ENTER TO WIN our DRUM SANDER PHOTO CONTEST! — Woodmaster Drum Sander Owners ONLY!

Do YOU own a Woodmaster Drum Sander? Then YOU COULD BE A WINNER in our Drum Sander Photo Contest!

PHOTO CONTEST WINNER! Pete Marken's a WINNER in our Drum Sander Photo Contest. His full article -- his photos and story -- is featured on our Drum Sander Blog. YOU could be our next winner!

PHOTO CONTEST WINNER! Pete Marken is a WINNER in our Drum Sander Photo Contest. His full article — his photos and story — is featured on our Drum Sander Blog. YOU could be our next winner!

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WE’LL WRITE A FEATURE ARTICLE ALL ABOUT YOU!

Donald Accomando says, "My Woodmaster Drum Sander gives me quality results and increases my productivity." Read Donald's Feature Article!

Donald Accomando says, “My Woodmaster Drum Sander gives me quality results and increases my productivity.” Read Donald’s Feature Article!

• As a Winner, we’ll write a FEATURE ARTICLE all about you, your woodworking, and your Woodmaster Drum Sander!

• And we’ll post your article — your story and photos — on our Drum Sander Blog!

• Your story will be read by thousands of woodworkers all across North America and all around the whole world because it’ll be on the Web!

• Having your story and photos posted on our blog gives you great ‘bragging rights’ among your friends and family!

• And if you’re in business, your article on our blog is the best free advertising you can get. Link it to your website, Facebook page, etc!

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IT’S EASY TO ENTER! Just follow these 4 simple steps:

1. Click red “Enter Photo Contest” box

Ronald Frey says, "It'll snow in Cuba before I'll dress a tabletop by hand!" Read his feature article!

Ronald Frey says, “It’ll snow in Cuba before I’ll dress a tabletop by hand!” Read Ronald’s feature article!

Click one of the “Enter Photo Contest” links (the red boxes) on this page. A blank email addressed to our Editor will appear.

2. Attach your photos

Attach your photos to the email: photos of work you’ve made with your Woodmaster Drum Sander. And please send photos of you, and you with your Woodmaster!

3. Type in a bit of info

Type your name, address, phone number into the email. And jot a few words about you and your woodworking, too!

4. Hit “Send.” That’s it!

Allow a bit of time for us to review and judge all photo contest entries. Be patient, but we WILL respond to every entry!

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 WANT MORE INFO?   

Charles McCullough says, "I looked at foreign-made equipment but there was nothing to compare with Woodmaster." Read Charles' Feature Article -- coming soon!

Charles McCullough says, “I looked at foreign-made equipment but there was nothing to compare with Woodmaster.” Read Charles’ Feature Article — coming soon!

• Free Info on our Drum Sander Photo Contest – Email Joe at Woodmaster or call him TOLL FREE 1-800-821-665

• Free Info Kit on the Woodmaster Drum Sander – Click Here

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• Parts and Accessories for Woodmaster equipment — Email Joe or call him TOLL FREE 1-800-821-6651

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“I RUN FULL-SIZE DOORS THROUGH MY 50″ WOODMASTER DRUM SANDER!”

It's a mighty wide drum sander that'll swallow a full sized door whole -- 50" wide to be exact.

It’s a mighty wide drum sander that’ll swallow a full sized door whole — 50″ wide to be exact.

“YOU CAN’T JUST GO DOWN TO HOME DEPOT and buy the building materials I make with my Woodmaster Drum Sander!”

Rick Reese has always worked in wood  but now he’s really taken the plunge, doing all the custom woodworking for his new home. But that’s just a warm up exercise. In a few years he’ll dive into a retirement business making cabinetry and furniture.

Rick and his Woodmaster Drum Sander“I’ve dabbled in woodworking for years but I got real serious a few years ago and I decided to build a new home. I started by building my shop first. It took me two months to plan the shop and the first pieces of equipment I bought were a Woodmaster Drum Sander, a Woodmaster Molder/Planer, and a good table saw.

