Sherwood Drum Sanders are sturdy, compact and easy to maintain. They are also precise. Producing predictable uniform results for a broad range of sanding applications. They are a great drum sander for the enthusiast and professional woodworker alike.
A drum sander is a welcome addition to any woodworker’s workshop. They are perfect for completing repetitive and often tedious tasks such as flat surface sanding, precise dimensioning and component sanding. Drum sanders are of a simple compact design meaning they are easy to set up, easy to maintain and do not require specialised servicing. Drum sanders are useful for woodworkers of all skill levels, particularly those who need to flat sand multiple components quickly and accurately.
The Sherwood 18in Drum Sander with Open Stand
The Sherwood 18in Open Stand Drum Sander offers broad sanding capacity with a small footprint. Sand up to 18 inches (457mm) wide in one pass. Sand down precisely to 3mm in thickness. Unlike many other open ended drum sanders, the conveyor table moves up and down rather than the sanding drum. This means the sanding drum stays rigid leading to vibration free performance. If you need a compact and precise drum sander, then check out the Sherwood 18in Drum Sander with Open Stand.
A precise sanding machine
The Sherwood 18in Drum Sander is a precise sanding machine. The sanding drum is fixed to eliminate vibration. To adjust the height, the conveyor table moves up and down smoothly driven by four broadly spaced heavy duty drive screws. The height adjustment handwheel is very responsive so the table height may be adjusted very finely. There is a locking knob to fix the height position securely. Together these features create a vibration free and precise drum sander providing you with super smooth, uniform results.
18 inches of sanding
As the name says, this Sherwood 18in sander will sand up to 18 inches (457mm) wide in a single pass. And if your piece is a little wider – no worries. Because the sander is open on one end, you can flip your part around and run it through again. There is also a much more practical advantage of such a wide sanding drum - you don’t have to change the sandpaper too often. When sanding narrower parts, work one side to the other along the drum to maximise the life of the sandpaper. A long drum means a long time between sandpaper changes.
Adjustable rate of feed
The Sherwood 18in Drum Sander features adjustable conveyor table speed rate. This means you can adjust the rate of feed into the sander to suit the parts you are completing. Feed parts through quickly when skimming or sanding narrower softwood parts. Slow the rate of feed right down so you can sand wider boards or cranky hardwood without burning the parts surface.
Compact design
The Sherwood 18in Drum Sander is of a compact upright design. This means it fits easily into your already crowded workshop ready for when you need it. Attached a mobile base so your drum sander is easily moved around the workspace.
5-Year warranty
All Sherwood products feature a standard 5-Year limited warranty. No other drum sander in its class is more supported than the Sherwood 18in Drum Sander.
Fixed sanding drum
The Sherwood 18in sanding drum is fixed and the conveyer table is adjustable up and down to set the depth of sanding cut.
This design means the sanding drum is very rigid and vibration is eliminated. A vibration free sanding drum means uniform and super smooth sanding results for you.
Easy adjust conveyor table
To adjust the height of the conveyor, essentially the depth of cut, the table moves up and down driven smoothly by four broadly spaced heavy duty drive screws. The height adjustment handwheel is very responsive so the table height may be adjusted very finely. There is a locking knob to fix the height position securely. Together these features mean you can sand very precisely, very easily.
18 inches of sanding
As the name says, this Sherwood 18in sander will sand up to 18 inches (457mm) wide in a single pass. The obvious advantage is that you can sand wide boards. The less obvious advantage is that each piece of sandpaper will enjoy a long lifespan between changes. When sanding narrower parts, work left to right (or right to left) along the drum to extract every bit of its sanding potential. Clean the sandpaper regularly to further maximise its life.
Adjustable rate of feed
The Sherwood 18in Drum Sander features adjustable conveyor table speed rate. This means you can adjust the rate of feed into the sander to suit the parts you are completing. Feed parts through quickly when skimming or sanding narrower softwood parts. Slow the rate of feed right down so you can sand wider boards or cranky hardwood without burning the parts surface.
Compact design
The Sherwood 18in Drum Sander is of a compact upright design. This means it fits easily into your already crowded workshop ready for when you need it. Attached a mobile base so your drum sander is easily moved around the workspace.
