Supermax 19-38 Drum Sander

[Mark W Pugh]

I think I'm going to pull the trigger on one. Anyone that owns one have any regrets?

[Cary Falk]

I have the 25-50 and don't regret it.

[Lee Weed]

I think I'm going to pull the trigger on one. Anyone that owns one have any regrets?

None at all, you won't regret it

[glenn bradley]

Love it. Would do it again. For me it is the perfect balance between footprint and capacity.

[Bill McNiel]

I have the 25/50 and am more than happy with it. I was looking for a used 19/38 for over a year and just when I was ready to order a new one from Acme (no tax & free shipping) I found an almost new 25/50 for $500. I cannot believe how much I use it.

[Dave Zellers]

I think I'm going to pull the trigger on one.

I'm having an envy attack.

It's at the top of my list.

One of these days ......

[Mark W Pugh]

Since I have your attention, what sandpaper grits do you use the most, and which ones should I just avoid?

I have read 80 and 120 grits pretty much does it all.

[Clay Fails]

I love mine, and use it on just about every project. I purchased a bunch of paper in the 3 pack bundles, but find I use mostly 120 and 180. The finish is good, but not what you get from a ROS. So I always finish sand with my Festool ROS anyway, so I'm just asking the drum sander to get flat and reasonably smooth. You won't regret this purchase.

[roger wiegand]

I'm getting to the point where I love mine. I've had a bit of a learning curve to take really small incremental bites to avoid dips in the board when the feed speed alters even for a fraction of a second. I find I need to keep constant hand pressure on the boards to ensure they never vary in feed rate through the sander. Still don't know how to avoid pitch buildup on the drum and resulting burned streaks-- mostly a problem after hitting a pitch pocket in cherry, though I've had them appear when sanding clear maple as well. I've found the digital thickness gauge to be completely useless. Much better off to lower the drum until it just kisses the board then go in increments of ~1/8 of a turn. It's a slower process that requires a lot more skill and attention than I might have hoped, but still produces a good result faster than using a hand sander. Probably I came into it with overblown expectations. The only other drum sander I had used before was a big industrial machine with a much more positive drive setup with powered rollers like a planer has.

Getting the sandpaper tail to "catch" in the right hand clip can be a real exercise in frustration. On the left you can see what's going on and it's easy, on the right you have to do it by feel and I never seem to get it into the correct slot. There's not enough room for my fat fingers to feel what's going on in the hole provided.

I bought long rolls of sandpaper from Klingspor, much cheaper than the pre-cut strips.

[Bill Sutherland]

I have the 19-38 and love it. Take small bites and it works great. I try and use it on every project.

[Clay Fails]

Roger, your experiences mirror mine exactly. I also put hand pressure on the piece on infeed and outfeed sides to ensure it doesn't slip on the conveyor, which causes divots in the piece. Very light passes and slow speeds are the key.

And yes, the design engineers really messed with us in how they setup the inboard sandpaper connection gizmo. Talk about frustrating.

But overall, even with its idiosyncrasies, I really like the machine. Huge time saver in my shop.

[Justin Ludwig]

I buy the precut papers from Acme. Prices are always good and I don't have to worry about messing up a piece.

Tight grained woods like cherry, maple, alder, etc will create more heat and have greater chance of build up and then sticking to the paper which will burn a line in your stock. Pitch build up from pine will ruin a roll in a heartbeat. Sanding the tight grained woods just takes longer - if you rush it, you'll spend more time cleaning/changing paper. I take 1/64 (1/8 of a turn on the handle) passes.

If you have any cupping on a board, feeding it with the cupped part up with definitely stall and sand a divot. Hand pressure like Clay and Roger ensures safe sanding, but it really sucks to have to stand there pressing down on the in and out feed. I've considered building a spring loaded pressure bar and tapping it into the in/outfeed so I don't have to stand over a piece.

Buy a SD Belt Cleaner. Buy ACME's assorted grit pack: http://www.acmetools.com/shop/tools/supermax-tools-60-19-000 and then whatever grit you like the most. I prefer 150 and 180. I can go straight to 180 with stain grade material out of my insert planer - then touch up with ROS. Paint grade I use 150.

[Joe Adams]

I have an older Performax 37x2 and love it. The truth is I never use the second drum.

Supermax is the latest iteration of Performax after the whole Jet Tools spinoff and buyback. The guys there are VERY VERY helpful if you have any questions or problems.

I buy my paper from Klingspor. I went with the rolls but find that cutting my own is a PITA. It's easy to make a mistake and leave a long length of paper unusable. Next time I may get pre-cuts even though they cost a good bit more.

The rubber belt cleaning stick is a must. I even use mine on my ROS disks to unload dust and make them last longer

Performax made a wrench for setting the right end of the paper that is a godsend. I'm not sure if this is still available or works with the newer machines.

