# 31-255X Delta X5 18" x 36" Drum Sander-Discontinued by Delta



## rshep55

About 3 years ago I purchased this 31-255X 18" x 36" drum sander. I see it is nowt discontinued. I chose this over the Performax model mainly because of price. I'm looking for the opinion of LJ's that have ther same sander.

My Opinion..
Grew it dislike it quickly.

I do not use mine in a production sort of way where it is being used daily. Mostly I use it to clean up cutting boards and even out laninate strips of wood I later glue up in in a bending form. I think I had problems with it from day one with leveling the feed table. The feed table rises and lowers on four threaded posts instead of the drum adjusting for height). I would adjust it and would no sooner finish and it would pop out. I later found the gears were not close enough together and began to strip. There is no adjustment to make them mesh. At some point before the five year warrenty ends I have to bring it in for a repair.

If you own or did own one, what is your opinion , Love it? Hate it? ???


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## plepper

I too have one of these and can't get the table to adjust it is a VERY poor design. I have some ideas to completely change the table adjusting system. I bought mine for $50.00 at a garage sale so the parts are worth that and if I screw it up I'm not out much.


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## jm82435

I really enjoy mine, the adjustment I have to most trouble with is keeping the drive belt centered on the rollers…


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## Albert

I bought mine used about 6 months ago. Poor design and like you say difficult to level the table. I would not recommend this even though I do use it a lot. One secret is to only change the table height by about 1/8 turn adjustments, very light sanding therwise it binds up and burns the wood.
Mine is kind of a 'love/hate' relationship.


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## rshep55

Paul, I agree, it's a love/hate thing with this sander. I need to get mine into the shop for replacement of the table adjustment gears but I keep finding a need to use it.


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## Dusty56

HATE IT WITH A PASSION…WORST TOOL I EVER SPENT MY MONEY ON ! If I wanted to make clapboards / beveled siding for a living , I have the perfect tool for the job !
1) Can not level the bed to save my soul despite following their instructions to a T and finally using my own ideas to make it work the best of all.
2) Can't adjust the height smoothly with their 6" handwheel turning a 1/4" shaft that drives the plastic gears and 4 screws that raise and lower the bed….I swear that the shaft flexes from the torque. It either turns the gears too much or not at all.
3) Cheap cog belt to turn the gears…I've had it jump the teeth before.
4)The drive belt on the table slips alot unless you overtighten it which causes the tiny drive motor to stall out.
5) Have I mentioned Snipe yet ?
6) To think that I wasted a couple years of production runs waiting for them to debug the machine before buying it , and it still SUCKS !
7) Delta X5 …the UGO of drum sanders
8) If Delta reimbursed me for the time I've had to spend to make their machine operate reasonably well , I could afford to buy a nice Performax !!
9) I'm going to stop now before typing anything that women and children shouldn't see on this site 
10) Ron ,Thanks for letting me vent here….everytime I mention the issues with it to Woodcraft , they tell me that all of theirs work perfectly…..no one is having any issues….I do have to give them credit for replacing the first one that I got from them though . Stupid me , should have taken the hint and got my money back instead of taking the replacement machine !! : (
ps: I only use this for rough work and go back to my old but reliable Ryobi WDS1600 for finish sanding : )


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## Rick Dennington

I was thinking about looking into the Delta drum sander, but I think I will pass after hearing all the bad reviews, then find out they are no longer made. Now I see why… I've always been a Delta owner and buyer, but not on this one, thank you very much….Thanks for the heads-up guys…......... keep on keeping on.


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## Dusty56

http://www.amazon.com/review/R2K7MSFSXSH0G/ref=cm_cr_pr_viewpnt#R2K7MSFSXSH0G
Just got through reading 5 pages of reviews at Amazon on this machine…..some people lucked out and got a good one and are claiming that those of us with issues just aren't using the machine correctly ! 
Funny part is that all of us "others" have the same exact problems with the *%$#@@&)(^^*machine.