The house is coming along now. It’s a lodge style timber frame home. It’s pretty rustic with a lot of natural wood and stone. All the trim is knotty alder, all stain grade. You can’t go down to Home Depot and buy the type of building material I’m making with my Woodmasters. My materials have to be perfect and you can’t buy doors and trim of this type and quality. The only way is to make all my building materials myself.

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Rick's home is coming along nicely thanks to his hard work and his Woodmaster Drum Sander!

Rick’s home is coming along nicely thanks to his hard work and his Woodmaster Drum Sander!

The first things I made for my home were two solid wood pocket doors like the one in the photo. I have 11 more doors to make of knotty alder. I carve designs into both sides using a CNC machine. It guides a small router along three axes: length, width, and depth. It runs software and works like a printer. It’s not as complicated as it sounds.

50” drum sander takes whole doors

I bought your biggest machines, your 25” Woodmaster 725 Molder/Planer and your Woodmaster 5075 Drum Sander. Your sander saves so much time! I run whole doors through it. I had an orbital sander and a hand-held belt sander but your drum sander is so great because you just put wood through it and you’re done. I’m looking at your double-drum sander, the Woodmaster double drum 5075-X2. With two drums, you can put coarse grit paper on the first drum and finer grit paper on the second one.

Rick built this cabinet door then did some mighty fancy bas relief carving work with his CNC routing machine.

Rick built this cabinet door then did some mighty fancy bas relief carving work with his CNC routing machine.

I invested in my shop equipment because tools make the difference. I’m a pretty good woodworker but your tools are better than I am. I couldn’t find better tools than Woodmaster’s. I love them and I’m very happy.

My advice for others who’re thinking of doing what I’m doing is to decide early on your shop layout and the equipment you want to put in it. It took me two months to design my shop. And I’d certainly recommend getting dust collection system. I put in a ceiling-mounted system to save space.

As far as woodworking equipment, I would recommend getting a Woodmaster Drum Sander and Molder/Planer. They’re built like tanks, like American equipment built in the 1940’s. They’re built really well.

Planning his retirement business

I have a few more years to go before I retire from my job as a quality assurance manager in the aerospace industry. When I do retire, I want to go into business building and selling high-end custom cabinets and furniture, built-ins, all solid wood. I have a lot of white oak on hand and I’ll use it to make mission style furniture. It’s quite popular these days.

Thanks, Woodmaster. I couldn’t ask for more. Your machines have save me thousands of dollars and I’m extremely happy. I’ve recommended Woodmaster to neighbors who’ve ended up buying them.”

— Rick Reese, Woodmaster Drum Sander & Molder/Planer owner, Washington State

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Jerry has the perfect retirement plan: WOODWORKING WITH HIS WOODMASTER DRUM SANDER

J CEDAR IN MCH FRNT

Recently retired from the aviation industry, Jerry Heater’s got the time now to pursue his lifetime interest in woodworking. “I’m doing woodworking for personal satisfaction, not for money,” he told us. Jerry’s not selling what he makes but he has steady work making home improvements with his Woodmaster. He also has a regular clientele for his work: a couple of grandsons, a great nephew, and the Heater family’s newest addition, their first great grandson.

“Nothing gives me more personal satisfaction than making woodworking projects. I see a knotty, curled-up piece of old barn board and I think, ‘I could really make something beautiful out of that with my Woodmaster Drum Sander.’ Long ago, I read a woodworking article in which the author said he was often asked, ‘What kind of wood is best for woodworking?’ His answer was, ‘The kind of wood you have access to.’  I liked his answer and use this philosophy in my woodworking.

Wedged dowel fastening

No metal fasteners. Look closely and you’ll see Jerry has “pinned” this project together with split dowels and tiny wedges.

