougly half the cost of the cheapest new belt sander and seemed to satisfy most of my needs. I now have the opportunity to buy a used 15" wide belt sander for about the same dollars that my drum sander would bring on the used market.

The main reason that I am even considering this is the abililty to sand cross grain with better results (cabinet doors, etc.). My hesitation is the obvious trade-off in continuous sanding width. I think this is the only advantage to my drum sander. There is also the belt life to consider, ease of changing grits, etc.

I know what my drum sander can do. Can anyone share their experience with their open end wide belt? I am interested mainly in the ability to sand wider than 15" by flipping the piece. Can the tendency to leave a ridge in the middle be adjusted out of the machine? Is is possible to easily flatten a wider than 15" panel (meaning even rail/stile joints without making the panel less than flat)? Any other input or comments?

Thanks in advance.

[Todd Burch]

My hands are still dirty from unpacking the crate of my new 15" open ended Bridgewood wide belt sander this morning (argggh, argggh). Seeing as I haven't even turned it on yet, I have no first hand experience. However, I went through the same research (or similar) that you are going through now.

Also, I have a friend that has the same machine that I bought, and I bought it on his recommendation.

First, I threw out the idea of getting a drum sander pretty quickly. For throughput, the wide belt was the way to go.

My next question was flipping the piece to get a 30" wide piece sanded. My friend's answer was that it worked fine (he did not say perfect), and that any rigde left sanded out very quickly WHEN YOU WERE DOING YOUR FINAL SANDING BY HAND OR ROS ANYWAY. (sorry for yelling).

It takes more time for the machine to stop spinning when you turn it off than it does to swap a belt. I don't think a drum sander can complete. I bought sun gold belts from Wilke @ $14.95 each, but Klingspor belts can be had for much less (I've since figured out... duh). Anywhere from $11 to $14., depending on grit, and they have a better selection too.

Service from Wilke has been great.

If I can ask, why are you sanding cross grain? Are you referring to sending a framed paneled door through, thereby cross grain sanding the top & bottom rails?

Have you considered a stroke sander? For about $1800, you can get a new decent one. I would have got one, but I don't have the floorspace for one right now.

Todd.

[Nathan Roelofs]

Yes, the cross grain sanding comes from the top/bottom rails of doors. I hear that a widebelt will handle this operation with less scratching due to oscillation and the ability to quickly change grits. Any thoughts on this? Good luck with the new machine. I've looked at Bridgewood for other items (12" jointer), but ended up buying from vendors on the west coast due to shipping costs.

I would love a stroke sander for finish sanding, but I don't have the space. I also need the ability to control thickness (ala drum sander or wide belt sander).

Thanks for your help.

[Pat S]

Nathan,

Some of the 15" wide belt sanders have 3 wheels and a platten and some have 2 wheels and no platten. To get the performance of the large belt sanders without the ripples of drum sanders the platten is a great help. A platten sands on a flat surface and a wheel sands on a single point. Any up and down movement on a single point makes a ripple.

Some of the 15" belt sanders have a extension that comes off the side of the elevating drive belt unit that supports the work. This is a great help when sanding face frames and doors. I have sanded face frames and doors with a new top end Timesaver belt sander and it leaves scratches on the crossgrain. Here the open end sander has an advantage, you can just sand one edge at a time and let the rest of the frame stick out.

I have worked in a shop with a stroke sander. It was rarely used. Too hard to sand evenly. It's like using a belt sander.