Shop Fox 12″ drum sander adds power

Woodstock International has updated its Shop Fox 12" drum sander, model W1740, with a more powerful conveyor motor and improved drive system. Bill Crofutt, the company's quality control manager, says the new variable speed control is one of the drum sander's highlighted features.

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"Having the variable speed drive allows the user to best set the conveyor speed to allow maximum performance and efficiency from the 1-1/2-hp, single-phase motor," says Crofutt.

The drum sander can handle workpieces up to 12" wide and 3-3?4" thick. It uses 3" wide x 70" long hook-and-loop sandpaper.

"What most people use it for is to presand lumber before they start building their piece. Many people don't have a wide belt sander they can run finish panels through. So if they presand and carefully assemble, they'll have less work to do by hand in the end," says Crofutt.

The table height can be adjusted to specific increments. A hand crank raises and lowers the table by means of four lead screws that keep the table locked steadily in place. This feature is particularly helpful to instrument makers in that they're working with thin pieces of wood, according to Crofutt.

"One of the important features is the mechanism to raise and lower the table; the gearing on it is low enough that you can make very small adjustments quite easily ... if you're sanding very precisely like instrument makers need to do. Without this feature, it can be very difficult to move it to the exact increment you want it to."

The sander also features an industrial conveyor belt with a heavy-duty rubber to grip the workpiece and do so without damaging it. There is also a very effective dust port on the top of the machine, according to Crofutt.

The sander has a suggested list price of $867.

Contact: Woodstock International Inc., 1821 Valencia St., Bellingham, WA 98229. Tel: 800-840-8420. www.shopfox.biz

This article originally appeared in the April 2010 issue.