How much do you use your drum sander?

[Tim Dorcas]

One of the tools I lusted after for almost a year was a drum sander. However after a year and half in the shop, it hardly gets used. I bought mostly to sand my homemade veneers but I’m not resawing much veneer these days. I also bought it to make sanding my end grain cutting boards easier. In practice it doesn’t like end grain much. As I’m trying to organize what little space I have in my (small) two car garage shop, I’ve been thinking about selling it. So before I do I thought I’d ask what people use their drum sander for and how well they like it.
I have a Performax 16-32.
Tim

[Bob Rossi]

You can store it in my shop and come over to use it any time you want!

[ken gibbs]

I will give you $10.00 for it & you can use it at your convenience.

[Mark Woodmark]

I use mine all the time for sanding glueups. Most the time they are smaller items so I have to attach them to a bigger piece of wood (usually plywood) with two sided sticky tape. I had a Performax 16/32, hated it. Not enough power. It wouldnt even remove less than 1/64" without the motor reset kicking out. I have since replaced it with a 26" Woodmaster and love it

[Robert Chapman]

I use mine a lot for sanding boards that come out of the planer. Saves me a ton of time and effort with the random orbit sander. Sanding is my least favorite woodworking task and I really apprecieate my 16 - 32.

[Cary Falk]

My sander is probably in the top 5 of most used tools.

[Vince Brytus]

Everything I turn out gets to see the drum sander at some point or another. I consider it to be one of the most useful tools I own. I don't know of anything better for highly figured wood unless you like to use hand planes and scrapers.

[Will Overton]

I've had my 16-32 less than a year, and use it much more than I expected. I find it great for sanding glued up panels, but also when working with pieces that are too short to run through a planer. The 16-32 can takes pieces as short as 2 1/2".

Once I realized how easy it was to sand a bunch of small pieces, a stop at the drum sander became part of my normal work flow.

[Mike Cutler]

Tim

I had mine ( Steel City, 26" Dual Drum. ) running for about 2 hours yesterday, and have been using it quite a bit lately.
I think right now you're just not invovled in a project that requires the use of a sander. Mine was probably idle for ~ a year, prior to the past few weeks.

[Ron Jackson]

I've got a 24" dual-drum sander, and it's used very often. It's one of those things like an air compressor.......until you get one, you don't realize just how much you will learn to rely on it. Sure makes quick work for table-tops, door panels, door frames, etc., especially if it stays "tuned" and you can just walk up and use it.

[John Lytle]

I have the same 16-32 sander and use it all the time. Mostly for sanding panel glue ups that are too big for the planer. I would be hard pressed to get rid of mine.

John

[james bell]

i purchased a 22-44 and probably like you did not use it much initially. purchased it to sand some qswo veneer for a bathroom vanity, and after that it sat.

then started using it to clean up after the planer (getting the thickness correct), thinning up some resawn veneer, and also sanding glued-up panels and projects. now it has become a staple.

like a lot of my newer tools, they seem to sit for a while until i start using them, then wonder how i ever got along without them.

[Philip Rodriquez]

I have a Performax 16/32. It has a place... but I use it a lot less since I got a 15" planer with a SC.

Do not expect to get a finished surface out of the sander. If I had it to do over again, I'd go with the 22/44 Plus because it oscillates (sp?).

[Jeff Monson]

22-44 pro owner, I love mine, use it for glueups, cabinet doors and it works GREAT on figured wood.

[Bill Wyko]

Absolutely essential for my work. If you sell it, I think you'll live to regret it.