Return Rollers
The drum sander bonnet features two steel Return Rollers. These rollers are super useful when sanding multiple parts. Feed the parts into the machine. Extract from the other side and store conveniently until you are in position and ready to run them through again.
Safety switch and control panel
This drum sander features a prominent safety cut off switch. If you ever get into trouble with a piece of loose clothing or by trying to sand too deeply in one pass, hit the safety switch to stop the machine. A simple twist of the safety switch returns the sander to operational mode. Below the safety switch is located the rate of feed dial and on/off switch. There is even a table height gauge as well. Everything you need to operate the machine safely is accessible and in clear view.
Dust collection
When your Sherwood drum sander is operating, positive pressure is created by the action of the sanding drum forcing air along with airborne dust out through the 62mm dust port. Included with the machine is a reusable felt dust collection bag. Attach the dust collection bag to manage dust. For best results, it is highly recommended you attach your drum sander to a motorised dust collector or shop vac.
Changing the sanding paper
Changing the sandpaper is a straightforward process. Isolate the machine from the power supply and open the lid. Use the existing sandpaper as a template and cut a new piece of sandpaper to length. Fix one end into position and roll the paper onto the drum. It takes a little practice to master this once you do however there is no looking back.
Easy assembly
The Sherwood 18in Drum Sander is easy to unpackage and assemble. All you do remove the crate top. Assemble the splayed base. Fix the sander head to the base. And ask a mate to help you stand the sander up. No other work required.
Easy to use and maintain
This drum sander is very easy to use and maintain. Understanding the capabilities of the machine, adjusting the height of the conveyor table and switching it on is basically all these is to master. Keep your drum sander clean, and always use dust extraction. Clean your sandpaper regularly using a cleaning stick. Change the sandpaper when necessary. Do this and you will have a long relationship with your drum sander. Please visit the ‘Using a Drum Sander’ tab to learn more about using and maintaining your drum sander.
5-Year warranty
All Sherwood products feature a standard 5-Year limited warranty. No other drum sander in its class is more supported than the Sherwood 18in Drum Sander with Open Base.
Drum sanders are not thicknessers
Drum sanders are not a thicknesser. Read that again. Many new users of drum sanders do not understand that drum sanders are not thicknessers. Nor are they wide belt sanders, which are an industrial machine suitable for commercial operations. Drum sanders are a sanding machine suitable for sanding tasks.
Drum sanders are designed to sand off 0.5mm or less in a single pass. Some new users attempt to sand off 1.0mm or more at a time. They are usually very disappointed when the machine burns the surface of the work piece, or the sandpaper is torn to shreds. Only ever attempt to sand 0.5mm or less in a single pass.
How to set the conveyor table height
The height of the conveyor table in relation to the sanding drum determines the depth of cut of the sandpaper. This is a relatively precise measurement. Users often set the table too high, and the drum sander burns the workpiece or shreds the sandpaper. This occurs usually because the user is in a hurry or has limited experience in using a drum sander.
There is a safe and easy way to set the height accurately. Measure your workpiece and set the height of the conveyor table using the gauge. Yet do not set the height exactly, set the table a little lower than the workpieces thicknesses, low enough that the piece will not engage with the sanding drum when passed through. You can test this before you switch the sander on. Set the height and slide the piece into the machine and check. If it does not touch the drum – you are all good.
Satisfied that the conveyor table is lower than the thickness of the piece, switch the machine on and feed the piece into the sander with the conveyor set at low speed. As the piece passes under the sanding drum carefully wind the height adjustment hand wheel clockwise moving the conveyor table up until the sanding drum just engages with the piece. You have set the conveyor table to the thickness of the piece. Feed this piece of wood back through the machine so you know it is uniform, and then move onto sanding the rest of the work.
Please note – the heigh adjustment handwheel is very responsive. When adjusting the height of the conveyor table between sanding passes, the handwheel may only need a half turn at most to setting a new adequate sanding height.
