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Any recommendations? I'm scoping out the General 24" single drum.

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Doug

Don't let fear or common sense stop you from trying to build something

Here's what is up for sale. 1986 Kawasaki Concours.

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Doug

Don't let fear or common sense stop you from trying to build something

As a fellow bike rider having had lots of bikes and also lots of sanders, I'm sorry to see you are giving up riding. Luckily I still get to have both the bike and a sander.Don't buy a drum sander. If possible, do whatever it takes to get a widebelt sander. You'll never regret it. I have a larger one, but I know there are some smaller more affordable ones on the market. There is no comparison between a drum sander and the convenience of being able to change belts instantly. Good luck with your search.

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“ The meaning of life is to find your gift and the purpose of life is to give it away” Pablo Picasso

You can't give up your motorcycle! That's like finally growing up!

Keep the bike and buy a cheaper sander.

Mikey,

(Owner of 5 motorcycles)

Don't do it!!!!

Bruce Sexauer will confirm...

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The Biggest Little City, Nevada
www.hammondguitars.com
I love building guitars!

I would look at the jet 22-44 oscillating drum sander over the general. Obviously wide belt reigns supreme, but it seems to be a good mid ground. In Internet haunts I ran across a luthier with one who really enjoyed it, moreso than a standard drum sander.

Nice bike

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久保
美智え

and nice landscape. good luck with your quest, i´m afraid i´m of no help there... but i do hope you get to keep the bike.

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member of the guild of professional dilettantes

For those that don't have the $ or room for a wide belt, the SuperMax 19-38 is worth looking at.


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That big green thing seems like overkill for guitar building. I have the SuperMax 19-38 and love it. Very well made, lots of bang for your buck.

http://www.supermaxtools.com/products-s ... um-sander/

I don't want to take away from belt sander fans... they love these things and that's good enough. For the hobby builder, they can be a bit over the top with belt and machine cost. The smaller ones probably do not take up much more room than a 16-32 or 22-44. Drum sanders are versitile, paper costs low by comparison, and changing paper is not hard once you get the hang of it. 16-32s go for around $700 and the 22-44 goes for a bit over $1000 (on sale). I built several guitars including a harp guitar using a 10-20, then upgraded to a 22-44. There is not much you cannot build guitar-wise with a 22-44. Many are happy in the 16-32 range.

Point is, you should not have to sell your motorcycle to thickness wood. But if you are determined to do so, have at it!

Also, if it is time you are trying to save, a belt sander will do that. But if you analyze where most time is spent in building a guitar, it's not in thicknessing the wood.

Doug, what sander, if any, do you have now? As Mike has already commented, I'm one of those that is pretty happy with my Jet 16-32.

Also, if you feel like a drive, I'm selling my Hausmann 18-36, which is a rebadged Grizzly for 600$...

I've been considering selling the bike for two years now. I don't ride it very often. Even with good hearing protection my ears ring after I ride and I need to better protect my already-damaged hearing. I don't get the same sense of adventure in riding as I used to; I now receive that through lutherie. I also hit a deer at 75 mph with my son on the back three years ago and although I have probably put on 6000 miles since then that experience has left me with a heightened sense of caution when I ride that shouts louder than the sense of freedom that I used to experience. (no injuries and minimal damage to bike...but high emotional impact). My final reason for selling is to convert some of the capital into better tooling. I could keep the bike and buy a sander (and have the blessing of my wife for this) but I like the idea of freeing up some room in the garage and minimizing the amount of further family capital I am investing in personal pursuits. I have already spent a lot of $$ on this lutherie thing and I see no end in sight to my pursuits therein.

I currently have a home-made drum sander that works ok but I'd like a better solution, one that involves less pushing and pulling of the material through the drum sander.

_________________
Doug

Don't let fear or common sense stop you from trying to build something

I think Tony Karol bought the same sander. Maybe you could PM him to see how he likes it.

Alex

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"Indecision is the key to flexibility" .... Bumper sticker

If you want a sense of adventure back on a motorcycle just get one like mine.



I guess that it wouldn't help much with the sense of caution though

Most drum sanders that I am aware of use a conveyor belt, so no pushing and pulling. Sounds like you know what you are getting into. Be advised, I am not sure if a belt sander is good for sizing purfling and other "small" stuff. This is one thing a drum sander does quite well. (remember, I said I am not sure... just thinking it through, maybe someone who owns one could chime in on this issue)

Doug,
I understand where you are coming from.

I am putting my 97 Dodge Ram up for sale so I can finish my new shop. I love the truck but just don't drive it much. It only has 24,000 miles on it and I pay for insurance and heated and dehumidified storage in the winter. I put insurance on it and only drive it a few weekends out of the summer at our local car shows and drive fests. I figure if I sell it I can completely finish the electric and drywall as well as put a furnace and dehumidifier in and have some cash left over to get myself a thickness sander as well.

I bought it new and drove it right from the dealership to the frame shop... All professionally done. Hate to see it go but like you, I don't drive it much and can use the cash for better things.

Bob

Hey Doug,

Why not look at the open ended wide belt sander general makes also?. They are right in the same price range as the drum and will give a far superior finish as well as belt life will be much longer. This is what I'd be getting if I had the cash.

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My Facebook Guitar Page

"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

I've got that General. There are no minuses accept it's not a wide belt. I only use the 2 drums for cabinet doors and for that 2 drums are useful. Not so much for building guitars. Mine lives with 60 grit most of the time for instruments. Sometimes 80 but belt changes are about 2 minutes. Very quick. It has enough power, but it's not a wide belt. I think it's fairly well made and pretty good value but.......... I wish I had a wide belt.

It's possibly safer than a bike but not nearly as much fun.

Good Luck

The cheapest General wide belt is $1000 more than this single drum unit I'm looking at according to my research. If you can correct me I'd be most grateful. Goodin has my interest tweaked in the Supermax 19-38 but I can't find a dealer in Western Canada.

_________________
Doug

Don't let fear or common sense stop you from trying to build something

Sorry Doug. I thought that was a duel drum. They look much the same. Other than 1 HP less I'm sure it would be much the same. I have faith in General products.

I thought that was the double drum too which is why I suggested the wide belt. It would really be worth the extra $1k though.

_________________
My Facebook Guitar Page

"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

I have been looking at the Jet 16-32 and thought that is the one I wanted to buy.
However after checking out the link for the Supermax 19-38 I am considering that instead, mainly because of the ability to handle 4" thickness.

I am curious if anyone has any direct experience with both of these and how they compare. I have read the spec's so I know the difference between them but I am wondering about quality and how they actually work in a shop setting.

Thanks,
Bob

I don't get it. I thought NAFTA was spposed to alleviate trade issues. It's amazing to me that our friends to the North cannot get tools made in USA (well, assembled here). There must be some strong lobbies in place on both sides of the border protecting various manufacturers.

We can get it here in Canada, just not in Western Canada and I'm trying to avoid hundreds of dollars worth of shipping charges from out east or down south.

_________________
Doug

Don't let fear or common sense stop you from trying to build something