Any bets that the non-believers are actually Delta personnel doing the typing of favorable comments ?
One thing that I did learn from a commenter there was that Delta has a free fix for the pressure rollers that cures our "imaginary" sniping issues !!


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## BlankMan

Well I'm not a "Delta personnel" and I bought mine at the Woodworkers Show before Delta was even shipping them and had to wait a couple of months for it to be delivered.

This machine gets used with just about every project and I mean a lot. Not just one or two passes per board maybe 6-10 passes per board because I use it for final sizing using 220 grit and take off an 1/8 turn at a time so as to not load up the sandpaper.

1) Adjusted the bed once, still level, sands boards parallel, and I check them with a micrometer
2) Height adjustment is smooth
3) Cog belt has never jumped a tooth
4) Table drive belt doesn't slip but it is hard to keep it centered but it takes quite a while for it to move to either side
5) No snipe
6) No stripped/broken gears

This thing has been a solid performer for me and I'm surprised so many people are having problems with it. I like this design where the table moves up and down and not the drum and motor. I had concerns regarding how rigid the Performax motor/drum assembly is and any flex of the assembly pivoting where it slides up and down, a little slop there is amplified by its length at the end of the drum.

But people have tendency to be more vocal when they feel something is wrong and speak less about everything that is right. Just my 2 cents.


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## Dusty56

Blankman , what year did you purchase your machine ? If you got one of the first ones , of course the quality would have been better because they would have been checking tolerances closer in order to get people to buy them…..they just went downhill after that and discontinued the model due to all of the issues that people were experiencing with them…..even the people that get paid to work on them don't like them !
Consider yourself lucky to have gotten a good one. 
$1000.00 is waaaaay to much money for this piece of $#@% .

That's just my $1000.00 opinion…
We can't all be having the same "imaginary" problems and "lack of knowledge" of how to operate it properly.


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## BlankMan

Bought it 1/28/2000 received it in March or April of that year, April I think, paid $729.99 for it.

They still make it, the 31-260X, might be a different model number but Delta doesn't change their machines much. Mine is a 31-250, long before there were any "X" machines. Mine came with the Open Stand but I recently bought the Closed Stand for it and put it on there.

And you guys are talking about plastic gears, they've never given me any trouble. And as for the cheap timing belt jumping, timing belts aren't cheap from my experience buying them for other projects but if you don't have the idler pulley that tensions the belt adjusted properly and the belt is loose it could very well jump.

But if you have to turn the crank with so much force that it jumps I would remove the belt and table and see if one of the threaded rods is binding, mine takes hardly any force to turn the crank.

I spend a lot of time dialing in my machines, but the end results is they then perform well. I've yet to have a machine come from the factory, from any manufacturer dialed in and works perfect or cuts straight. From my experience you always have to take the time to dial them in if you expect them to perform.

I'd recommend this sander, no doubt about it.

Oh and a friend bought one recently, he hasn't set it up and used it yet, might be a while at the rate he goes, but I'll give it the once over and use it and see if the quality really has gone downhill like you said. I'd be really surpriised if it has, Delta has not been known to do that, import stuff I can see, but Delta didn't get where it is and have a good reputation by doing what you're implying.

And if you called them (Delta direct and not DeWalt ServiceNet people) and expressed your displeasure with them instead of here I'd bet they'd do everything they could to make it right.


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## JMACGUITARS

I purchased one on eBay for 200.00, good, bad, or indifferent I own it and cannot afford a better one. I build guitars and use it to thickness the top, back and sides, I have mine within .003" from left to right, however it does not stay there long so I do a lot of adjusting, the feed belt stays pretty much centered, One thing mystifies me - I will set the table to it's lowest position, level the table - front to back , left to right, however when I raise it the out-feed side will go up at a slower rate than the in-feed side, so when the table is within .200" there is quite an angle to it, does anyone know if the gears are different from front (in-feed) to Back (out-feed) and this is part of the design.


