Posted: 7/8/2024 2:15:41 PM EDT
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Recently I have been making more outdoor gifts for friends and family. These tend to be Cedar projects using re-milled deck boards. The scenario goes like this; I make a nice glue-up, say 8" wide and run it through the drum sander to begin the smoothing process. The board comes out nice and flat, but has sanding marks that I need to remove with an orbital sander. Paying attention to keeping the sander moving and covering the entire surface, I start to detect "undulations" related to the grain of the wood. Saying it another way, I can detect high and low spots that seem to follow the grain of the wood. My guess is I am using too much pressure with the sander? And that the softer "low" spots sand out before the "harder" high ones? Please be kind.  Anyone experience the same thing? Am I on the right track regarding sanding preassure?
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What number grit are you using on the drum sander? It's worth a swap to go from 80-100 (if that's where you're at) to a 180-220, and will get rid of most of the big scratches for you. Another trick is after your last trip through the sander, angle the piece a bit and run it through again without adjusting the depth. Then again from another angle. Each pass is barely taking off anything, but helping erase the last pass's grooves. Each pass is also successively lighter since you're really just brushing the already-sanded surface. |
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“Early” and “late” wood as they are in the growth rings vary in hardness. Softwoods are probably worse that way. Did you use progressively lower grit when you changed to the disc sander? They are going to leave lines too, especially when you let up or stop the sander. Use a hand plane set for a very fine shaving, and the corners of the blade very slightly rounded |
In my most recent experience, I used 120 in the drum sander passing the material through two times for each small adjustment. The sand lines were not bad, but still present (Especially on the hard knots). I do have finer paper, up to 220, but elected not to change it out on this project. The drum sander is relatively new in my shop and I am still getting a feel for it. Changing the paper presently takes me longer than it should.  When moving to the Orbital, I fell back to 80 followed by 120. It does seem the unevenness follows the growth rings. This is why I was thinking it could be too much pressure on the sander (though it is not like I am bearing down hard, IMHO). I know I can confirm next time I run some Cedar projects, but I don't have any on the list right now. |
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its likely pressure on the sander. if you were to use a sanding block, it would probably be more even but take longer. try to just let the weight of the sander be the pressure. same effect though, it will take longer, but may yield better results. OR - its a feature, and handmade - embrace it
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Too much pressure in the clamps on your glue up. Causes warping in the wood. Clamp up your boards as you would normally. Put a flat edge across the joints. Slowly release pressure until it is flat. Repeat across the board at each clamp. If you’ve milled your boards correctly you should have a flat panel when you’re done. Use a scraper after you take it out of the clamps if you need to. Sand to smooth, not to shape. |
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Originally Posted By ropwoo: In my most recent experience, I used 120 in the drum sander passing the material through two times for each small adjustment. The sand lines were not bad, but still present (Especially on the hard knots). I do have finer paper, up to 220, but elected not to change it out on this project. The drum sander is relatively new in my shop and I am still getting a feel for it. Changing the paper presently takes me longer than it should. When moving to the Orbital, I fell back to 80 followed by 120. It does seem the unevenness follows the growth rings. This is why I was thinking it could be too much pressure on the sander (though it is not like I am bearing down hard, IMHO). I know I can confirm next time I run some Cedar projects, but I don't have any on the list right now. I'd just bite the bullet and swap out belts up to 220. It's really the ideal tool for this, since it will take off hard and soft to the same level, without conforming to the grain like a sander's pad will do. You can pre-sand a big batch to make the belt swaps worth the trouble. But I hear ya on it being a pain. I thought about getting a second drum to have loaded with a different grit for my Jet - until I saw the price.  Having orangutan fingers would help a lot. |
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Originally Posted By apierce918: its likely pressure on the sander. if you were to use a sanding block, it would probably be more even but take longer. try to just let the weight of the sander be the pressure. same effect though, it will take longer, but may yield better results. OR - its a feature, and handmade - embrace it Since it was intended to be "rustic", it all worked out |
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Originally Posted By Covertness: Too much pressure in the clamps on your glue up. Causes warping in the wood. Clamp up your boards as you would normally. Put a flat edge across the joints. Slowly release pressure until it is flat. Repeat across the board at each clamp. If you've milled your boards correctly you should have a flat panel when you're done. Use a scraper after you take it out of the clamps if you need to. Sand to smooth, not to shape. |
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Originally Posted By midmo: I'd just bite the bullet and swap out belts up to 220. It's really the ideal tool for this, since it will take off hard and soft to the same level, without conforming to the grain like a sander's pad will do. You can pre-sand a big batch to make the belt swaps worth the trouble. But I hear ya on it being a pain. I thought about getting a second drum to have loaded with a different grit for my Jet - until I saw the price. Having orangutan fingers would help a lot. Agree, I need to get better at just changing the paper since this is why I purchased it to begin with. And, I had orangutan fingers, that would help. I just have the classic 3-finger (lost one on a saw in the 80's) situation. |
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Originally Posted By ropwoo: Agree, I need to get better at just changing the paper since this is why I purchased it to begin with. And, I had orangutan fingers, that would help. I just have the classic 3-finger (lost one on a saw in the 80's) situation. Well yah, I struggle with it with all four of my pudgy little fingers so I imagine being down a digit doesn't help! Thinking about trying one of these: TUFF TOOL FOR DRUM SANDERS |
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Originally Posted By midmo: Well yah, I struggle with it with all four of my pudgy little fingers so I imagine being down a digit doesn't help! Thinking about trying one of these: TUFF TOOL FOR DRUM SANDERS
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Originally Posted By ropwoo: Funny you mention that tool. I actually have one. Just have not mastered using it. Wait till you use an old belt as a template to cut a new one from bulk stock, only to put it on and find it's too short.  I still haven't quite figured that one out.
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Originally Posted By JQ66: “Early” and “late” wood as they are in the growth rings vary in hardness. Softwoods are probably worse that way. Did you use progressively lower grit when you changed to the disc sander? They are going to leave lines too, especially when you let up or stop the sander. Use a hand plane set for a very fine shaving, and the corners of the blade very slightly rounded I believe this is your issue and your solution. |