SuperMax 16-32

[Kris Cook]

Made friends with my SuperMax 16-32 today.
Bought this thing last year and played with it a bit. Into a furniture project now with quite a few QSWO panels I wanted to finish sand with the drum sander. Started running a couple of the shorter panels through this morning and was getting snipe and some waves in the panels. Was thinking about getting rid of the sander as I was working these panels.
So, why are those ridges showing up at the same distance from the ends – took me a while to realize my infeed table was set too high. Played with it a bunch. Ended up setting the infeed and outfeed tables low (straightedge on the sander table, push down on the feed belt and make sure there is daylight between both ends of the infeed and outfeed tables). Infeed and outfeed tables are helpful but this isn’t a planer and the upper rollers don’t have enough juice to overcome the differential between the feed tables and the sanding table.
Pushing down on the work during the feed and on the exit of the work does make a difference, and eliminated snipe, as others have mentioned on posts I researched.

Hope this helps someone that it is experiencing similar issues.

[Jim Becker]

'Glad you got that worked out! When I bought my 19-38 (barely used) a few years ago, I found the same thing to be a challenge and remembered it was thus with the Performax 22-44 I had years ago. The infeed and outfeed tables are "touchy" to get just right but it's a critical thing. I actually never put them back on to-date when I moved to this new property since most of my use is small things so far.

[Michael Burnside]

Nice work Kris. I just used my 19-38 today! After a cleanup round with the Rotex, I brought 2 17”x72” panels and another 3 at 18”x32” to the 19-38 for some 120 cleanup before mortising, final hand sanding and building the carcass tomorrow.. I just cannot speak highly enough at how awesome and time saving the sander is.

Personally I don’t have infeed/outfeed tables, I just hold it by hand on the infeed until half way then hold it up as it comes out the other end. The 19-38 is 1.5” taller than my workbench so I just drop them down and start again. I find that if you don’t take too big of a bite you’ll not get any snipe. That said, I always sand with rough-dimensioned material and end up lopping off 1-2” from the ends and 1/16-1/4” rips. This also ensures any minor crosscut tear out is lopped off too .

Cheers

[Kris Cook]

Nice work Kris. I just used my 19-38 today! After a cleanup round with the Rotex, I brought 2 17”x72” panels and another 3 at 18”x32” to the 19-38 for some 120 cleanup before mortising, final hand sanding and building the carcass tomorrow.. I just cannot speak highly enough at how awesome and time saving the sander is.

.

Cheers

Thank Jim and Michael. Yeah, I am also doing cleanup before mortising and assembly. I am a ways out before assembly, however. Making progress is the main thing, right? Minus 30 something here last night, just glad I can keep the shop warm-ish.

[glenn bradley]

Glad you got that resolved. I set my fixed 19-38 tables dead flat with a long straight edge through the machine. I did however raise the outer edges of my small planers to overcome snipe. When you find what works for you, that is the correct solution. Congrats.

[Kris Cook]

Thanks Glenn. I agree dead flat is ideal.

Now I just need the shop to get a little warmer so I can fire up the DC (in adjacent unheated garage) and start sanding some panels.

[Randy Heinemann]

I'm not an expert on drum sanders, but do own the Supermax 16-32. I've had great success. You may know this already, but it's important to take very small bites each pass. I usually try to keep it to the minimum the digital gauge allows, which I think is .005". Anymore than that you run the risk of gouges and the board getting stuck, especially if the board is full width or more and longer. I also try to use no finer than 80 grit; sometimes 120 but never finer than that. I could envision a situation where the board is getting hung up multiple times on the pass if the bite is too much; thus maybe causing some waviness. Otherwise, I don't know...I've never had snipe or waviness; just a gouge when the cut was too heavy.

There was a learning curve for me and i needed to keep reminding myself that the sander is flattening tool and not a thicknessing tool, so tiny, incremental amounts each pass.

I'm not saying you don't know all this, but I know it took me awhile to learn how to get good results with the sander since I don't use it everyday.