I'm looking to add a drum sander to my workshop but have little experience of them. The attraction is that they provide a nice, uniform and even finish over a wide surface area, unlike your standard belt sander, where a piece can be sanded down a little too much in spots in no time at all if even pressure isn't maintained. There's some nice units out there in the &600 - $800 range, but before I outlay that kind of money I just need to have one thing in particular clarified. I know that manufacturers specs claim that small pieces can be passed through without a problem, but I'd really like some feedback from those who use them regularly. I often work with very small pieces of wood, down to half an inch in thickness/width and maybe 4 - 5 inches in length - think of the old interlocking pieces from chinese wooden puzzles as an example and you'll get the general idea. Can pieces like this pass comfortably through without being kicked up due to pressure on the lead or tail edges?
Speaking of puzzles by the way, I've always had an interest in trying to make some of the more elaborate geometric puzzles designed by the likes of Stewart Coffin and Bill Cutler - those who are familiar with their wooden marvels know exactly how complex they are. I've tried making some for myself in the past and have never been satisfied with the results, mainly because all of the hyper-accurate and complex cutting that goes into making the gemetic pieces goes out the window to some extent in the sanding process. I'll create elaborate jigs to hold the pieces at the correct angle for sanding, but because of the precision required one can never be 100% accurate in how much wood is taken off, especially with successive levels of sanding to produce a quality finish to the wood. End result - puzzles that fit reasonably well together but are just a little too loose and innaccurately glued for my liking. Anyone else have any experience with these? Anyone who doubts just how hard all this may be should go to