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Surface Sander

1931 Views 11 Replies 9 Participants Last post by  CharleyL
Does anyone have experience with Sand-Flee surface sander? There is a used one for sale for $150. I am tempted to buy it, but I like to hear about your experience. I understand it uses velcro back sandpaper. Are they easy to find? Where can I purchase them?
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https://buy.klingspor.com/e2wShoppi...0&parentLink=2100530022:3100531468:3100531510

I have a very old 9 inch sander (50+yo) that works similarly to the sand flee. It works great on my smaller signs
That is a cool sander! Would be great for surfacing cutting boards and other end grain items. Pricey...
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What a cool machine, I have never seen it before. I think it would be very useful in the shop. The price is hi though, but I can think of many times I could have used one. For $150, you can't go wrong if it is in good shape. If yo get it, please give us a review, it looks quite interesting. I am sure it you don't like it you will be able to get you money back on a resale.

https://www.rjrstudios.com/store/p3/SAND-FLEE®_18"_Portable_Drum_Sander.html

https://www.scribd.com/doc/257729121/sand-flee-article-2?secret_password=QL61EsqR1ZcpBRiwhp6v

Herb
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That is a cool sander! Would be great for surfacing cutting boards and other end grain items. Pricey...
According to the 1949 price list, my little one was $60...which would be $641.87, and that is just for a 9 inch.... not too far off, I guess

If you look online, there are homebuilds you can make


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A new one to me and I would agree that if it is in good shape it would be worth the money. Not sure I would pay full list vs. a standard drum sander however.
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Here are some reviews from Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Sand-Flee-Portable-18-Drum-Sander/product-reviews/B0036AYY5S

I looked at what one reviewer said was the original from Stockroom Supply here in Canada as that is where I get my bandsaw blades from. According to Doug's post it could be much older than that. It seems over priced for what it is. It has the same limitations that a jointer does and works the same way a jointer does. In other words it will flatten one side but you could be flattening a wedge. Reviews say it needs a stronger motor but maybe those users were pushing on it too hard. I have a drum sander and it will only take off a few thou per pass.
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Mine works great for getting the paint off of the faces of signs after I fill in the letters. 120 grit, just a couple of passes. Faster then using the drum sander because I don't have to set the height of the sanding head.
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Thank you for your feedback. It was sold before I got to it - I guess it wasn't meant for me.

It seems to me the critical part of this type of sander is the drum - has to be perfectly round, holds sandpaper steady, and uniformly even to the supporting surface. It may be difficult to get critical factors just right with homemade version. Well, I don't have that skill that some of you have.
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I built the Stockroom Supply version, using their hardware. It does a good job on panels. It's not the fastest for flattening, though. It's not a substitute for the planer. But, a truly flat and smooth surface can be obtained.
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I hope you already jumped on that deal because it's one of those "you won't see that deal again" things. Like Gene, I went with Stockroom route, with their table and base and I haven't looked back since.

My buddy has a Jet surface sander he got for free (how's that for a killer deal) and it's great, but when it goes wrong it goes really wrong.

Both have their advantages. One for the SandFleas and SandMasters is, you can even sand latex paint covered boards and not load up your paper.

When I built mine, I didn't have a 1750 RPM motor, so I swapped pulleys to drop the speed. I had to relieve that end of the table to allow the pulley to sit proud of the table, but you never use that area anyway, so can cover it with a small box, if desired.



Does anyone have experience with Sand-Flee surface sander? There is a used one for sale for $150. I am tempted to buy it, but I like to hear about your experience. I understand it uses velcro back sandpaper. Are they easy to find? Where can I purchase them?
I also bought the Stockroom Supply kit and built my own. It does a great job on smaller work. It's a sander, not a planer, so it doesn't take much off per pass, but will leave a very nice smooth and flat surface. I buy my sanding supplies from Klingspore https://www.woodworkingshop.com/hickory/

Charley
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