Problems Changing Paper on Axminster Sanding Drums

[tekno.mage]

I know, I know, I should have bought the Carroll sanding drums, but I was tempted by the 4 drum Axminster set when they were on special offer at around half the price of one Carroll drums. And I then put them away with no real use for them until now....

When I need to use them in anger and have 48 large curved shapes in 30mm thick pine that need sanding :-( All went well to start with - and then I needed to change the paper on the drum. What a mare! Hard enough to get the worn paper off, but I've found it well nigh impossible to get the new sheet on as tight as the original sheet was fitted - so now the paper is too loose around the drum, and I'm thinking this means it will crease and wear faster.

Any tips as to the best way to do this? Do I need a pricey upgrade to the Carroll system?

Also, the paper that comes supplied in the kit is fairly serious cloth-backed abrasive and seems to last reasonably well. What do other people use when the paper in the kit runs out? I've only got abranet (and the pieces are too short to go around the drum) or expensive velcro-backed abrasives I use for power sanding on the lathe (too thick and way too pricey.) Recommendations for an alternative cloth-backed abrasive 75mm wide please?

 

[9fingers]

Hi Kym,

Are these the ones you have?

http://www.axminster.co.uk/axminster-ax ... prod21961/

Normally just tightening the nut expands the rubber enough to grip the sleeves. If the new sleeves have been supplied by Axi then have a go at them.

Otherwise could you fit a strip of glasspaper round the rubber to help take up the gap?

hth

Bob

 

[tekno.mage]

Hi Bob,

No, my set is this one http://www.axminster.co.uk/axminster-ax ... prod23275/ which takes flat sheets rather than sleeves.

 

[9fingers]

Hi Kym,

From the description, they sound very like the Carroll drum principle but Whilst I have played with a borrowed Carroll drum in the past, I don't know the Axi type.

There is an Axi member of staff who is a member here who might pop up and help but I can't recall his username.
Over on the a different place he is Richard@Axminster so maybe that route might work.

Good Luck

Bob

 

[CHJ]

Hi Kym,.............
There is an Axi member of staff who is a member here who might pop up and help but I can't recall his username.

Richard@Axminster

E-Mail: [email protected]

 

[9fingers]

Thanks Chas.

I did a search here for richard* but did not find him.


Bob

 

[Kalimna]

Hi Kym,
I too have had problems attaching the sanding sheets to these drums. The off-round locking bar is a royal pain in the neck.
I have found a variety of paper-backed sheets to work OK (Mirka), but certainly dont last as long as the cloth backed.

A possible alternative might be to only lock one end of the sheet, and have the other flapping around. A bit noisy, but works.

Adam

 

[Eric The Viking]

I looked at both at Axminster... and bought Carroll.

I could only afford one drum (2"), but it is very nice. I still have issues attaching the paper though - the problem of getting it tight enough, as you have. I've found the dimensions of the paper are crucial, to within about 1mm (around the drum). If I get it wrong I either can't grip it or can't tighten it.

Which makes me wonder - would talcum powder help? The paper is held in place by the clamp, so reducing the friction round the drum would let you tighten it better to start with. If it doesn't work, it should come off easily enough and won't damage anything.

 

[Richard@Axminster]

Hi,

I've just been having a look at this and have one on my desk, so if you would like a chat about it please feel free to call me on 0800 371 822 ext 2039...

Thanks

Richard.

 

[tekno.mage]

Thanks, Richard - after our chat I checked the original length of paper against the spare supplied in the kit and discovered that mine too was a couple of mm longer! Trimming it to the correct length made all the difference.

 

[paulm]

I binned mine Kym and got some Carrolls, still a bit fiddly but much better quality and better in use I found.

Cheers, Paul

 

[RogerS]

Hi,

I've just been having a look at this and have one on my desk, so if you would like a chat about it please feel free to call me on 0800 371 822 ext 2039...

Thanks

Richard.

Now that's what i call customer service !! ccasion5:

 

[tekno.mage]

Now that's what i call customer service !! ccasion5:

I'll say so! That's the second bit of excellent customer service I've had from Axminster in the last couple of months (the other was supplying a reasonably priced spare part for my 1980s lathe - not even an Axminster branded one)

Actually, apart from Richard's help regarding the length and fitting of the sanding sheets, I've got another tip of my own regarding sanding drums. Necessity was driving invention again as both sanding sheets for my 3 inch drum wore out or tore before I'd finished the job, I had to improvise with whatever abrasive I had lying around... Hmmm - abranet was too short, rhyno red is velcro backed & far too thick, ordinary sandpaper didn't look up to the job.

Aha - what about a bit cut from a belt sander belt? Now that was a good idea The belts are already 75mm, the right width and spookily the 100 grit one I chose to sacrifice was actually easier to fit than the sheets supplied with the drum sanders. They were cheap belts too - £2.99 for 5 from a local farm supplies shop as I recall.

My sanding job is now satisfactorily finished, and I have a source of cheap, easy-to-fit replacement abrasive for my drum sanders :lol:

 

[9fingers]

Glad you got sorted Kym

Another gold star for Axi!!

Bob

 

[Scrums]

I've got the same set and whilst they're fiddly to reload I save the belts from the 610 x 100 belt sander and the belts from the larger bench sander, cut these into the required sizes and they've got enough left in them for quite a lot of contour sanding.

Chris.

 

[Dalboy]

I've also got the Axminster set and to help use all the paper up when they are in the drill press I built this.

Which you can raise and lower so as to use the whole width of the sand paper. It also takes the majority of the dust away

Also with the rest of the inserts for the different sizes of drums

 

[tekno.mage]

Nice drum sanding table, Dalboy

Having not got around to making similar as yet, and needing something for this job, my partner & I lashed together a table from some old laminate covered chipboard and a variable speed electric drill secured by a rather old power drill holder that is actually intended to hold the drill sideways on the bench - we've got ours held upside down (drum sander upwards) so the whole thing approximates a bobbin sander - without the oscillating motion of course (my partner originally tested the setup without noticing the electric drill was set to hammer mode - this does not approximate the oscillating motion of a real bobbin sander :lol: )

Proper dust extraction is to come! It's currently a Camvac (usually used on the lathe) with the posable nozzle as close as possible to the drum. Kind of works in that it sucks most of the dust away from the operator - `and it helps that we have dragged the whole sanding thing out into an open sided barn of course!