I disagree for the shop to provide sanding rolls for the drum sander. The logic of the saw blades versus sandpaper is a bit unrealistic. If you abuse a sawblade (going too fast, crooked, etc.) for the most part the saw blade is going to win leaving burnt marks, bowed edges, or in worst case throwing it back at the user. If you abuse a sandpaper on any power equipment (not just the drum sander) in less than half a minute the sandpaper is done. Looking at the cost of pre-cut rolls (posted here already) at an average of $10 per roll and let’s say you had to change it once a day, that would eat up a budget quick. A saw blade in the other hand does not wear as often and is an integral part of one of the machines that is considered the heart of a woodshop. You don’t have to have a drum sander, but a table saw is in a way a necessity. However, I would tend to agree for the shop to have the rolls available at a reasonable cost by obtaining rolls and cutting them and posting them on the “shop store.” in the spirit that people go there to use the shop not to be running around hunting for supplies in the box stores around Austin. The big people in charge (which by the way I have to give all of you a great thank you for all you do), would be forced to increase the membership if they had to provide for all the consumables. Mostly on the way of shipping and handling cost to include the man hours to re-supply all this stuff. Think about it, if you have rolls available, some users would just change the roll at will whether is needed or not mainly because is there and it does not cost them anything. If the same persons have to pay for each change, I am certain after a few times, they will start using what they should have done in the first place; that lovely placard that is attached to all the machines that takes the person to the user’s manual or at the very least start asking questions why the belt is messing up. As you mentioned, yes, the drum sander is there for occasional use, the lines the pesky burnt threads leave are not the end of the world/road, they can be removed by the drum sander. Even with that extra step you have a flatter stock/board that you would otherwise have just by using the planer and orbital sander. That’s why I consider the drum sander one of the best friends woodworkers have, because I hate sanding and that’s one of the quickest ways to get to the finish line and have your project look great!
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