Curious if anyone has tried to retofit an old drum sander with a powered conveyor.
I have an older Woodmaster 2640 that uses 2 small (1"?) pinch rollers (with felt backed sandpaper) to drive the material. These quickly and easily get clogged with dust and end up stalling the wood.
I have read somewhere (Sawmill Creek I think) of someone who installed compressed air lines to blow on the pinch rollers to help keep them clean, but I didn't find any photos or description other than a guy who's friend did it. While I would really prefer a powered conveyor on this I might have to try to rig up an air system.
Woodmaster still sells a motor speed controller and a gear motor for the conveyor system that has Model 2640 listed as a compatible machine, but they do not appear to still sell the rest of the conveyor.
This almost seams like it is could be a stand alone feeder, like a power feeder for the tablesaw or routertable. If there is another 26" drum sander where the conveyor is not geared off from the main motor, that is still in production, maybe I could buy that and install it under mine. I don't have a lot of experience with different makes and models of drum sanders, but I have the feeling that most new, larger sanders are probably designed so that one motor drives everything, and I am not sure I am up to a challenge like adapting that to mine.
I really don't want to teach myself how to weld to be able to fabricate something, but I have a sinking feeling that is what this will take.
Any suggestions out in Lumberjock Land for options?
I have an older Woodmaster 2640 that uses 2 small (1"?) pinch rollers (with felt backed sandpaper) to drive the material. These quickly and easily get clogged with dust and end up stalling the wood.
I have read somewhere (Sawmill Creek I think) of someone who installed compressed air lines to blow on the pinch rollers to help keep them clean, but I didn't find any photos or description other than a guy who's friend did it. While I would really prefer a powered conveyor on this I might have to try to rig up an air system.
Woodmaster still sells a motor speed controller and a gear motor for the conveyor system that has Model 2640 listed as a compatible machine, but they do not appear to still sell the rest of the conveyor.
This almost seams like it is could be a stand alone feeder, like a power feeder for the tablesaw or routertable. If there is another 26" drum sander where the conveyor is not geared off from the main motor, that is still in production, maybe I could buy that and install it under mine. I don't have a lot of experience with different makes and models of drum sanders, but I have the feeling that most new, larger sanders are probably designed so that one motor drives everything, and I am not sure I am up to a challenge like adapting that to mine.
I really don't want to teach myself how to weld to be able to fabricate something, but I have a sinking feeling that is what this will take.
Any suggestions out in Lumberjock Land for options?