Thread: Drill press drum sanders

I have the first type from Carbatec and they leave a bit to be desired. The smaller one (about 1in dia in the old system) is fairly useless. The paper keeps slipping out. The bigger diameters are reasonable.

CP

Hi there: I use the drum style at the school here because it saves me time having to constantly replace. For home use, how about the other type mentioned (sandpaper) for the larger diameter uses and the drum style for smaller? My $.02, Wayne.

3rd option, if you are looking at using the drill press, consider a Wasp.



Australian invention, uses belt sandpaper. There is no lip at the bottom, and changing paper takes a second or so. You can use the end as a drum sander, and change it's diameter with different diameter chuck inserts (and make your own to whatever diameter you need).

4th option, get a dedicated spindle sander. This one from Triton is about $200



That might be more expensive than what you are currently considering, but the $60 or $80 or whatever you are going to spend otherwise puts quite a dent in the new price of one of these. Sizes of spindles up to 3"

Thanks for the responses.
Hmm more food for thought (and I should be on a diet)!
Cheers,
Adam

What Stuart said is Option 3 - WASP. Looks expensive, but does the job and more so is value for money.

See: http://www.piricdesign.com.au/produc...duct-info.html

Originally Posted by Bloss

What Stuart said is Option 3 - WASP. Looks expensive, but does the job and more so is value for money.

See: http://www.piricdesign.com.au/produc...duct-info.html

I think I paid about $20 for a set of 4 spindles from carbatec with 2 sleeves in 2 grades (I think it was 2 x 80 and 2 x 120) for each size. Cheap and easy, and I'd just replace the whole kit rather than pay $10 per sleeve. They've lasted pretty well though. I do like the look of that wasp though - and it's not as expensive a I would have thought either.

Peter

With my belt sander I seem to be forever re-adjusting to stop the belt moving from side to side, and if I'm too late and the belt gets too close to the housing side then the edge of the belt gets chewed up.

Do you get these tracking problems with the wasp?

Cheers,
Adam

Originally Posted by Chumley

With my belt sander I seem to be forever re-adjusting to stop the belt moving from side to side, and if I'm too late and the belt gets too close to the housing side then the edge of the belt gets chewed up.

Do you get these tracking problems with the wasp?

Cheers,
Adam

I don't seem to suffer those sort of tracking problems

The WASP is the go, and the only thing that has trouble tracking on it is the leather stropping belt, but a lot of tape in the middle of the front spindle fixes that.

Also, the WASP does not interfere with normal Drill press operation, its quick to set up, change belts, allows you to do repeatable curves or flat surfaces and now cannot live without it.

Another alternative to the Wasp, from the same manufacturer, is the BlowFly sander

Does a very nice job, and I believe it is more versatile than a drum or even the Wasp.

If you are not careful, all of the drill mounted drums are good for removing the drill chuck if it has a Morse taper - been there, still there

I bought a set from Lee Valley with the extra spindles that fit the ball bearing support that they sell - http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.a...02&cat=1,42500
and have had no problems with the sanding drums knocking the chuck out since - everything else still does tho'.

And Lee Valley sell a good variety of the sanding sleeves, which make a light weight add on to any order.

Had a WASP for ages, great bit of kit.

Yes I did have a problem with the chuck falling out. Spoke to Terry Gosschalk (designer of WASP) who recommended a decent vertical hit with a hammer, and it's stayed put since. And yes it will still come out when YOU want

You can also get soft rollers to fit the drill as well as varying diameters, and it comes with a linisher plate.
Change grits in seconds.

I too have never had a tracking problem with the belt

I have tried the wrap around and the sleeved drums and find the sleeves slightly better. Both are a bit out if balance. I mounted a 3'' sleeved drum on the lathe as a try at a small thickness sander and gave up due to it not running true. They are all right for general sanding and shaping but are not precision tools. For the cost of them overall they can be handy to have as I still use them now and again.