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## Jim_CT

I also have a 31-250 one, purchased used for $350 about 9 months ago. At first it was fine, but now the table is not level, it is jumping teeth all the time, one of the elevator screws is binding, and the timing belt is loose.

Jim


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## WoodJitsu

Thanks guys. There's one on ebay that I was going to buy, but thanks to the jocks, I'll pass!


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## rshep55

I got my sander onto the shop for repairs just before the 5 year warranty expired. The gears were missing teeth and did not mesh. That's why, the missing teeth. It turns out the adjustment shaft runs through a hole in a metal
plate. The hole in the metal plate elongated making the gears not mesh properly and the adjustment jump. I don't know why Delta's engineers felt a bushing was not necessary and used a hole in a piece of metal to support the adjustment shaft. When it starts jumping teeth again I plan on changing the design and use a bushing.


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## Jim_CT

I have not used mine in almost one year. Got too busy with work and mostly building a bannister during the small amount of available shop time. Hand sanded all the slats. Called a local equipment repair shop - he had four in for servicing. Contacted Delta technical support and they advised to folllow the procedure for levelling the table.

It seems the real fix is to carefully study the system and replace it with a chain, sprockets and metal gears. And adding a bushing.

Maybe someone could offer a kit to do this.

Jim


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## 24DaveH

If anyone who is not too far from Salt Lake City wants to sell their Delta 18" drum sander, I am interested. I'm using it for an unconventional purpose and I don't care how messed up the feed table is-I'll be removing that part of it. -Dave
If shipping the main portion of the sander without the feed table, feed motor or stand is feasible I could look into that option from a farther away city. thanks


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## stevebowman8322

does any body out there know where i can find gear assembly for model 31255x drum sander part numbers 406130510007 and 406134060001 i find it a bunch of crap that delta can sell something and then say parts are obselete help!1


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## stevebowman8322

i forgot to leave a phone number if you can help call 3602706326 or email [email protected] on the delta drum sander gear assembly part numbers 406130510007 and 406134060001 steve


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## Jim_CT

Steve - I replaced these gears once and they wore out again in a surprisingly short time. Perhaps I did something wrong. IN any event, looked everywhere for the Delta parts, and finally, about a month ago, bought plastic replacement bevel gears of equivalent tooth count and sizing from boston gear. Then I went to a local machinist and he put the gear on the rod. The hole on the rod was not centered (!). Still have not installed the gears.

I'll send an email with some more infomration. Jim


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## Thrakintosh

Cross post from SMC…

I have ordered and received metal replacement gears from Renovo. I ordered the gears on Monday, they arrived on Friday. They were $160 but considering I bought the sander (the 31-255X) used on CL for $350 I think its a steal.

And yes, I realize that this thread is 2 years old but I thought someone might be interested in an update.


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## RichardHillius

I have been wondering if all these issues people are talking about is this manufacturer or a result of the cantilevered design in general? I have heard similar complaints about other manufactures open ended sanders as well. I'm considering getting a sander at some point and have been thinking about just getting a closed one instead of dealing with the possible issues from a open ended one but the idea of the wider capacity is nice. Is there any manufacturer design of a open ended sander that is considered a great design that fixes what seems to be the pretty common issue of keeping it aligned?


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## HEELEEO

Thrakintosh, can you give me the info for ordering those gears? I am in a bind and need my sander up and running!
Thanks


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## TLK

all of the bad comments above are all correct. I now know why I only had to pay $200 for this thing. At first I did not have issues, but the gears are bad and about impossible to find parts 
thanks Adam for telling us where to get parts, even if I am not sure I want to spend that much or just try to sell it for the $200 I have in it.


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## Macophile

Thank you Adam from Redhook-

I got the Renovo parts, but mine took 5 weeks to arrive. After a lot of swearing and adjusting, I got the table elevator working smoothly. Still trying to figure out the belt feeder tracking. I have followed the instructions to the letter, but no matter what I do the feeder belt still tracks to the right. Even flipped the belt, still tracks to the right. if anyone else had this problem and was able to fix it, I would love to hear how you did it.


