Trouble Performax Sand Paper

[Andrew Schlosser]

thanks for the tip about soaking the paper! I've had lots of burn marks on my new-to-me drum sander.

I also have a very difficult time getting the paper tucked into the drum tightly at the end of the paper.

In fact, I question the use of it anymore. I have to go so slow, with so little removed, that I feel more productive with my random orbital sander and shop vac. I understand that the drum sander will give me the flat surface, but seems like it's more trouble than its worth.

[John Grabowski]

Again, I appreciate all the great info. Does anyone have any tips on how to keep the paper? Also what brand of paper do you guys buy? Where do you get it? Thanks so much.

John G

[John Morrison60]

You can't use finer than 120 grit in a drum sander. It won't work. I am surprised that no one has mentioned it yet.

George

I use 150 grit paper in my WoodMaster all the time. What has been your experience with the finer grades?
What bad things have you seen happen? Have I just been lucky? I normally work in Cherry, and it seems
to work fine.

John

[Joe Kaufman]

I have a 10-20 and experienced similar results. I finally filed the corner/outer radius of the drum where the paper enters and leaves the drum surface to increase/blend the radius on the surface of the drum. It didn’t take much filing to greatly reduce the problem. If I remember correctly, it was more of a problem on the trailing end where the sanding material exited the drum to go into the spring take-up clamp. I am using wide belt material which may be a little tougher to make the radius w/o sticking proud of the surface. The build-up would always start at the radius of the slot and the longer you used that area, the longer the stripe of build-up would get.
Joe

[george wilson]

You can use 150 grit, it is close to 120,but I have never been able to use 220. It is too fine,and just burns. There have been past threads about using too fine a paper in drum sanders. It didn't seem to work for anyone. I am very good at adjusting mine,and the 220 just doesn't work out.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

+1 on light passes, 1/4 turn max. If you try to go fast it will burn. I've used 220, but very very light passes, and it's pretty much a waste of time, as it makes those annoying lines and you have to RO sand anyways........

[Mike Cutler]

+1 on light passes, 1/4 turn max. If you try to go fast it will burn. I've used 220, but very very light passes, and it's pretty much a waste of time, as it makes those annoying lines and you have to RO sand anyways........

It's been my experience that anything over about 1/6th of a turn is going to start tripping the motor breaker.At least with the machine I had. Doing a 1/4 turn would sped things up for me. Now I use a 26" Dual Drum sander. I loved the 16-32, but it just took too long.
George Wilson is right about the 220. My "general experience" has been to stop at 150 and do the rest by hand. There have been exceptions though. African Blackwood being one of them.

[Paul Johnstone]

I use 150/220 on my double drum sander.
You can use fine grits just fine.
However, you have to take even smaller bites.
1/4 of a turn is way too much on my machine for such a fine grit.

The first pass, the height is adjusted so I can just barely hear the paper hitting the wood.
Then I run it at the same height again, to ensure I didn't take too big of a bite.
I turn maybe 1/16 or 1/32 turn at a time, because I am finish sanding.
I will periodically run at the same height, again, just to ensure I am not too far ahead on things.

It sounds like this would take forever, but if the glueup is flat, I only need maybe 3 passes on each side. I get an excellent finish.

[Bob Preshong]

My first guess would be a pitch pocket, I haven't read all the thread so some one else may have allready said this. I've had this problem with cherry, purpleheart, bloodwood, and several others, some of the worst offenders I don't even try any more.

[David Nelson1]

First off nice gloat even without pics! :-) I have the same machine and looking @ the pic you provided I am going to agree with everyone else about the light touch and 1/64th turns, but @ the same time I wanna remind you that the manual fore warns about burns due to the paper becoming a bit slack. It will over lap and that area is now thicker. You can actually hear it starting to happen if you listen to the machine. I dont general sand in the same spot to make use of the entire belt so making the sure the drum is parrallel to the bed is important.

I'll sand the with new paper about 5 minutes and then recheck it. LOading the paper and making sure its tight is a PITA. Other than that I love this sander saves me quite a bit of time