A drum sander is similar to a thicknessing planer in that it removes material from the top of a piece while moving it along a conveyor. It can be used to make fine thickness adjustments, remove milling marks from the planer, or get a start on finish sanding.
The Tool Safety, Tool Care, Operation, section of this guide are what instructors use to ensure that you can use the equipment according to community expectations.
Millwork & Joinery clearance or class equivalent is required before use.
See the Safety Section for more information.
For more visit the manufacturers website and user manual both linked at the top of this document.
⚠️ Safety glasses, hearing protection, and nonskid closed-toed shoes are required.
⚠️ Remove tie, rings, watches and other jewelry, and roll sleeves up past the elbows.
⚠️ All hair, clothing and accessories should be secured close to the body.
🚫 Do not wear gloves.
Pull/Crush Risk
Flying Stock Risk
Regularly clean the abrasive strips on the drums with commercially available cleaning sticks, following the manufacturer's directions. When cleaning, also brush the stick crumbs from the drum while it is still rotating.
⚠️ While performing sandpaper cleaning, and take all precautions to avoid any contact of hands or clothing with uncovered rotating drums.
Cloth-backed abrasives can be cleaned by soaking in paint thinner or mineral spirits for 20 minutes to 1 hour, then using a brush to remove any build-up or burns. Dry the abrasive strips completely before using.
Abrasive life can be increased not only by cleaning, but by removing the abrasive strip from the drum and reversing it. To do this, remove the strip and use what was the trailing end as the starting end on the left (outboard) side of the drum. Reversing the strip will provide a fresh set of cutting edges on the abrasive.
Before you start using the sander you are expected to do an initial inspection and assess its readiness for use.
If you encounter any of the issues listed in the Inspection area or have any other issues with the printer not working properly
The sand paper wrapping the drum is a consumable. Some pre-cut strips are available in the store.Abrasive Selection Guide
As you can see in the photos below you can use the tuftool to raise and latch open the inboard take-up lever.
Adjusting the drum sander for the proper contact between the abrasive and the stock determines the mechanical depth of cut. It may take some experimentation to determine the proper depth of cut, given the variables of abrasive grit, type of wood, and feed rate. For best results, use scrap wood to practice sanding and to develop skill and familiarity with the machine before doing finish work. A good rule of thumb when sanding with grits finer than 80 is to lower the drum so it contacts the workpiece but drum can still be rotated by hand. When using grits coarser than 80, you can lower the drum slightly more. However, a combination of several variables will determine the proper depth of cut to use, including the following:
NOTE: If motor heats up during operation, depth of cut may be too great for size of grit and/or feed rate may be too fast.
The drum height and depth of cut are controlled by the height adjustment handle (see Figure 5).Rotating the handle counterclockwise lowers the drum, clockwise raises it. One revolution of the handle will move the drum approximately 1/16“(or 1/4 turn = approx. 1/64”).
The depth gauge indicates the distance between the bottom of the sanding drum and the top of the conveyor surface. Adjustment is performed by “zeroing” the gauge.
Trouble | Probable Cause | Remedy |
---|---|---|
Sander will not start. | No incoming power. | Check plug connection. Make sure fuse is not blown/circuit breaker is not tripped. Push the circuit breaker button on the sander motor to re-set. |
Switch is malfunctioning. | Replace switch. | |
Conveyor motor stalls. | Excessive depth of cut. | Reduce depth of cut; use coarser grit; reduce feed rate. |
Conveyor belt does not move. | Shaft coupler is loose or unattached. | Adjust shaft coupler. |
Conveyor rollers run intermittently. | Shaft coupling is loose. | Align the shaft flats of the gear motor and the drive roller and tighten the shaft-coupling set screws. |
Abrasive strip comes off drum. | Slack in abrasive strip on drum. | Remove slack in strip. |
Abrasive improperly wrapped. | Read the section on wrapping abrasive strips, pages 12-13. | |
Abrasive strip is loose. | Strip caught on inside edge of slot, or on inboard side of drum. | Re-adjust the strip end in the slot and/or trim the abrasive edge. |
Strip not cut properly. | Re-cut and re-install the abrasive strip. | |
Abrasive loads up prematurely. | Excessive depth of cut. | Reduce depth of cut. |
Excessive feed rate. | Reduce feed rate. | |
Inadequate dust collection. | Increase airflow at dust port. | |
Inadequate abrasive. | Use an open-coat abrasive. | |
Line or groove in stock. | Inconsistent feed rate. | Do not stop or change the feed rate while feeding stock. |
Snipe marks. | Improper tension on rollers. | Re-tension rollers see page 19 |
Conveyor rollers run intermittently. | Shaft coupling loose. | Align shaft flats of gear motor and drive roller, and tighten shaft coupling set screws. |
Sander burns wood. | Abrasive strip is overlapped. | Re-wrap abrasive strip page 12-13 |
Abrasive is loaded. | Clean abrasive. | |
Depth of cut excessive for fine grit. | Use coarser grit or reduce depth of cut. | |
Feed rate too slow. | Increase feed rate. | |
Abrasive is worn. | Replace abrasive. | |
Conveyor belt slips on drive roller. | Improper conveyor belt tension. | Adjust belt tension page 16. |
Excessive depth of cut and/or feed rate. | Reduce depth of cut and/or feed rate. | |
Board slips on conveyor belt. | Tension rollers too high. | Lower tension rollers see page 19. |
Excessive feed rate. | Reduce feed rate. | |
Dirty or worn conveyor belt. | Replace conveyor belt. | |
Sander motor slows or stalls. | Improper conveyor belt tension. | Adjust belt tension. If necessary, reduce depth of cut and/or feed rate. |
Excessive depth of cut and/or excessive feed rate. | Reduce depth of cut or feed rate. | |
Ripples in sanded surface. A. Non-uniformly spaced ripples. | A. Uneven feed rate. | Conveyor belt slipping (see above) Board slips on conveyor belt (see above). Conveyor motor stalls (see above). |
B. Uniformly spaced ripples. | B. Conveyor bed flexing or vibration. | Reduce depth of cut and/or feed rate. Check for loose bolts, loose shaft coupling set screws, or out-of-balance drum. |
Wood is gouged. | Stock slipping on conveyor. | Correct depth of cut or roller tension. |
Work piece not properly supported. | Add work supports for long workpieces. | |
Table height adjustment works improperly. | Improper adjustment of height control. | Readjust height control. See pages 18-19. |
Motor overload protector trips or shop wiring breaker trips. | Excessive load on sanding drum and motor. | Allow motor to cool and re-set overload button. Connect sander to a dedicated circuit. |
Too many tools on circuit. | Have a certified electrician correct any shop wiring problem. | |
Excessive length or inadequate size extension cord. | Use a shorter or heavier gauge extension cord see Figure 19. |
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The following should be in a Maintenance tool kit for the….