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## guitarchitect

Just got one of these! A used one. Interested in trying it out! Long story but I got it for free!

The table won't rise though. Does tension have to be on the belt that raises the screws together? I'm sending out one of the rods to get straightened so I can't set the tension yet. The handwheel moves about a quarter turn in either direction, and I can't see anything that would prevent the cogs from turning…

Also, are replacement feed belts available anywhere?


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## jerif

Thought I found a good deal on one a 31-250 that just needed a good cleaning and a new belt..or so I thought. Turned out that all 4 of the table elevator screws are bent. Replacement parts not available from Delta. Based on what I am reading here..I think I will cut my losses. Anyone interested in buying a drum assembly and motor? They are good.


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## guitarchitect

> Thought I found a good deal on one a 31-250 that just needed a good cleaning and a new belt..or so I thought. Turned out that all 4 of the table elevator screws are bent. Replacement parts not available from Delta. Based on what I am reading here..I think I will cut my losses. Anyone interested in buying a drum assembly and motor? They are good.
> 
> - jerif


Check for parts at Renovo.

I sent my elevating rod to a guy with an arbor press and it took him about 5 seconds to straighten it - so yours might be worth salvaging yet!


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## Peteybadboy

I was about to buy one on CL for $525. I will keep looking. due to these reviews


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## ArtMann

I read on another forum that the plastic gears that are weak and prone to failure aren't available as a spare part from Delta. By the way, Delta has become a Chinese company.


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## MyChipCarving

Delta 31-250 
My fix for height adjustment problem.
I bought this drum sander used and it worked fine until I lowered the height to sand a 4" piece. When I started cranking it back up that's when the height adjustment broke down. Gears slipped and skipped. I took it apart, greased everything and reassembled and it worked with careful use. When someone else used it (who will go unnamed) it went totally to pot. I thought about getting a different machine but everything about the 250 was good except the height adjustment. When looking at other brands I noticed some of them had a similar height adjustment except it was on top of the stand and not below it like Delta. Also, they did not have the long and flimsy adjustment rod like Delta. So…

I moved the height adjustment from underneath to on top of the stand. I eliminated the hand crank and changed the configuration of the adjust gears so I could use a vise grips to change the height. 
The pictures below should show what I did more clearly than I can explain.

Works fine now so I'm back in business. I hope this helps you if you own one of these. I spent a lot of time trying to fix mine and am glad this solution works!


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## Albert

Thanks for that post, very informative and a solution that I had not thought about. My machine is still chugging along but I am always waiting for the height adj. to give out (again). I've got the belt so tight that it takes a lot to turn the adjustment and I wait for it to snap. Hate the machine but I use it for most projects, I will try your solution when the day of arrives.


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## SATXmarine1

I really appreciate these unbiased reviews, had an opportunity to buy one, but I think I will reconsider. I do not need a project to finish projects. I will continue to look around. Thanks Lumberjocks!


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## Bujo

@MyChipCarving 
Do you pictures of your undertable mod?

Thanks a lot, i like your idea !


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## Knockonit

I have same one, and followed mychipcarving on the height adjustment.
i did find how to order teh steel gears, they are around 180 shippped. I opted to stick with this set up for now and not order.
but i struggle with the dang thing, as far as table speed, keeping the belt on the rollers, my old hands struggle with the little paper clips holding belt. 
when it does work correctly, it is awesome, but it seems like i have to fiddle with it all the time.

i use it to clean up my planer faux paux, when a blade gets a nick, or cutting boards, mostly mulitiple board glue ups, easier than planing.
anyhow, it does ok, but if a deal on a much better unit shows up, i'm gonna jump on it, 
in the mean time, i'll work thru this fandangle of a sander and use it best i can'
Rj