Jerry Heater IMG_4582 _sml

Here’s the finished project — a one-of-a-kind cedar baby cradle that’ll surely become a family heirloom. The note on Jerry’s wall says, “Send Help,” but we think he’s got his woodworking very much under control!

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His woodlot has acres of oak and cedar

My wife and I have 65 acres in the country — her family home place. I have access to a lot of Eastern Red Cedar and Post Oak for the most part here on our place. We had a major fire about four years ago so I have a lot standing dead cedar. 99.9% of what I build is from wood I cut here on our place, though I do use store-bought dowel rods.

I have a TimberKing 1220 band mill, which I use to saw trees into lumber.  Sawing my own lumber with my TimberKing allows for me to get more book-matched wood, but it’s the Woodmaster Drum Sander that makes the finished pieces look like someone who actually knew what they were doing made them!

When finished, Jerry's wedged tenon joints are tight as a drum.

When finished, Jerry’s wedged tenon joints are tight as the bark on a tree.

I’ve taken woodworking classes but I don’t have a history of furniture making so I build what I build until I get it right.  I enjoy making live edge furniture and most of what I do is one-offs, one of a kind.  I use no metal fasteners. I use mortise and wedged tenon combined with wedged wooden dowels.

Older Woodmaster still going strong

I have an older, black 26” Woodmaster model drum sander.  (Editor’s note: new Woodmasters are tan color. We built Jerry’s black machine in 1986 or 1987 — almost 30 years old and still going strong.) Having this machine allows me to use wider wood than I’d tackle if I didn’t have my Woodmaster Drum Sander to sand the surfaces. After all, no woodworker enjoys hand sanding! The wider the work piece, the more hand sanding.

We made Jerry's black Woodmaster in the late 1980's. Today's machines are a handsome tan color.

We made Jerry’s black Woodmaster in the late 1980’s. Today’s machines are a handsome tan color.

What's that mounted on the plaque Jerry made? "That's a kudu. Its one of the critters I harvested when my wife and I went to South Africa back in 2004. The brass on the horns and the bronze on the skull ​is referred to as a cold metal coating. The color is derived solely by the use of ground metal suspended in a acrylic solution. Since it is actual metal - when you apply various acids you get the same patina as the metal would acquire on its own over time."

Hey, Jerry, what’s that mounted on the plaque you made? “That’s a kudu. Its one of the critters I harvested when my wife and I went to South Africa back in 2004. The brass on the horns and the bronze on the skull ​is referred to as a cold metal coating. The color is derived solely by the use of ground metal suspended in a acrylic solution. Since it is actual metal – when you apply various acids you get the same patina as the metal would acquire on its own over time.”

I looked at cantilevered drum sanders — the ones where only one end of the sanding drum is attached to anything. I couldn’t see how that would do a good job. I bought my Woodmaster used. I found it in an advertisement and drove 150 miles to pick it up. I’ve been using it ever since.

Dad always said, “Get the best tools, you’ll never be sorry.”

I wanted a Woodmaster Drum Sander because of its quality construction. My father was a contractor and always told me to get the best tools you can afford and you’ll never be sorry. Woodmaster’s the best — I couldn’t buy a better drum sander.

Yes, mine is an older Woodmaster. Owning one of their new double drum sanders would be a big advantage. But mine has stood up over time. It’s extremely accurate and I’ve done a lot of work with it. I feel I’ve got the best drum sander out there. If someone’s thinking about getting one, I’d say jump into it.

In retirement, I need to stay busy. As I told my wife recently, nothing gives me more personal satisfaction than making the projects I do with my Woodmaster.”

