Where do you buy your drum sandpaper

[Stewart Lang]

I hadn’t heard of using hook and loop on a drum sander. Do the rolls have the backing and you wrap that on the drum or do you apply a strip of the hook side on your drum first?

Hook and loop has so many benefits. Keep paper cool, gives it an ever so slight cushion which drastically reduces heat and burning, and gives a finer finish. The sandpaper is loop and you apply a stick-on hook to the drum. You can buy kits from Grizzly for some of their machines or just buy rolls from any H&L distributor.

[Jim Becker]

Hook and loop has so many benefits. Keep paper cool, gives it an ever so slight cushion which drastically reduces heat and burning, and gives a finer finish.

What is the effect of H&L when it comes to thicknessing and leveling? I use my drum sander for that and don't expect a fine finish. 'Just curious about your thoughts about that, Stewart.

[Stewart Lang]

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What is the effect of H&L when it comes to thicknessing and leveling? I use my drum sander for that and don't expect a fine finish. 'Just curious about your thoughts about that, Stewart.

That's a good question. I'm sure it comes into play a little more if you're sanding very, very thin veneers (1/32"-1/64", etc.). I usually cut my veneers 3/32" and sand them down enough to clean up one face and get the other face clean enough for gluing. Last veneer job I did was a relatively detailed veneered "chevron" walnut top, with a veneered walnut column and pedestal base. Almost the entire project was veneer and I didn't have enough issues with my veneers at 3/32" running through the sander. The cushion is very minimal, but enough to keep some air flow through the paper. The centrifugal force on the drum keeps the paper pretty "stiff?", not sure if that's the word I'm looking for lol.

As far as leveling or surfacing thick stock, I can't see any difference or negative effects. The "cushion" probably isn't anything more than what the conveyor belt has.

I will say, the excellent finish quality off of 220 (or might be 240) grit Abranet is something that is very well worth it for me. I can go straight to 180 on the ROS with minimal sanding needed.

H&L isn't for everybody, like if you're doing very thin veneers, but I'd say for everything else, it rocks

[Jim Becker]

Thanks for your comments, Stewart. Something for me to think about...

[David Kreuzberg]

When I set up my Shop Fox 26" double drum, I measured .005" across the 26" width.