Sandpaper grits
Typically, 80 or 100 grit sandpaper is used on drum sanders. These grits are robust enough to handle the relatively high RPM that drum sanders operate at. You can also use 120 grit when sanding finer parts made from softer timbers. You find however that 120 grit and finer may clog too easily to be effective. On the other hand, sandpaper less than 80 grit will dimension parts very effectively yet will require additional finer sanding to remove the deep scratches that lower grit sandpapers create.
Cleaning the sandpaper
Its highly recommended to clean your sandpaper regularly using a sandpaper cleaning stick. Clean sandpaper will maximise the life of the paper and minimise the chance of any surface burning due to a clogged sandpaper surface. You can clean your drum sander using a Sandpaper Cleaning Stick available from Timbecon.
Cleaning blocks are like a large pencil eraser. As you apply the block to the paper being cleaned, they break down into tiny rubbery particles that bind with the tiny wood particles embedded in the sandpaper. After applying the cleaning block, brush away the rubbery particles to clean the paper. The best way to do this is by using compressed air.
Warning - cleaning the sandpaper on a drum sander is a task that should be approached with caution. Do not wear loose clothing. Wear PPE and have your hair tied back securely if required.
Open the bonnet of the drum sander and turn the machine on. The drum sanders drum rotates away from the in-feed side of the machine. Away from the operator and control panel. To clean the rotating drum, stand at the in-feed side of the machine carefully lower you sandpaper cleaning stick onto the far side of the revolving drum. The side of the drum farthest from where you are standing. Work the cleaning block along the sanding drum. Clean off the residue with compressed air.
Changing the sandpaper
Drum sanders use a length of sandpaper wrapped around an aluminium drum to sand the work. The size and type of sandpaper varies machine to machine, so check the Timbecon website for the size your drum sander utilises. To fit the sanding drum, the sandpaper strip is tapered on ends. If you are not using pre-cut sandpaper on your drum sander, ensure you use sandpaper of the correct width for your machine. To duplicate the tapered ends of the strip by cutting, use the existing piece of sandpaper as a template.
Start by fixing the sandpaper at one end of the drum. Squaring the taper of the paper up with the end of the sanding drum. Then roll the drum wrapping the paper around the drum as you go. Ensure the paper is tight. Ensure the paper falls hard up against itself edge to edge as you wrap in around. Once the paper is fully wound onto the drum, fix it in place. Be sure to run the sander and check the positioning of the paper before proceeding to sand wood.
It can take a little practice to get this right. Like learning to play a G chord or hone a chisel. Once you have done it a few times the process is very simple.
What happens if you burn your piece of wood?
Burning on the surface of your workpiece happens when you try to sand too deeply in one pass. Or, when the sandpaper on the drum is not fitted correctly and overlapping on itself. Both situations should be avoided, as once the wooden surface is burnt, the part will usually need to be re-machined to salvage it. It is impractical, time consuming and sometimes impossible to sand out a surface burn.
If you are dealing with multiple matching pieces and you burn one, accept that you will probably need to make a replacement. Otherwise, you will find yourself having to adjust the size of all the other matching pieces to suit. When sanding multiple matching pieces, a good tip is to always make a few extra in case a burn happens. You can always store extras for future use or to use as a reference.
Staying organised
Drum sanders are perfect for repetitive work. To make the process of sanding multiple pieces of wood precisely and quickly, it is very important to stay organised. This means machine all the parts in advance and sand them all at once. There is nothing more annoying than having to reset heights constantly because you missed a piece. Particularly when working with very precise dimensions.
Using the conveyor table
The conveyor table is a critical feature of any drum sander. Its primary purpose is to deliver the piece smoothly at a uniform sanding to the sanding drum. Many conveyor tables feature a sandpaper drive belt. This ensures the piece being sanded does not slip during the process.
The speed of the conveyor table drive belt can be adjusted. Speed up the rate of feed when sanding narrow softwood parts. Slow the rate of feed down when sanding hardwood or wide parts. Trial and error will show you the best rate of feed setting for your project. The conveyor belt on your drum sander can be tracked. If the paper belt starts to run out to one side and clash with the roller mounts, you can correct this by adjusting the roller mounts.