— Jerry Heater, Oklahoma — Woodworker & Woodmaster Drum Sander Owner

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SEGMENTED WOODTURNING is precision work — so he got a Woodmaster Drum Sander

Pete Marken's "Rising Sun" vase is 9-1/2” diameter X 10-1/2” tall - Woods used: Walnut, Yellowheart, Bloodwood and Holly. 551 pieces of wood

Pete Marken’s “Rising Sun” vase is 9-1/2” diameter X 10-1/2” tall – Woods used: Walnut, Yellowheart, Bloodwood and Holly. 551 pieces of wood

There’s “woodworking,” there’s “precision woodworking” and then there’s PRECISION woodworking. When you’re fitting together close to a thousand pieces of wood in a single project, and working with tolerances as tight as .005 inch, precision is everything. Woodworker, Pete Marken, sent us photos of his remarkable segmented woodturnings and we just had to know how he makes them…and how his Woodmaster Drum Sander helps his process. Here’s Pete’s story….

Pete and his Woodmaster Drum Sander

Vase with Diamonds – 8-1/4” diameter X 9-1/2” tall – woods used: Bubinga, Wenge, Maple and dyed veneers – 571 pieces of wood

Vase with Diamonds – 8-1/4” diameter X 9-1/2” tall – woods used: Bubinga, Wenge, Maple and dyed veneers – 571 pieces of wood

“I started woodturning about 25 years ago and found I really enjoyed it more than any other kind of woodworking. I really got into it. Then, about five years ago, I started doing segmented woodturning.

Segmented woodturning is a really interesting style of woodturning where you assemble dozens or hundreds of wood segments in one project to create unique patterns. In conventional woodturning, you’re turning a solid piece of wood on a lathe. You’re working with one block of one type of wood. I found this was limiting what I could do compared to segmented woodturning.

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870 little pieces of wood

I make my vases and bowls by cutting small segments of wood and gluing them to form rings. I stack and glue the rings, one on another. Then I turn the glued-up piece on my lathe. The challenging part is all the segments and all the rings have to be very precise so everything fits together exactly. If I’m off even two minutes of an arc, I’ll have a gap between segments or rings. (Editor’s note: 2 minutes of an arc equals 0.03 degrees!)

1404

Vase – 11-1/4” diameter X 9” tall – woods used: Cherry, Mahogany, Yellowheart, Wenge and dyed veneer – 870 pieces of wood

The rings with all the design work in them are called ‘feature rings.’ The designs in them have to be cut very precisely, too. One segment may have 20 to 30 or more pieces of wood in it. One of my vases is made of over 870 individual pieces of wood!

I’ve sold my turnings through word of mouth, galleries, and I do custom work, too. Prices for some of my turnings can range up to $1,200 or more depending on complexity of the design and the wood I use. For example, Ebony is very expensive – up to $120 or $140 a board foot.

Woodmaster’s “closed-end” design keeps drum and conveyor belt completely parallel

I bought my Woodmaster 2675 Drum Sander specifically for this work. I use it to clean up boards after I resaw them on my bandsaw. And I use it to make my rings flat and of uniform thickness. Precision is key — I work within five thousandths of an inch, 0.005. (Editor’s note: 0.005 inch, as a fraction, is 1/200 of an inch!)

I did my research and found Woodmaster is more robust, solid, and stable than other sanders. It’s sturdy, good and heavy, and paper changes are easy, too.Click to Learn

“My 26” Woodmaster is a good size for my work and my shop.”

I had other drum sanders but I chose Woodmaster because it’s a ‘closed end’ design, not like cantilevered sanders where one end of the drum is open and not secured. With cantilevered drum sanders, you have issues with the sanding drum not being parallel to the conveyor belt. Then your workpiece ends up being thinner on one side than the other. My Woodmaster’s drum is always level and parallel to the conveyor belt.

Because the drum is held at each end, you can have a wide drum. This 26” machine is a really good size for me, and the machine’s a good size for my shop. I’m happy and I’d tell woodworkers who’re thinking about getting a drum sander to definitely take a look at Woodmaster.”

— Pete Marken, Woodmaster Drum Sander owner, is a member of the Alabama Woodturners Association; the American Association of Woodturners; and the Segmented Woodturners Association.

Visit Pete’s website and his Facebook page.

