How to Use a Wood Drum Sander

A drum sander works similarly to a thickness planer, though they differ in structure. Usually, a drum sander does not have blades or cutter heads. Rather, it comes with a drum on the head. You wrap a sandpaper roll on the drum to sand the wood planks.

A drum sander is a big machine. It has the advantage of working faster and with higher precision. Most woodworkers, consider it more of a finishing tool, instead of a thickness planer. It's true; it can remove much stock from a wood plank but it may suffer—for example, tremendous heat build-up, blown fuses, and burnt sandpaper.

Using your Drum Sander

It easy to use a drum sander. It's all about getting the right adjustments, not like a circular saw that would need a circular saw guide rail. Nonetheless, it is crucial to note drum sanders accommodate different types of grit. The kind you use depends on the finish you want.

Grit Choices

Lower grit is an excellent choice if you want precision. You can use 80 or 120 to achieve accuracy. These grits are most crucial in removing milling marks. By contrast, if you want to work faster, you can use the 180 or 220 grits, but it may need further sanding.

Once you’ve made a decision, you can wrap the abrasive strip around the drum. Clip the abrasive strip on the drum spring clamp n on end and wind the paper around drum tightly from left to right. The paper should not overlap. Clip to the spring on the other end.

Necessary Adjustments

First, you need to adjust the height to allow the wood plank to pass through the machine. You'll use the height adjustment wheel. Second, is adjusting the conveyer belt speed. You should select a speed that you are comfortable working with. But, you can only adjust the speed after you’ve powered on the machine.

Before beginning sanding: Ensure that that the dust collection system is on – press the dedicated button on the system.

Starting Sanding

Place the wood plank on the conveyer belt, and hand-feed it to the machine until it passes in-feed roller. The machine will then mechanically feeds the remainder of the plank. You'll repeat this procedure until you get the desired outcome. However, with each rotation, you'll need to adjust the height. Just turn the height adjustment wheel 1/6turn.

Repeat the procedure on the other side.

A drum sander is an aggressive machine. But unlike a circular saw that has a circular saw guide rail, this machine requires the right adjustments to get precise results. The steps above will help you use it precisely.