I use mine as a wide planer/surfacer so I tend to only use one or two grits (60, 80, or 100) and then switch to my Festool sander.

[glenn bradley]

Its almost like we're twin sons of different mothers . . .


I'm getting to the point where I love mine. I've had a bit of a learning curve to take really small incremental bites to avoid dips in the board when the feed speed alters even for a fraction of a second. I find I need to keep constant hand pressure on the boards to ensure they never vary in feed rate through the sander. Still don't know how to avoid pitch buildup on the drum and resulting burned streaks-- mostly a problem after hitting a pitch pocket in cherry, though I've had them appear when sanding clear maple as well.

I agree on the learning curve. I have experienced all the things you mention and the solution to all of them is proper grit and speed. Paper changes take under 2 minutes so I never waste time making a ton of small-bite passes. I can change grits a couple of times and spend less overall time (and my avrasives last longer) . ;-)


I've found the digital thickness gauge to be completely useless. Much better off to lower the drum until it just kisses the board then go in increments of ~1/8 of a turn.

True, think about it . . . abrasive grits are different sizes and backings vary. You would have to zero the DRO for every paper change. I took a pass.


Getting the sandpaper tail to "catch" in the right hand clip can be a real exercise in frustration. On the left you can see what's going on and it's easy, on the right you have to do it by feel and I never seem to get it into the correct slot. There's not enough room for my fat fingers to feel what's going on in the hole provided.

I get the need for the spring-loaded catch on the right side due to rotation direction but, man, that thing needs a redesign despite being the easiest one I've found on home shop scale drum sanders. When others I've seen are so bad, being better isn't tough but, it wouldn't take much more to make it MUCH better.


Roger, your experiences mirror mine exactly.

I'm seeing a pattern here ;-) Despite the 19-38 being a great machine, proper grit selection and feed rates still apply. The paper catch seems to be the universal complaint despite its superiority to the other guys. Having used / played with other open-end machines I have NO regrets with the 19-38.

[John Schweikert]

I don't have any issues whatsoever with 19-38 like others have. Paper change is silly easy. The spring clamps are effortless. The DRO has its place but using the drum itself to set height works fine too.

I just feed my boards and walk to the other side. I'm not applying infeed or outfeed pressure at all. Boards come out great.

[Clay Fails]

Help me out here guys: I've seen two references in this thread to "belt cleaner". What is that and how is it used? I don't recall seeing anything in the owner's manual about it, and am not sure what you are referring to.

thanks!

[Lee Weed]

Help me out here guys: I've seen two references in this thread to "belt cleaner". What is that and how is it used? I don't recall seeing anything in the owner's manual about it, and am not sure what you are referring to.

thanks!

one examplehttp://www.baileigh.com/sd-belt-cleaner?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Bing_Shopping&utm_term={Keyword}

[Cary Falk]

Help me out here guys: I've seen two references in this thread to "belt cleaner". What is that and how is it used? I don't recall seeing anything in the owner's manual about it, and am not sure what you are referring to.

thanks!


329913http://toolmonger.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/sander-cleaner.jpg

[glenn bradley]

Help me out here guys: I've seen two references in this thread to "belt cleaner". What is that and how is it used? I don't recall seeing anything in the owner's manual about it, and am not sure what you are referring to.

thanks!


I leave the DC on, open the top halfway and just use these from Harbor Freight:

329914

I pick them up whenever they're on sale for few bucks and I have a coupon. I keep a couple by the 19-38, a couple by the edge sander and a couple in the drawers of the spindel/disc combo machine. I use them frequently and have yet to use one up completely.

[Mark W Pugh]

How about words on infeed/outfeed tables? Good to have, or don't need?

[Michael Sapper]

Mark,

I've had the 19-38 for a few months and have used it primarily to flatten cutting boards. Been very happy without any regrets. I passed on the feed tables mainly due to the shorter pieces I plan to pass thru the sander and space limitations. I guess it depends on what you plan to use your sander for. I purchased mine from Acme tools and their good folks to work with. Great customer service.

Michael

[Larry Frank]

The Supermax is my next tool acquisition. It seems like all the reviews are so positive.

[glenn bradley]

How about words on infeed/outfeed tables? Good to have, or don't need?

I went with the tables for the same reason I find them desirable on a planer. I wish the base were optional as it provides no storage for such a large footprint tool. A quick shop made base took care of that.

329945 . 329944 . 329943

[William C Rogers]

I have had my 19-38 for two years. I have had no problems with it at all. Grits, I use 120 80%, 150-180 10%, and 80 10% of the time. I like the extension tables. The only thing I don't like, I bought the cabinet base and to me not worth the money at all. Cheap wheels that don't even swivel. The stand that comes with it would be better. If I did again I would make a base like Glenn did. I use the DRO for some things. Definitely when checking alignment of the drum and if I want to come back to a setting. I would definitely buy this machine again.

[Bill Sutherland]

I haven't had to push or press my stock when sanding and like others just wait for the piece to come out the other side.