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Tricks of the Trade — HOW TO VENEER WITH THE WOODMASTER DRUM SANDER

Woodworker, Jose Caubet, is a pro who’s mastered the art of fine veneering. His secret? 30 years of experience and a Woodmaster Drum Sander.

Jose and his Woodmaster Drum Sander

Here’s Jose and his third Woodmaster Drum Sander, a 38″ 3875. He’s moved several times; he sells his used machine instead of moving it — and buys a new one for his new woodworking shop in his new location.

“I’ve been a woodworker for about 30 years. I had a career in construction but at 45 I decided it just wasn’t my thing and I started woodworking. I make fine furniture of choice hardwoods. Among other things, I make and have successfully sold a rocking chair similar to, but different than, the famous Sam Maloof rocking chair.

Jose builds these rocking chairs and has sold them all across the country. They're as comfortable as they are handsome!

Jose builds these rocking chairs and has sold them all across the country. They’re as comfortable as they are handsome!

I don’t do any real advertising; people come to my shop and want specific furniture built. I’ve always run a one-man shop. I’ve resisted hiring people, even when I needed help, because the quality of your work goes down.

Jose’s veneering secrets

I do a lot of veneering and cut my own veneer. With the Woodmaster Drum Sander, I can get thin slabs of veneer down to 1/8” very evenly end-to-end and side-to-side. I sometimes find one or two boards that are really exceptional. I turn them into veneer and make whole tables, all matched, all from the same board, from the same  piece of wood. The drum sander itself is just right for that type of job. It never damages a piece of wood if you do it right. It gives you a very even surface without taking chunks out.

I thickness the wood, then slice it with my band saw, and finish it with the sander. It works like a charm. I’ve been doing it all these years and people are amazed I can get the veneers I can get, so wide and clean.

I run veneer through the Woodmaster several times because I’m not just removing imperfections; I’m thickessing it just where I want it. I thickess the veneer, then I take special glue and glue the veneer to a substrate – a very good plywood with nine or eleven plies, very stable. Then I vacuum the veneer to the substrate. This machine is very accurate. It will give you the same thickness side-to-side and front-to-back. Any difference is absolutely negligible.

Some of the woods I use are very expensive. For example, Hawaiian koa can cost $100 a board foot! When you’re working with very high priced woods, you’re very careful to use every little bit. The Woodmaster helps me eliminate waste.

He’s moved a lot — new Woodmaster each time

I’ve had three Woodmaster drum sanders. I’ve moved a lot and each time I moved, I sold my Woodmaster and got a new one. My first Woodmaster Drum Sander was the single drum 2675. When I moved, I sold it and bought a new one, a 38” double drum Woodmaster sander, 3875-X2. The double drum advantage is you can put different grits on each drum. I used 60 grit on the first drum and 80 grit on the second one.

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This handsome tall table bears the work of fine craftsmanship. Thanks for sharing it, Jose.

This handsome tall table bears the work of fine craftsmanship. Thanks for sharing it, Jose.

When I moved again, I sold that one and bought a 38” single drum Woodmaster drum sander 3875. All Woodmasters use felt between the paper and the drum. This pads the drum and the wood comes out like it’s been sanded by a higher grit paper. For example, when I sand with 80 grit paper, the board looks like it’s been sanded with 100 grit.

Resale value? He got 50% to 70% of original price

Resale value is very good. Each one has been well maintained, clean, and greased. They’re not high-hour, production machines. My first Woodmaster was 15 years old when I sold it and I got 50% of what I paid for it. When I sold my second Woodmaster, it was 12 years old and I got 70% of what I originally paid. I always found woodworkers who were very happy to take my machines off my hands each time I moved. I used what I got for each older Woodmaster to buy the next one.

Made in USA — others aren’t

Part of the reason I chose Woodmaster is it’s made in the United States including the motors. I like I can call the factory and tell them what I need. They pack it up and a few days later I have it. I buy all my sandpaper from Woodmaster. I think it’s very, very good and priced fairly.

