How to Pick the Right Drum Sander for the Job
Drum sanders are made to make your job easier by speeding up the sanding process and preventing the need to sand by hand. There are several types of drum sanders and drum sleeve sizes to accommodate any type of sanding you may do. Whether you need a drum floor sander or a thickness sander, you can find an affordable drum sander for sale on eBay.
The different types of drum sandersA drum sander has a spinning cylinder that is called a drum. This drum has replaceable sandpaper that goes over it. For all drum sanders other than floor drum sanders, wood is propelled under the drum via a conveyor belt. There are several types of new and used sanders on eBay that can accommodate different sizes of wood. These types include:
- Closed: A closed sander, such as the Grizzly drum sander model G0456, can only handle wood up to 12 inches wide.
- Open: An open sander, such as the Jet drum sander model 10-20 Plus or the Supermax drum sander model 71632, can sand wood that is twice the width of the drum. This is done by doing one pass with the wood, flipping it over, and doing another pass to sand the entire area. Since drums can vary from 10 inches to 18 inches, different sanders can accommodate pieces of wood that are 20 inches to 36 inches wide.
- Floor: Floor drum sanders, such as the Hiretech 7006 floor sander, are made to sand uneven floor surfaces or old finishes.
When sanding, it is inevitable that there will be a lot of sawdust. Not only is this dangerous to breathe in, but it also makes a mess everywhere. Most drum sanders, including floor sanders, come with a vacuum attachment that will remove the sawdust as you sand.
Differences between an orbital sander and a drum sanderA drum sander has a drum that turns the sandpaper in an aggressive cutting action that is ideal for removing thick finishes from floors or for quickly sanding large amounts of wood. With drum sanding, it is important to sand with the grain of the wood. An orbital sander oscillates, creating a grinding action ideal for smaller projects or projects that require more finesse. With orbital sanding, you can sand in any direction regardless of the grain. Both have a lot of benefits for different projects, and they also work well together.