New-to-Me Drum Sander

[Jim Becker]

I made a run out to Carlisle PA today to pick up the SuperMax 19-38 that new 'Creeker Matt Banks was selling. I've been wanting to get another one for awhile because the work I'm doing now can benefit from being able to handle very thin material...stuff that just gets shredded in the thickness planer. This beast is heavy and even more impressive than the Performax 22-44 I owned years ago, but sold due to next to zero use and the need for shop space. Shop space is still a concern, but yesterday I moved my large "shorts" bin upstairs with the rest of the general lumber storage and repositioned my lathe (which doesn't get used much, but I'd never give up) to accommodate the sander. Matt was kind enough to break the machine down and have it up out of the basement so it was easy to load into the back of my vehicle. He also provided a piece of sheet goods for under it that would allow sliding it out easy, too. (I did tie everything down for the trip)

The first step when I got home was to install the double-locking casters I bought on the base in place of the simple leveling bolts that were on it. My space dictates that the machine absolutely has to be mobile.

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The casters also brought another advantage...the base could be my "helper" to get this nearly 300 lb tool out of my Subaru Ascent and into my shop without another human to assist. :) Slide it out and on...only had to lift the heavy end about two inches...

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Strap it on securely....because dealing with the bolts with impending rain and kneeling on asphalt wasn't something I was interested in...
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Wheel it in...

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Re-assembly was straight-forward...pretty much the same as it would have been with a new machine. Bolt the unit to the base...and then install the conveyor with the four bolts. (Matt was kind enough to bag bolts separately relative to function when he broke the machine down)

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Then install the in-feed and out-feed tables, using some wood to help support things while installing the bolts and then to get the tables co-planer with the conveyor. (They were a bit out of flat from knocking around, but it's all adjustable)

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[Jim Becker]

And there it is in its parking place. I need to go through the alignment process in the next few days before starting to use it, but that's pretty straight forward. I also need to change the scale to metric since that's what I use...I have the original one with some spare bolts, etc., that Matt sent with it. The available DRO will probably be bought in a month or three, too. There's an overhead DC drop near the parking spot so when I pull it out to work, it will be a quick job to hook up to the dust collection...I use Nordfab type quick connects for overhead drops.

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[Zachary Hoyt]

It looks great, I hope you'll enjoy using it. Having it on casters will be a big plus, especially for working on different lengths of wood. I made a box (kind of like a cabinet without a door) out of 3/4" CDX ply to put mine up to a comfortable height. I had some used casters on hand to make it movable. I got more usable storage space with the box than the stand, and it's full of cardboard boxes of walnut shorts that I buy online and other boxes of fretboard blanks and such. I still have the stand that came with the sander but haven't found a use for it yet.
Zach

[richard poitras]

Looking good Jim, new toys are always exciting. Keep us posted on how everything goes.

[Steve Mathews]

Nice! Looks to be a very useful tool. Envy kicking in already.

[Robert Cherry]

Great find Jim. I’ve been buying my belts from 2sand.com. I think your Performax and my PM are basically the same machine.

[Jim Becker]

Thanks for the abrasive reference, Robert. I'll check them out.

[Mick Simon]

Hope you like it as much as I like mine. I'm always impressed by how precise it is. I frequently sand bandsawn veneers down to .020" on mine.

[Lisa Starr]

Jim, I love my 16-32, and like you, have to keep it on casters due to shop space issues. You'll find that it is a good machine to be mobile, as mine stays put with no problem. Hope you like it.

[ChrisA Edwards]

Congrats, I love mine. I plan to make a little cabinet to sit on the lower storage shelf, to utilize that set water space.

[Ron Selzer]

Great find Jim. I’ve been buying my belts from 2sand.com. I think your Performax and my PM are basically the same machine.

Have been buying my wide belt sander belts there, very happy with the quality, speed of delivery and ease of dealing. Highly recommend 2sand.com

[Jim Becker]

I checked the alignment this morning and found it was spot-on. The manual thickness gage is pretty close, too, although I suspect I'll put the DRO on it at a later date.

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I'm going to keep it parked like this most of the time...it doesn't interfere with normal work flow (nor does the lathe...that's the slider wagon pulled all the way back and it clears by, oh...about a quarter inch. :) :D ) and that means I'm more likely to use it with frequency. :) Waiting on the quick connect for the DC port to arrive and will install that at that point.

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[glenn bradley]

I've been a happy 19-38 owner since 2013. I consoled myself over the large footprint I had to give up by eliminating a shop-drawer unit and building a drawer'd base.

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The drawer unit is huge but, fits under the sander's footprint. It has morphed to pretty much hold all my abrasives, sanding blocks, belts and so forth.

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I've never had the previous style abrasive clips but, have read enough to know I dodged a bullet. The paper changes on this are so easy I change at will during parts preparation.

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[Zachary Hoyt]

I've been a happy 19-38 owner since 2013. I consoled myself over the large footprint I had to give up by eliminating a shop-drawer unit and building a drawer'd base.

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The drawer unit is huge but, fits under the sander's footprint. It has morphed to pretty much hold all my abrasives, sanding blocks, belts and so forth.

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I've never had the previous style abrasive clips but, have read enough to know I dodged a bullet. The paper changes on this are so easy I change at will during parts preparation.

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That's an infinitely more stylish and well-crafted cart than mine, but the idea of getting all possible use out of the footprint is the same as what I was trying to do.
Zach

[Jim Becker]

Glenn, the cabinet I had my original Performax 22-44 (https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?11169-Performax-22-44-Plus-Cabinet-Completed&highlight=Sanding) on a number of years ago has been through several iterations, but it's currently housing my OSS on a lift out from the cabinet below and the combo sander on the top (https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?269910-Shop-Project-Sanding-Station&highlight=Sanding). I hang onto the combo sander, but honestly, haven't used it in years...things change. That cabinet lives next to my new guitar bench at present.

[Curt Harms]

It looks great, I hope you'll enjoy using it. Having it on casters will be a big plus, especially for working on different lengths of wood. I made a box (kind of like a cabinet without a door) out of 3/4" CDX ply to put mine up to a comfortable height. I had some used casters on hand to make it movable. I got more usable storage space with the box than the stand, and it's full of cardboard boxes of walnut shorts that I buy online and other boxes of fretboard blanks and such. I still have the stand that came with the sander but haven't found a use for it yet.
Zach

I did similar but built a frame out of cleaned up 2 X 4s with 1/2" ply panels. Door on the front with one drawer inside. It seems silly to me to have 'benchtop' machines on a stand without maximum storage underneath.

[Jim Becker]

Curt, if I wasn't already flush with storage, I'd build a cabinet for this new to me tool, too, and I agree that's a great way to handle both functions in one space. For this machine, I'm not going to bother...the shelf is sufficient for now and if I really feel the need for more enclosed space, I can plant a cabinet on that shelf without changing anything else.

[Rob Charles]

Great find Jim. I think your Performax and my PM are basically the same machine.

Interesting In looking at the photos of your new machine, it does appear to share some parts in common with the PM.

[Jim Becker]

Interesting In looking at the photos of your new machine, it does appear to share some parts in common with the PM.

It wouldn't surprise me one bit...and is quite common in the tool industry at this point.