One of Jose's moves took him and his woodworking business to Hawaii. While there, he built furniture, of course, and also seven years worth of one-of-a-kind trophies for the Maui Invitation Basket Ball Games.

One of Jose’s moves took him and his woodworking business to Hawaii. While there, he built furniture, of course, and also seven years worth of one-of-a-kind trophies for the Maui Invitation Basket Ball Games.

I looked at Taiwanese machines; General that’s made in Canada; I looked at Powermatic, it’s made in Taiwan now. Woodmaster is American-made, simple, functional, and very easy to use. If anything goes wrong, I call and get technical support. I can take it apart, get the part, put it together, and get it working again. That’s very important to me. I  haven’t had any problems, though.

30 years with Woodmasters, wouldn’t do without one

In my shop, for my kind of work, I wouldn’t be without this drum sander, period. Without the Woodmaster, I’d have to do a lot more work. I’d have to take a planed piece of wood and sand it by hand or with an orbital sander. Woodmaster is a great drum sander. I love the machine! I’ve been using one for over 30 years and I wouldn’t do without one.”

— Jose Caubet, Woodmaster Drum Sander Owner, Newnan, Georgia

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Master Woodworker says, “I’M NOT IN THIS FOR MONEY — JUST FOR THE LOVE OF WOODWORKING.”

Retired following a successful 30-year business career, Woodmaster Drum Sander owner, Keith Neer teaches woodworking to select students and accepts just four or five furniture commissions a year.

“While at the Marc Adams School of Woodworking, I was admitted into the Michael Fortune Fellowship Program. I made this one-of-a-kind table and chairs from bent laminations of quarter-sawn cherry. Following the bending process, all surfaces were sculpted to the shape you see in the photo.”

“While at the Marc Adams School of Woodworking, I was admitted into the Michael Fortune Fellowship Program. I made this one-of-a-kind table and chairs from bent laminations of quarter-sawn cherry. Following the bending process, all surfaces were sculpted to the shape you see in the photo.”

“43 years ago, I bought an old lathe and tools at a farm sale and proceeded to make some really ugly candleholders as Christmas presents. I’ve been working in wood ever since. About 15 years ago, I began taking professional woodworking classes. Then, about nine years ago, I retired. My wife said, ‘You’ve been talking about becoming a professional woodworker all your life, why not do something about it?’ And I made the move to doing woodworking full time. Not as a business, but as something I love to do.

I built a woodworking shop in an industrial park and planned to have students and do commissioned work. And that’s what I’ve done. In the past nine years, I’ve had 60 or 70 students. Some come with a project in mind. Some come to learn a skill. Some don’t stay long; others, six or eight years. Part of my motivation to teach is I want to spread the word about woodworking. I don’t get hundreds of students but I do try to share what I’ve learned. After all, very little of what I do is my own invention.

Keith Neer, master craftsman and Woodmaster Drum Sander owner, teaches woodworking and produces a limited number of furniture commissions for the pure love of woodworking. He told us recently, “I’m retired. I’m not in this to make money. It’s a pleasure to do woodworking the way I want to at the end of a 30-year career.”

Keith Neer, master craftsman and Woodmaster Drum Sander owner, teaches woodworking and produces a limited number of furniture commissions for the pure love of woodworking. He told us recently, “I’m retired. I’m not in this to make money. It’s a pleasure to do woodworking the way I want to at the end of a 30-year career.” 

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Teaching takes about half my time; building commissioned work takes the other half. I make four or five major pieces of custom furniture a year, all one of a kind. I rarely make the same thing twice. It’s all by word of mouth.

Woodmaster’s precision sanding essential in Keith’s bent lamination process

I do a lot of work with bent lamination. When I make bent elements of furniture, I do it with lamination rather than steam bending. I need to be able to cut something with a bandsaw and be able to sand down to 1/32 of an inch thick without having the sander eat up the piece. There’s no way you can put a piece this thin through a planer.

