This Instructable is for Workshop Users at Pier 9.

Requirements :

- Take General Workshop Safety Class.

- Take the Basic Woodshop Class.

- Talk to Shop Staff to set up and get checked off.

If you need to dimension or finish a plywood panel or a glue laminated panel (chopping block) then this tool is for you. Think of it as rough service planer.

Your material must be:

less than 24.75" wide
less than 6" tall
longer than 2 -1/2"
thicker than 1/32"
no paint, metal or adhesives (other than wood glue that has dried)

For more information: see the Manual or what American Woodworker has to say.

Step 1: Getting the SuperMax Ready

Ask shop staff to help you retrieve the drum sander and set it up in the wood shop, it is currently stored in the container. There is only one place in Pier 9 where you will be able to operate this machine.

To set it up:

Park the sander on the left hand side of the table router near the wall (see above photo)
Plug it in. There is only one receptacle in the building that will take the three prong 220v single phase plug. It's behind the wood scrap bin. Unload the upper right bin to reveal the outlet.
Hook it up to the dust collection system:
- Take the dust collection hose with vacuum cleaner attachment and disengage the quick release hose coupling.
- With a flat headed screw driver, release the hose clamp that holds the vacuum cleaner attachment. Set that aside.
- Clamp the hose on to the hood of the drum sander.

Step 2: Sandpaper Drum

While the machine is unplugged, raise the hood to inspect the drum. The conveyor table has a 100 grit belt of sandpaper for traction on the work piece. The upper drum, which does the work, has a 50 grit sandpaper strip on it now. We have 36,60,80,120,150,180 and 220 available to use.

In general, grit below 100 is used to dimension or remove material. Grit above 100 is used to finish the material.

Contact shop staff if you wish change the strips. Also contact staff if there is build up or wear on the sandpaper strip so they can clean or replace them.

Step 3: Controls and Features

Controls

All the controls are on the right hand side as you face the IN feed of the conveyor belt. There is a switch to turn on and off the drum sander and a knob to turn on and adjust the speed of the conveyor belt. There is a height adjustment wheel and digital read out to change and measure the distance between the drum and conveyor.

Digital Read Out (DRO)

There is a battery that will save the zero setting in the DRO. From left to right, the controls are: Power, Mode, - , 0, and +. Please turn the DRO off when not in use. Pressing and holding the Mode button then momentarily pressing 0 will allow you to change parameters such as metric readout. Press and hold Mode then 0 to return to Normal Mode. For convenience, keep the previous 0. Measure your material with digital calipers before and during operation to verify and calibrate the DRO. Press + or - to make incremental changes.

Step 4: Operation

Set Initial Sanding Pass

While the machine is still unplugged, lower the conveyor, place your material under the drum and the raise conveyor to make light contact between the material and drum. Take note of the of the reading on the DRO. Lower the conveyor and remove your material, then return it to the previous height (the one you just noted).

You're ready to start:

Lower hood and plug in the sander
Start the dust collection system
Turn on the drum sander and set the feed rate of the conveyor at 40% - 50% of the maximum speed
Feed your material into the machine
As the material is half way through, step around the left side to the OUT feed table to support and retrieve your material

Depth of Cut is the most important part of your set up. Many factors come in to play: Abrasive type and grit size, width of material, hardness of the material and feed rate. For example, you can be more aggressive with a coarser grit abrasive or a softer wood. I would recommend on your second pass you try a depth of cut of .01" for course grit, .005 for fine grit.

Feed rate is also important. This machine has a circuit called the SandSmart control. It monitors the load on the sanding drum motor and will decrease the conveyor speed if it senses the drum motor bogging down. It will light an LED above the feed rate knob and will return to the previously set feed rate when extra load is removed. This is a sign you are being too aggressive. You should avoid burning your wood both for the finish of your material and the longevity of the abrasive. For finer grits, increasing the feed rate might help. Rotating the material at an angle will also help.

When you've finish repeat step 1 in reverse.