The drum sander is a useful and versatile tool that performs similar to a planer – with a few key differences. The drum sander is used in wood working to remove a thin layer of wood in a single pass, and is a popular choice for home woodworkers.
While a planer is designed to take off a layer of surface wood as well, it can’t do quite the fine job that a drum sander can provide. While a drum sander won’t take off larger pieces like a planer, it can be used with thin woods that a planer would quickly destroy. While a planer actually cuts the wood, the drum sander uses abrasion to sand away the surface layer, leaving a much smoother surface. For large scale jobs that don’t require that level of smoothness and precision, the planer might still be the best choice; it’s faster and can go through more wood at a better pace. But for the average home woodworker, the versatility of the drum sander makes it a popular choice.
The drum sander operates much like a planer, pulling the piece of wood through the machine and allowing the spiraling sanding surface to remove a thin layer of wood. It can handle fairly wide pieces of wood with ease, and can accurately cut stock to a consistent thickness without the need to sand it afterwards, as it comes out of the drum sander already sanded and smooth. This is in contrast to the planer which can also cut a consistent thickness but will require a great deal of sanding work after the cutting is done.
The drum sander is a generally affordable tool for woodworkers, with several models available on the market for less than a thousand dollars. For anyone who works with wood regularly and has a need to create consistent stock, or to sand down a damaged surface, the drum sander is a good choice. IT does much of what the planer does with added benefits.
A planer’s knives would be dulled by cutting at weathered or dirty wood surfaces, but with a drum sander these can be removed with ease and there is no damage to the sander itself. The drum sander doesn’t actually cut, so it can be used on all sorts of surfaces. The thin layer it removes may necessitate several passes, however, if you have a lot to remove.
Most wood working experts agree that the drum sander is an excellent tool to have in any workshop and will be well worth the price you paid when you discover just how versatile and convenient the machine is. You can purchase a drum sander from a number of internet retailers, or at a local home improvement or woodworking store. Remember that the spiral sanding surface will need to be replaced as it wears down from use, so keep extras on hand to make sure you are not in the middle of a project when it has to be changed. You can purchase replacement wrapping sandpaper wherever you buy your drum sander.
