v-drum sander question

[Frank Pellow]

Attached is a photo taken from an ad for a sander called the v-drum. A kit for it is available from a Canadian company called Stockroom Supply. The cost of the components for an 18" sander (not including the wood) is about $130 Canadian (or about $100 US).

I would appreciate hearing from anyone who has put together the kit. I would like to know both about the ease of construction and about the subsequent use of the sander.

The ad I claimed that sander this had been reviewed in the May 2003 issue of American Woodworker magazine. I tried the American Woodworker web site in an attempt to either see online or to order a back issue, but could not find a way to do so. So, I have a related question. How can I order this back issue of American Woodworker?

[Dave Richards]

Frank, it seems to me one of the magazines did an article about building your own sander like that. I imagine someone else will be able to tell you what magazine it was but I'll llok when I get home this evening and see if I can find the article.

[Frank Pellow]

I have now read the review in the May 2003 issue of American Woodworker magazine. Based on what I have read, I am going to go ahead and order the kit.

I would still like to hear from anyone who has built the sander.

[Chris Padilla]

I, too, recall reading about AW building one of these...they had a whole article and at the end, you could order up a kit from whomever to build one. I guess it is kind of akin to a planer and a drum sander only this one is like a jointer.

I'll dig up the article as well, Frank.

From an email I had with Roxie Filipkowski (Roxie_Filipkowski@ReadersDigest.com):

If you are interested in purchasing back issues or copies of articles, please contact our copies department at (715) 246-4344. Or write to: AMERICAN WOODWORKER Magazine, Copies/Back Issues,
511 Wisconsin Drive, New Richmond, WI 54017. Visa, Mastercard and Discover accepted.

[Jim Becker]

Frank, do consider what you want to do with a sander and what function it will serve in your shop. Chris points out an important thing...this one will sand a surface, but it cannot thickness a workpiece like "regular" drum sanders do. (By thickness, I don't mean hogging off a lot of material like you would with a planer, but those small amounts that bring all components of a glued up panel to the same thickness)

[Carl Eyman]

The picture reminds me of one sold by Klingspor. I saw it demonstrated by the man that invented it. He had gone to Klingspor to get paper for it and Klingspor had decided to market it. They were selling it for about $350 as I remember.

He said he'd developed it to sand the bottom of Shaker boxes he makes to sell. It worked well in the demo. He only demoed small pieces, of course. I'd guess his had maybe a 14" drum. How it would work on pieces wider than that is a question. He had a velcrow roll and changing grits was quite easy. I'd say it would work well on glued=up panels no wider than the drum. Keeping the thickness uniform might not be so easy. Good luck.

[Frank Pellow]

Thanks Carl, Jim, and Chris for the good advise. I believe that I understand what this will and will not do. What it will do is to sand a smallish surface and that is fine with me. I will probably also make a jig that assits in sanding side and end pieces at 90 degree angles.

By the way, the one that I ordered had an 18" drum. They sell kits for up to a 30" drum.

[Paul Downes]

Frank, I have been debating about purchasing one of these kits for the past year. At one time I saw a 24" kit at this site www.nicks.ca/index.html. A co-worker of mine built an 18" sander and really likes it for sanding veneered surfaces. He set the sanding roll flush with the top of the table and said that under power the velcro fluffs out and supplies just the right amount of pressure. "Smooth as a babies behind" is how he described the finish. The main reason I haven't puchased the kit yet is because I'm still thinking about getting a drum sander.

[Eldon Berg]

I saw the v-drum sander at a show and bought the kit. It is still on the to-do list, I just got a motor for it.

I was very impressed from the demo, I does give a very smooth surface.

I am not going to build the cabinet version as shown in the plans. I am going to build it along the lines of the "advance machinery" version which they are too proud of but is the same unit,except made out of stainless steel.

here is a link for more ideas:

http://www.advmachinery.com/default.asp?pg=ptsander

Eldon

[Ed Lang]

Any updates on this machine or building one.

I need something to sand box joints flush after assemble and scroll saw type of projects.

[Frank Pellow]

Sorry Ed, but still have not got around to building the kit that I purchased two and a half years ago. I plan to either build the sander or to sell the kit this winter.

[Ed Lang]

I sure do understand that Frank. I am building one and will use the Jet mini lathe as the power source. Balitc Birch for the sides and a PVC pipe drum. Hook and Loop around the pipe after sanding it round.

Take care,

[Larry Anderson]

Ed,

Here's a link to an article describing what one person did with the Stockroom Supply kit. I was going to build one, but like Frank, haven't gotten around to it.

http://www.woodcentral.com/cgi-bin/readarticle.pl?dir=powertools&file=articles_528.shtml

[Eddie Darby]

Have you seen this thread? It has information on the "V" Drum sander, and after this week-ends Woodstock show there should be more information coming.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=42857

I think the only issue with length is the size of table top you put on the unit, which is up to the builder. A bigger/longer table top will offer longer stock more stability.

[Art Mulder]

Ed,

Here's a link to an article describing what one person did with the Stockroom Supply kit. I was going to build one, but like Frank, haven't gotten around to it.

http://www.woodcentral.com/cgi-bin/readarticle.pl?dir=powertools&file=articles_528.shtml

Larry, that is not the same thing. That link describes a home built thickness sander. The v-drum sander is sold and marketed as a face sander.

I plan to have a good solid look at it on Friday at the Woodstock show. Maintaining even thickness is my biggest question.

...art

ps: for anyone curious, if you go to the Stockroom Supply v-drum web page (http://www.stockroomsupply.com/V_Drum_Sander.php) and then click on the Video link, it will take you to a page with several videos of the Stockroom products. There are TWO video's on that page (marked as "Drum Sander") that will give a nice long demonstration of the v-drum product.

[Ed Lang]

My use will be sanding the face of laser cut and scroll saw cut small items.

[Eddie Darby]

My use will be sanding the face of laser cut and scroll saw cut small items.

The "V" Drum Sander that Stockroom Supply sells, is the Perfect machine to do that!!!! The only question is how wide of a surface do you need to sand? If it is say 8" at the most then you can put on an 18" drum 9" of say 150 grit paper and on the other end of the same drum, 9" of 320 grit sandpaper and in two or three quick passes have the job completely done with no changing of sandpaper.

As you go to the bigger "V" drums you have increased capacity, but it requires an increase in motor Horse Power. If you are at the limit of the drum sizes offered, you can always just quickly change the drums sandpaper in less than 1 minute, so it is only a minor inconvience.