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I'm thinking about buying a Drum sander to thickness my top, backs & sides. How thin can you go with one of these? I was looking at one General International model and its minimum thickness was only .250". Do other drum sanders go thinner than this? What I would like to be able to do is thickness my Tops, ETC.. down to fairly close to their final dimensions and then just clean them up with some hand sanding.

Currently I'm using my Wagner planer which works fine, but I find it a bit tedious and would like to just be able to adjust the drum sander and fire the wood through.

Thanks for your help!

I have a jet 16/32 the minimum thickness is quoted as 0.8mm, this is a smaller machine than the general I think.

It's my experience that manufactures' suggestions are for safety minimums. In reality you can sand into the feed belt if you like...or don't like Some models may have stops, but not on the ones I use. You can always get by those using a carrier board.

I can get down to .090 with no problem on my Woodmaster, but I built a carrier sled anyway.

-Mark

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Graham, don't worry bout the minimum, What you can do is set up a carrier board to run your stuff through. Take a piece of 3/4" baltic birch plywood, say 18" x 35" and you can do one of two things. Line the board with 150 grit or just tack a cleat to one end to hold the top, back and sides so they don't shoot out the feed end. Than you don't have to worry about what minimum height you want.

Oh, let me konw if you do get it. I'll supply the workboard just so I can do some sanding on that thing. I realy have to make that power feed system on my home made sander.Rod True38820.6864467593

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Oh, I should have read Larry and Marks post before I posted.

Ya, what they said carrier sled.

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"There's really no wrong way, as long as the results are what's desired." Charles Fox

"We have to constantly remind ourselves what we're doing....No Luthier is putting a man on the moon!" Harry Fleishman

"Generosity is always different in the eye of the person who didn't receive anything, but who wanted some." Waddy Thomson

Thanks guys!

Your answers really help.

Rod,

Shouldn't you add Milky Way to your signature line? Just in case someone doesn't know which galaxy you are in.

I get my delta down to .020 on occasion... As long as the table is level to
the drum, and there is no stop you can get real thin..

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John Mayes
http://www.mayesluthier.com

I have a Performax 16-32, and I routinely sand tonewoods to 0.080". I also use it to make purfling. For that, I use a carrier board that is dead flat (like a mahogany neck blank, etc,) and run the purfling through on top of it. Doesn't require sandpaper or anything to hold the purfling down. I just hold the purfling in place with my hand as I guide it in, and once it's grabbed by the roller, it stays put. I've sanded purfling down as thin as 0.023" this way.

Best,

Michael

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Graham,

I have the General International double drum sander and I can sand down to I don't what. But I sanded the sides for my current build to .085 and I can certainly go lower without any problem. It is a pretty good machine for a double drum "FINISHING" sander. You need to take lots of small passes but for low production it is great!

Call or PM if you need to ask more stuff! Oh ya...."B.Dickey" (Sounds like a new age rapper!!) has the same machine also.

Shane

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Canada