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Anyone have any experience with a 16" Grizzley drum sander? I need a drum sander and there are a couple used ones in my area...$400 so it's hard not to give it some consideration.

Mark: If I was you I'd leave drum sanders alone and look for a guitar sander....! Unless your into building drums....?
Tom

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A person who has never made a mistake has never made anything!!!

I have one and have used it regularly for about 2yrs. I like it. It can be a pain at first to setup. My main problem, which after several trips to Grizzly (I only live about 45 min from Springfield MO store) was setting up with the tracking of the feed belt. It was a pain, but once get it does fine. The main thing to do is make sure take time and set it up right using the directions in manual which are pretty good. They have excellent customer service on the phone. The initial setup is very important. They got away on this one from using tape to put the paper on. That was a big deal for me when looking. To me, it is the best sander for the money on a new unit. I have used the other most well known brands and this is as good as those. The self contained dust collection works ok, but it is a blower and not suction to get rid of the dust. It works ok if just doing some light sanding on one or two things real fast. I took the bag off and use my main dust collection with it and works great, particularly when using sander several hours in a day. I build in batches now pretty much so doing all the rims, top and back plates, bracing etc. it can be a day standing there. Abrasive change is good and fairly easy. It isn't clip on and as fast as the other brands, but once get used to it just a few minutes. Grizzly abrasive is ok at best, but it is cheap and works and can go get it easy enough. For me it doesn't load up any more than the others. I build a lot with coco, and it will clog, but can get most of batch on a one piece of paper. Note though when doing coco, I do all of those pieces and then change for the top and other pieces. I got it rather than other brands due to price and works very well. I don't cart for the brackets and way adjust, but that said not much if any harder than any other of the open end drum sanders used in other shops. I was looking at getting a General dual drum unit, but this takes up little footprint in my small shop. Wish feed belt was longer front and back, but made an out feed area which helps

If get one and have questions get feel free to email or PM me and will help as best as I can. If getting it used, try it out. Good price and good unit as any other brand out there for this work and size, of openend sander.

I had the 16" double drum I got from John Mayes when I lived in OK and used a few years. The system they use for attaching abrasive on those sucks. It is taped on. It is now in the outside storage area of Moll's shop to be stripped someday for motor or whatever else may find use for.

I also have had one for a couple of years. I have yet to find the perfect shape for the sanding belt. However I make it, and however tight I get it on it loosens then overlaps making a gouge in the piece being sanded. I do use sleds with sandpaper on both sides for grip of the wood and the feed belt. I have also found that passive use of the dust collector is not enough. By that I mean that just hanging the dust collection bag on the machine collects the dust going out the port but does allow some dust to build up inside the machine. A suction dust system works better.

Given that wide belt sanders are many times the cost of this kind of sander the choices are limited. Possibly the best solution is make friends with a furniture builder who will let you use his wide belt sander in exchange for fresh chocolate cookies for him and his workers.

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GEO
perpetual beginner

Thanks! I'm gonna steal that idea!

Cheers
John

I'm on my 3rd homebuilt and first 'commercial' drum sander, and this can still be a problem. The 'paper' (I use cloth-backed) belts do seem to stretch. I found that leaving about 1/8- 1/4" gap between the 'winds' seemed to help avoid overlaps and it doesn't seem to affect the sanding efficiency.
You may have tried this already.
Off topic:I also reinforce the underside of the 'pointy' ends of the paper with strapping tape, which seems to help prevent breakage.

Cheers
John

My Woodmaster drum sander was worth every penny. Man, I love that machine!

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Todd Rose
Ithaca, NY

https://www.dreamingrosesecobnb.com/todds-art-music

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