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## bonesbr549

> About 3 years ago I purchased this 31-255X 18" x 36" drum sander. I see it is nowt discontinued. I chose this over the Performax model mainly because of price. I m looking for the opinion of LJ s that have ther same sander.
> 
> My Opinion..
> Grew it dislike it quickly.
> 
> I do not use mine in a production sort of way where it is being used daily. Mostly I use it to clean up cutting boards and even out laninate strips of wood I later glue up in in a bending form. I think I had problems with it from day one with leveling the feed table. The feed table rises and lowers on four threaded posts instead of the drum adjusting for height). I would adjust it and would no sooner finish and it would pop out. I later found the gears were not close enough together and began to strip. There is no adjustment to make them mesh. At some point before the five year warrenty ends I have to bring it in for a repair.
> 
> If you own or did own one, what is your opinion , Love it? Hate it? ???
> 
> - rshep55


Wow brought up a bad relationship memory. I got sucked into this tool many years ago. I was torn between it and the performax. I was sucked in by that 5 year warantee bullcrap.

Found out quickly it would not hold calibration. The gears plastic and the design was trash. That first time it slipped you had to spend hours getting it back in calibration.

It sat in my shop unused for years and I did manage to sell it for a 100$ so I can say I got something took a real bath on that tool

Someone else had a thread for worst tools you ever owned and that was tops on my list. What pissed me the most was it was being discontinued as I bought it. Delta did not give a rats but about sticking me with it.

Also last Delta tool I bought. If memory serves me right It was around 750 back when I got it.

Sorry you got stuck with one too. Maybe a delta support group is in order.


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## Twigg

Mine worked great for a while but once it gets off track, it sucks, very tough to level. Then the shear pin holding the gear to the shaft went, found a replacement, the the inside of gear around shear pin broke down, filled that with epoxy and drilled new shear pin holes. That lasted this past year with very careful turning, now the teeth have gone on the gear, ********************ED! Dont know what to do next, maybe remounting belt above like MyChip?


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## Youtee

Hello friends. Does anyone have a wiring diagram of the circuit board in this machine? When I got mine, the fellow before me had pulled some wires off and I need to know what posts they are supposed to go on. A picture will work great if anyone has the time. Thanks in advance!

Dan


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## JerryBa

My compliments to MyChipCarving for his solution to the table moving problem with this sander. I have replaced the gears once already and just today blew out the gears again. I intend to try this modification and request he respond with a few more details relating to the post where vise grips turn up and down the table. I have not started to disassemble and it might become more clear how it will work when I can see it better. I would feel more confident if I could discuss first.


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## runswithscissors

I wonder if anyone has tried modifying it to use sprockets and chain instead. Much stronger and less likely to slip than a cogged belt.


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## pottz

had one and gave it away after the motor burned out,was a piece of junk.never could keep the belt tracking,constantly would bog even under minor load pressure.replaced with a similar jet sander which is a dream sander.no mystery why it was discontinued.


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## TwoFeetDown

Thanks (I hope  MyChipCarving for your post complete with photos. I'm getting on e of these from a friend who bought it at an auction not realizing that the height adjustment was missing. I hope to add motorized height adjustment like I have on my homemade 24" sander and your suggestion regarding moving the timing belt et al to the top will make My project LOTS easier. I'm retired and like to mess around with this sort of thing so have chosen to not heed all the negative comments - at least for now.


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## pottz

> Thanks (I hope  MyChipCarving for your post complete with photos. I m getting on e of these from a friend who bought it at an auction not realizing that the height adjustment was missing. I hope to add motorized height adjustment like I have on my homemade 24" sander and your suggestion regarding moving the timing belt et al to the top will make My project LOTS easier. I m retired and like to mess around with this sort of thing so have chosen to not heed all the negative comments - at least for now.
> 
> - TwoFeetDown


one thing just do to very light passes,mine would bog and stall constantly.


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## Foghorn

Sounds like the 255X was a real dog. I'm thinking they sorted out some of the issues when they put out the 260 X5 that I have. About .004" difference across full width which I account for on guitar plates by flipping for each pass. Plenty of power and never any bogging. About 10 years now and still works great. The feed belt does take a little tweak now and then on tracking, but it's been a great machine for me with no issues so far. It only gets used about 6 hours a month so I can't speak to high volume work. Hopefully when or if something breaks, I can still find parts!


