re: Sanding Station

I love the flat master. I’ll grant that it takes just a bit of learning to use, since it’s manual feed, but it’s not at all hard and I got a piece of extrusion that I clamp down to use as a fence if I really need perfect consistency (the fence gives a bearing surface to push against which helps control feed rate. Weird concept but it works really well). 

The abrasive paper last for a very, very long time because of the way the machine is set up. Once properly set, per the instructions, I’m to understand that the hook and loop paper pulls away from the spindle every so slightly as it turns and that creates an air gap (albeit very slight) between the paper and the spindle which reduces heat build up, and since there isn’t a hard contact point it reduces clogging and any chance of burning. I can’t speak to all the engineering on it, but it sure works well! 

The spindle is some sort of a non-static forming plastic, so sanding dust drips away into the hopper below. I have mine hooked up to my Oneida Supercelll so I see essentially no dust whatsoever ever (that that high static pressure certainly helps with that I’m sure). 

I have the 24” mode which I keep loaded with two separate grits (180 and 220 right now), 12” a piece. If I had room, I’d get the largest model so I could keep 12” of three grits on it, but honestly what I have works just fine. And when I’m working on something wider, I just spin on a precut piece for 24” width and I’m in business in just a minute. 

As I mentioned in the project post, i geeked out and made the whole thing co-planer with my assembly table. This way it serves as an outfeed table for larger projects and the flat master doubles as a table extension for the assembly table. 

I can see the benefits of a traditional drum sander, specifically the controlled feed, but I really don’t find manual feeding all that hard, for me, the other benefits and ‘easy parts’ of the flat master more than make up for it. Plus, since the table is flat on both sides (front and back of the spindle) it makes it easy to keep things square since it’s supported. Not that I’d want to use it this way (since it would be so slow) but, with a fence, you could actually use it to joint the edge of a board square to the face like a jointer. 

I also like that it’s from a small family company 👍🏼 If Craftisian