[Justin Ludwig]

I didn't buy the tables. A few months later, I bought them and glad I did.

[Wade Lippman]

How about words on infeed/outfeed tables? Good to have, or don't need?

I used to have tables on a 16/32. Sold it when I moved and bought a 19/38. Didn't get tables because they seemed useless on the 16/32 and don't miss them at all. You put the wood in; when it gets about half way through you walk around and take it out. I am not even sure what the table are supposed to do.

I generally have 80 in and leave it there because changing paper is a PITA. But... it is way better than the 16/32 was.

[roger wiegand]

I have the tables and find them useful for staging wood to go through and to keep the boards from falling down as they exit the sander. I also set up roller stands another 4-5 feet out on each end to support the weight of the entering and exiting boards so I don't have to hold them up, or let them move up and down which creates yet more divots.

I sure would like to know what you guys who don't have to baby the boards through are doing differently from what I'm doing! The sandpaper drive belt on my machine is nearly new but with the lightest possible cut the boards will almost always stall once or twice on the way through if I don't keep constant pressure on them. The problem gets worse as I apply more downward pressure from the drum by taking a deeper cut.

[Wade Lippman]

I have the tables and find them useful for staging wood to go through and to keep the boards from falling down as they exit the sander. I also set up roller stands another 4-5 feet out on each end to support the weight of the entering and exiting boards so I don't have to hold them up, or let them move up and down which creates yet more divots.

I sure would like to know what you guys who don't have to baby the boards through are doing differently from what I'm doing! The sandpaper drive belt on my machine is nearly new but with the lightest possible cut the boards will almost always stall once or twice on the way through if I don't keep constant pressure on them. The problem gets worse as I apply more downward pressure from the drum by taking a deeper cut.

Never had a divot; never a stall. Supporting 6' boards by hand isn't a problem.
Maybe there is something wrong with your machine. I have never put any pressure on the boards; ever. When they are about half done I don't even touch them as I walk around to grab the end coming out. They go in and out by themselves.
Okay, if a 6' board was a foot in and I didn't hold the free end up there would probably be a problem; but it is easy enough to avoid that.

My only problem is getting the paper end tight enough to avoid the paper overlapping. Besides that it is flawless.
---------------
Maybe the tables are your problem? I don't know why they should be, but perhaps they are a poor substitute for holding the wood properly.

[Mark W Pugh]

So, one gripe I keep hearing are guys having to push stock through. This sounds like a problem with the machine to me, unless they're trying to take too much off on a pass. My planer will stall if I try to take too big of a bite.

Ant comments from those that have had problems?

[Chris Padilla]

I have an 18/36 Delta. For the sanding I do, I haven't seen a need for extension tables and if I had the room and if I didn't need to be mobile, I might build some for mine. I LOVE my drum sander...it is a great, LIGHTER DUTY alternative to the planer. Some pieces of wood are just too small for a planer but you'd sure love to skim a few mils off of it or you don't want to risk tearing out that awesome curly maple.

I skimmed the posts in this thread but be sure to have EXCELLENT dust collection on your sander. I know that me seem obvious but my lord do these things generate some serious sawdust. Be sure you can suck that stuff out. The performance will be much better with good DC!

As to board stalling, I've found that only happens when removing too much stock at once. Keep in mind that a sander is not a planer. I normally run nothing finer than 100 grit on mine and I never take more than 1/64" off per pass. If the board is stalling, slow the feed belt down and/or take a shallower cut or move up a grit or two rougher.

The key to the drum sander is patience. I once needed to sand down several walnut, shop-cut veneers from ~3/32" to 1/16". They were 14" wide and 5' long. I ran each through TWICE per sanding height. Man, it took a LONG LONG time to sand all those veneers but the results were absolutely fantastic. Most of the time was spent sanding was standing there watching the veneer moving SLOWLY through the sander. Kind of like watching paint dry or the grass grow but the output was cool as the veneer slowly got cleaned up.

[Mark W Pugh]

Update: Just picked one up at Wood Werks in Columbus, OH. 10% off and 15% off for accessories.

Spending money to save money. I never tell the wife that!!

[glenn bradley]

As to board stalling, I've found that only happens when removing too much stock at once. Keep in mind that a sander is not a planer. I normally run nothing finer than 100 grit on mine and I never take more than 1/64" off per pass. If the board is stalling, slow the feed belt down and/or take a shallower cut or move up a grit or two rougher.

+1 on this. The Supermax has "Intellisand" that slows the feed rate if there is too much resistance. This is not designed to protect the machine if you really overdrive it. There is a red LED by the speed control that lights if things are getting tough and brightens along with the load once the "too much" threshold is reached and the Intellisand function kicks in. It is easy enough to operate the machine and notice the LED flicker on. It is telling you to just raise the head a bit; you're trying to take to much for the grit/speed you are using ;-)