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## guitarchitect

Grizzly/Craftex sell an identical machine now (as far as I'm aware they just started selling them this summer), so they should be a good parts source.


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## TwoFeetDown

> Thanks (I hope  MyChipCarving for your post complete with photos. I m getting on e of these from a friend who bought it at an auction not realizing that the height adjustment was missing. I hope to add motorized height adjustment like I have on my homemade 24" sander and your suggestion regarding moving the timing belt et al to the top will make My project LOTS easier. I m retired and like to mess around with this sort of thing so have chosen to not heed all the negative comments - at least for now.
> 
> - TwoFeetDown
> 
> one thing just do to very light passes,mine would bog and stall constantly.
> 
> - pottz





> Thanks (I hope  MyChipCarving for your post complete with photos. I m getting on e of these from a friend who bought it at an auction not realizing that the height adjustment was missing. I hope to add motorized height adjustment like I have on my homemade 24" sander and your suggestion regarding moving the timing belt et al to the top will make My project LOTS easier. I m retired and like to mess around with this sort of thing so have chosen to not heed all the negative comments - at least for now.
> 
> - TwoFeetDown
> 
> one thing just do to very light passes,mine would bog and stall constantly.
> 
> - pottz


Thanks. I have the same issue with my homemade sander.
Jim


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## jefrench

is there ANY way to fix the snipe, without hunting it and shooting it?


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## pottz

> is there ANY way to fix the snipe, without hunting it and shooting it?
> 
> - jefrench


good luck i never did,my jet has zero snipe.i was actually grateful that thing died and i bought the jet.id just shoot it!


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## Foghorn

> is there ANY way to fix the snipe, without hunting it and shooting it?
> 
> - jefrench
> 
> good luck i never did,my jet has zero snipe.i was actually grateful that thing died and i bought the jet.id just shoot it!
> 
> - pottz


The 260X must have improved a lot from the 255X. I bought my 260X about ten years ago and have never had to adjust it other than the occasional tweak to the drive belt tracking. Having said that, I only use it a couple of times a month and mostly for thicknessing guitar tops, sides and backs. I never go higher than 100 grit paper (usually 80) and have no problems with burning other than clogging at times with cocobolo and African blackwood if I don't take very light passes. It's been a great machine. Hopefully I haven't jinxed myself now!


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## pottz

> is there ANY way to fix the snipe, without hunting it and shooting it?
> 
> - jefrench
> 
> good luck i never did,my jet has zero snipe.i was actually grateful that thing died and i bought the jet.id just shoot it!
> 
> - pottz
> 
> The 260X must have improved a lot from the 255X. I bought my 260X about ten years ago and have never had to adjust it other than the occasional tweak to the drive belt tracking. Having said that, I only use it a couple of times a month and mostly for thicknessing guitar tops, sides and backs. I never go higher than 100 grit paper (usually 80) and have no problems with burning other than clogging at times with cocobolo and African blackwood if I don t take very light passes. It s been a great machine. Hopefully I haven t jinxed myself now!
> 
> - Foghorn


lol,well hopefully not.seems delta machines have been hit and miss over the years.mine was a big miss.my jet i adjusted the belt when i got it several years ago and have not touched it since.


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## jefrench

Pottz, I just spent all my economic stimulus and unemployment $ on upgrading my shop. Can't justify a replacement drum sander. However I did figure out a workaround that most times works. Since my Delta snipes the end of my piece, I feed a piece of scrap wood about 3" wide behind my work so it takes the snipe. I was just asking if I to do that extra step (which they might as well include in the manual) until I can afford shoot it. 
Also the belt always slips at the second roller. I'll check the gears.

