Thickness Sander

Re: Thickness Sander

Jack (Turtle Workshop)

>I have a Performax 16/32 and it works faultlessly. I checked the others and even gave the Delta a test ride at Woodcraft. The Delta comes up a far distant second. Performax wrote the book and the Jet got the prices down to a reasonable level.

I can swap out a different grade of sandpaper in about 2 minutes or less. Couldn't do that on the Delta.

That is my two cents worth!

Jack

Re: Thickness Sander

Joel Hunnicutt

>I've had a performax for the last 4 years and it's a gem. Have never used a delta, but it would have to be might fine to improve on the performax.

Re: Thickness Sander

Mark Mandell - Gone Round In Jersey

>Denis,

I bought a P-max 22-44 Pro just when JET was in-process of buying the company. I was told to "sell the planer", but thankfully I didn't heed that advice. Therse things are terrific, but they are not "gee wiz" machines where you stuff a tree in one end and out the other comes an completely finished chifarobe.

You will have a learning curve to get the most from one of these machines, but you can, indeed, work highly figured woods that would simply be pulverized by a planer.

Mark

Re: Thickness Sander

DW

>Bought a Performax 16/32 after a trip to a recent WW show. Seems someone screwed the Delta drum too far down and jammed it beyond operation... pieces hanging from it. So, without being able to test it I opted for the Performax. Have not set it up yet, but have high expectations.

DW

Re: Thickness Sander

Doug Leite

>Denis,

I bought a SDM-15 wide belt sander from Sunhill Industries several months ago, and I love it.I sand 75-150 2" x 2 3/4" x 10" pieces of Koa wood every week, and it does it with no complaints. I have also done some segmented rings with no problem. The first board that I sent through was about 12" X 20" X 1 1/2" of the curliest Koa that you could lay eyes on. Came out beautiful. It is a well built machine with air belt oscillation and tensioning. It takes 30 sec. to change grits.

Aloha

Hawaii Turner

Re: Thickness Sander

RPE

>I have a Performax 1632. I looked at the Delta. THen I looked at all of Delta's stuff they have been putting out lately. A lot of junk. Cheaper and Cheaper tools with the Delta name on it. They make a good Unisaw but that may be about it.

The 1632 works great. It does have a short learning curve. It isn't a planer. Take very light cuts. Step through the grits. You can't beat it for segment turning.

Call Toolnut.com and ask for Bob Ackerman. HE will beat any price. Buy your sandpaper rolls from Kligspor in bulk (cut them yourself) it is cheaper.

RP

Re: Thickness Sander

Bob Persing

>Denis,

I have owned both the Delta and the Performax 16/32 Plus. Inasmuch as most of my stationary equipment is Delta (I was pretty much a "one-brand" man) I opted for the Delta as my first choice. I liked the design of the Delta machine. It was well made and the fit and finish was pretty good. HOWEVER, the Delta went back to the store for a refund the day after I brought it home. The reason was that there was quite a bit of vibration in the drum and it did not give me good results. I was disappointed. I figured that I would just try to "buy" sander time at a local cabinet shop when needed.

A few weeks later I checked out the Performax 16/32 at a Woodcraft store. It was on sale...I bought it. The Performax has worked well and I am very pleased with the results. The trick is to take LITE cuts, not that you can't carve away lots of wood with 36 grit paper, I have, but for finishing cuts that are darn flat...go lite.

I have read that there have been other issues with the Delta along the way but I believe most have been resolved. In all fairness, my Delta purchase was soon after it was first introduced. Performax had been on the market for many years with lots of experience in manufacturing all flavors of these sanders.

BTW-The Performax was properly setup when pulled out of the box. I "flattened" a 24" White Oak table top using two passes to handle the width. The results were great. I would buy the Performax again.

Check the archives here and the Badger Pond archives. These two sanders have received a lot of discussion over the years.

HTH

BobP

Re: Thickness Sander

Steve Mushinski

>Dennis,

I have the Proformax 22-44. Works very well but with softwood (pine) I find it cloggs the paper fast.

With oak or any other hardwoods I just love it.

If you wished to play with it give me a call this week or next as I am on Holiday for three weeks starting the 8th of August. Number is in the book.

There is also a wood show in Toronto in October you may wish to wait for.

Steve