Keith made this elegant cherry sideboard to match a client's existing dining set.

Keith made this elegant cherry sideboard to match a client’s existing dining set.

Here’s how I do bent lamination. Look at the curved backs of the chairs on my home page and in this blog post. The thickness of the backs, front to back, tapers from about 1-1/2” thick at the bottom to about ¾” thick at the top. Each back is made of 26 glued-up wood strips. And though the thickness of the back varies from the top to bottom, each back has the same number of layers of wood strips from top to bottom. I cut 26 very thin strips of wood, each one tapered thinner at one end than the other. Because each strip is so thin, I can bend it to a curved form and glue it.

To control the taper, I built a jig that held the wood at the angle I wanted for each layer. I used that jig to cut tapered strips on the bandsaw. I used the same jig to guide each strip through the Woodmaster Drum Sander. Each strip is tapered a few thousandths of an inch from top to bottom. You can’t do it this way without the proper jigs and fixtures, or without the right equipment. A sander that can’t hold the tolerances the Woodmaster does would ruin the work I did when I sawed out the pieces on my bandsaw.

Accurate to .0015 (that’s 15 ten-thousandths!) across 38”

I was curious about how much “run-out” there was in the Woodmaster — how much difference in sanding depth between the two ends of the sanding drum. I was dumbfounded to find out the run-out was only .0015 (15 ten-thousandths) of an inch from one end to another! That’s .0015 difference across a 38” wide drum – that’s nothing in the woodworking business! To put it in simple terms, a United States dollar bill is .004 (four thousandths) thick. A dollar bill is three times thicker than the run-out in the Woodmaster!

Woodmaster’s simple, economical design is praiseworthy

A sander is a tool to be used with finesse to take off small amounts of wood with precision. Woodmaster does this at an affordable cost. It was exactly what I needed. As sanders go, the Woodmaster Drum Sander is very economical and has a very simple design. I say that as praise. Heavy industrial equipment like Powermatic® and General International® are heavier, more industrial type machinery and they’re very expensive.

My first Woodmaster Drum Sander was the 26” 2675. A student of mine fell in love with it and I sold it to him! I bought my second one, the 38” 3875, because I wanted to be able to sand wider pieces. The reason I chose Woodmaster is the simplicity of its design. Almost nothing can go wrong, and anything that does go wrong can easily be fixed.

Here's an outstanding Mahogany Fireplace Screen Keith made recently. Careful cutouts are silhouetted by the light behind t he screen.

Here’s an outstanding Mahogany Fireplace Screen Keith made recently. Careful cutouts are silhouetted by the light behind t he screen.

Want a bargain? Go to Pottery Barn. Want an heirloom? Talk to Keith.

My plans for the future? More of what I’ve been doing. I have no intention to change; I’m having too much fun doing what I’m doing. As long as I can build four or five custom pieces a year, and as long as I have students, I’m happy.

Here's a detail of Keith's table, above. Note the precise inlay. Truly a priceless heirloom!

Here’s a detail of Keith’s table, above. Note the precise inlay. Truly a priceless heirloom!

Sometimes people come to me for custom work expecting a bargain because I’m retired. I tell them if they want a bargain, go to Pottery Barn or Ikea for a desk or bookcase or table. My goodness, go buy it with my blessing! I don’t do bookcases or kitchens. Bookcases aren’t any fun to build; cabinetry is great but it doesn’t float my boat and I’m in a position to pretty much do what I want.

I tell people if they want to make an heirloom, or if they want something special like a chair with a curved back, or they want inlay, talk to me because I can do that. My work is going to be different than anybody else’s. If that has value to you, then we can start a relationship.

I’m retired. I’m not in this to make money. It’s a pleasure to do this work the way I want to at the end of a 30-year career. I make enough money in woodworking to support my ‘woodworking habit’ and contribute to health care and vehicles. My ‘habit’ supports itself.”

