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Thread: Drum sander resin buildup

  1. #1
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    Mar 2005
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    Drum sander resin buildup

    Does anyone know of a trick to keep pine resin from building up and ruining the wrap on a drum sander. I have a bunch of pine to work up and the last time it ruined the wrap. I tried to clean it with a rubber sandpaper cleaner to no effect.
    Charlie Jones

  2. #2
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    Jul 2016
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    Lebanon, TN
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    What level of grit are you using?

  3. #3
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    No trick to avoid the build up other than to change material. I stumbled across a video (found it) of a method of removing that resin that gets really welded into the abrasive; poly-carbonate. I picked up a piece at Home Depot and it indeed "works for you at home just like it does on TV".
    "A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg".


    – Samuel Butler

  4. #4
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    Mar 2003
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    weaverville, ca
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    sorry to say - pine is the worst for drum sanders. i think the easiest way to clean it up is to plane it then sand it by hand.
    jerry
    jerry

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Oct 2011
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    Seattle
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    When I get that dreaded burn line as well as more diffuse build up I use a soft bristle brass brush--HF pack of 4(?) @ $4--and gently brush the material off the paper. You give up a little grit but save time and paper and doesn't take that long if you stay ahead of it. Read some where--and tried--soaking the cloth backed paper in Simple Green and then using the soft brush but wasn't any faster than using the brush on the drum. I gave up sanding sappy stock on the DS, spend time using a scraper to to remove glue lines before sanding and have the air hose handy to blow out the swarf from the big rubber eraser--just thinkin' a bit of the rubber embedding in the paper starts the whole burn line process. Santa dropped a Rotex down the chimney and now I find it faster to take a light pass with the planer and finish with the hand sander.

  6. #6
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    Make sure you do NOT run your material straight through the drum sander! Run it at a bit of an angle (to the edge of the platen). Also always hookup/run the dust collector while using the drum sander. These two things will greatly prolong the life of the abrasive. And clean the abrasive more frequently. Don't wait until it won't sand any more.
    "Anything seems possible when you don't know what you're doing."

  7. #7
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    Mar 2021
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    Sothern Coastal Maine
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    Pine is tough on the paper. I switch the paper frequently and spray with simple green. I usually get most of the resin off by scrubbing with a course brush. Hang to dry and put another wrap of paper on the machine.

  8. #8
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    Thanks to all of you. I have good dust collection and I run the material as diagonally as possible. I have been using 80 grit. I may try 60 but I know it will have to be sanded more to get out the marks. The last pine I used loaded up the wrap so much I threw it away. I am trying to quit working with pine so much but it is popular around here. My only source for kiln dried is rough sawn. Glenn, I will definitely look the video up on using polycarbonate.
    Last edited by Charlie Jones; 03-07-2021 at 5:30 PM.
    Charlie Jones

  9. #9
    get a stroke sander, its a machine for sanding

    Drum sanders are for calibrating and can do that aspect better than a stroke sander. I dont have problems on pine, yes it leaves more pitch but you control the pad pressure and it runs cooler. I use an old wallabee to clean the belt. I would have died years ago if i only had a drum sander for sanding and I have a pro one.

  10. #10
    There are ,or were, “pitch solvents “ for cleaning still good sand paper. One place that sold it was Kindt Collins , a patternmakers supply
    house.

  11. #11
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    I would love a stroke sander but I would have to build a bigger shop. I am going to try some of the tips here. I can go back to a hand plane and handheld belt sander if I have to.
    Charlie Jones

  12. #12
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    Nov 2009
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    I've not tried it yet, but a ton of people swear by Mirka Abranet, It's like abrasive on a screen and doesn't build the heat like cloth backed. I can't find the Abranet Max rolls that some use, but here is a link to Abranet hook and loop. https://buymirka.com/products/mirka-...hoCoU0QAvD_BwE
    Last edited by Richard Coers; 03-07-2021 at 6:16 PM.

  13. #13
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    It is expensive but I may give it a try.
    Charlie Jones

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by Charlie Jones View Post
    It is expensive but I may give it a try.
    I agree, but another experiment I thought about was soaking in a Simple Green solution if you do get pitch stuck to it. I found this post, but the link doesn't work to find Abranet Max. I have found rolls sold in Europe though. https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread....44-Drum-Sander
    Last edited by Richard Coers; 03-07-2021 at 8:16 PM.

  15. #15
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    Mar 2005
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    Cashiers NC
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    I will try the Simple Green. I just ordered a 10 yard roll of 80 grit Abranet from Amazon. We will see how that works. It is the Mesh Grip. It looks like hook and loop. It should work on the drum.
    Last edited by Charlie Jones; 03-07-2021 at 11:19 PM.
    Charlie Jones

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