Foghorn (excellent name) I am concerned that if I used 80 it would gouge even worse (before I learned the stock wood trick). I'm using 220 because I want to use it as a second to last sanding. Do you think I should use 80? When I started using the sander it had 80 on it and I grounded a 1/16 off. That's before I learned to only turn the wheel about an inch between passes! Right now I use it (when I can trust it) to flatten panel glues. I usually have only a 1/32 to take off. I'm trying some new ways to setup my butt end gluing to get rid of that 1/32.


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## pottz

i had forgot all about tat little trick,an easy fix for the problem.i usually run 100 grit i mine to flatten panels and such.


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## Foghorn

> Pottz, I just spent all my economic stimulus and unemployment $ on upgrading my shop. Can't justify a replacement drum sander. However I did figure out a workaround that most times works. Since my Delta snipes the end of my piece, I feed a piece of scrap wood about 3" wide behind my work so it takes the snipe. I was just asking if I to do that extra step (which they might as well include in the manual) until I can afford shoot it.
> Also the belt always slips at the second roller. I'll check the gears.
> 
> Foghorn (excellent name) I am concerned that if I used 80 it would gouge even worse (before I learned the stock wood trick). I'm using 220 because I want to use it as a second to last sanding. Do you think I should use 80? When I started using the sander it had 80 on it and I grounded a 1/16 off. That's before I learned to only turn the wheel about an inch between passes! Right now I use it (when I can trust it) to flatten panel glues. I usually have only a 1/32 to take off. I'm trying some new ways to setup my butt end gluing to get rid of that 1/32.
> 
> - jefrench


I thickness guitar tops, backs and sides with 80 grit to about .010" more than final thickness of approximately .125" and finish with a scraper and ROS to 220 or a little more. I never go beyond 110 grit on exotic hardwoods as clogging and burning can be difficult to control even with adjustable feed rates and light passes on things like Cocobolo and Blackwood and even Indian rosewood.


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## jefrench

I'm finishing a 3 piece cabinet door and don't trust this Delta drum sander, so I got my grandpa's hand planer's knives sharpened and tried to take out the uneven seams: unreliable results. I need to know more about hand planing but every few passes it would loose it's bite, I'd clean out the shavings, then it bit too hard. ugh.


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## TwoFeetDown

I bought a Delta 31-256X with the knowledge that the height adjustment was kaput. I had an idea that I could motorize it without too much trouble.
Well, think again! By the time I got it home and really looked it over I could see that my original idea would not work. I was looking for a project and I had found one!
Thanks to inspiration from MyChipCarving I inverted the corner bearings so the timing belt was on top where you can see it. By the time I got the belt tight enough that it would not skip teeth I could hardly turn it so I abandoned using it and decided to try installing a chain drive (thanks runswithscissors) thinking that the chain would not put as much pressure on the corners and would be less likely to slip.
This plan worked after considerable fiddling around and so far I am happy with the resulting machine. 
I did, by the way, motorize the height adjustment using some electronic things I had in my collection of useless stuff and an Arduino Nano. I believe replacing the large gear with a wheel would give you a satisfactory method of raising and lowering it without resorting to electronics.

This is not meant to be a detailed how-to. It just attempts to show you what I did.

I have tried to name the photos and also annotate them to help you understand what I did. I do think it would be really nice if either you or a friend has actual metalworking machinery as you could improve the accuracy. I did it with hand tools and a drill press.

I have not used the machine much but have been happy with it. 1/64" with 220 grit seems to be the max. I usually go about 1/128". Doesn't seem like much but it is so much easier to get a nice result than any other way I have available.

The following photos are available here with descriptive filenames. I did not realize that the filenames were be lost when they are embedded:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1lKsUaCuD7z7ITsRlORpxt7UoVOxizKrZ































































































































































































































I bought these parts from SDP-SI.com:
A 6Q 7-25 Chain (measure for length)
A 6Q 7-25SCCL Chain link (2)
A 6C 7-25060 60-tooth sprocket 4.920" diameter (1)
A 6C 7-25024 24-tooth sprocket 2.049" diameter (4)
A 6C 7-25B09 9-tooth sprocket for stepper motor (1)


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