— Keith Neer, Clermont Woodworking     Craftsman, Woodmaster Drum Sander Owner

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“Hello, Woodmaster? I NEED YOUR BIGGEST DOUBLE-DRUM SANDER!”

“I absolutely attribute my business growth to my Woodmaster equipment. So much growth, though, that I needed your BIGGEST double-drum sander!”

Tim & Woodmaster 5075-X2

"This kiosk sits in the center of the Rotunda in our local historic Court House. I made it with Select and Better Red Oak. I made the top perimeter molding with my 718 Woodmaster Molder/Planer."

“This kiosk sits in the center of the Rotunda in our local historic Court House. I made it with Select and Better Red Oak. I made the top perimeter molding with my 718 Woodmaster Molder/Planer.”

Well, quite a few years later, we talked with Tim again and his business is bigger and better than ever. He’s added Woodmaster equipment, he’s got tons more work, higher-end work, and he’s making more money than ever. Here’s what Tim had to say about his business these days…and why he traded up to his brand new 50” Woodmaster Double Drum Sander

“Today, I’m doing a lot more high-end work, and larger projects than before. I make a wide gamut of products, anything from jewelry boxes, to flag display cases, military display cases, medal cases, furniture, wine cabinets, stereo cabinets, kitchen cabinets. I even do custom picture framing. I just made a table with a full set of Windsor chairs. I ship all over the United States. Through all these years, everything I’ve ever built has gone through one of my Woodmasters.

25% growth this year alone

Business is really good. I’m very busy and have a full plate. These days, a lot of people come to us through referrals. We don’t do any real advertising. The work really sells itself. I have started selling online through a third-party website, and that’s been really good. I have my own website, too.

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My work volume has really picked up. I’m working full time and then some! My business income has grown probably 25% just in the last year. This growth has a lot to do with my confidence in my Woodmaster machinery – I can go after high-end work with confidence. If I run something through 

my Woodmasters, I know it’ll come out the way I want. That really builds my confidence, and that helps my business.

warm white lacquered shaker vanity

Tim’s Shaker-style custom vanity has double doors. It’s created using Select and Better northern grown White Birch. The center panels and bottom are birch substrate. It has wooden knobs and concealed Euro hinges. Mortise and tenon joinery throughout.

50” Woodmaster Drum Sander — he traded up from 38” double drum

I had a 38” Woodmaster Double-Drum Sander, but because my business has grown and I’m getting projects that are wider than my 38” sander could handle — like linen closets, pantries, and table tops. I needed a wider drum sander so I figured why not go with Woodmaster’s 50” Double Drum Sander, the 5075-X2. I ordered it with the 10HP motor upgrade.

I love this new 50” drum sander. It’s durable and accurate, and has a digital readout. I send a piece through with the depth set so it’s just touching. I set the sanding depth just where I want it and the result is flat and beautiful.

Sold his 38” for 75% of its purchase price

Coincidentally, Woodmaster gave my name to someone who was thinking about buying a Woodmaster Drum Sander and wanted to see one in person. I showed him my 3875 and put a piece of wood through it. He was impressed and said, ‘You just sold me on Woodmaster Drum Sanders.’ I told him I’d sell him my 3875 and he bought it. I was very happy with the resale value. I got about 75% of my original purchase price, and I put that toward my new 50” drum sander.

Primary & secondary sanding in 1 pass: fast, efficient, professional quality

Most of the time, I do both primary and secondary sanding in one pass. I do my primary sanding with the first drum and the secondary sanding with the second drum. For example, 120-grit paper on the first drum and 180-grit on the second. There’s very little touchup needed.

Variable Feed Rate yields a perfect finish — Reversing Switch saves steps

personalized toy chest

Among the many items Tim makes are customized toy chests like this one. “These are solid wood toy chests, hardwood or softwood, I make to my customers’ specifications. Each has a hinged lids with secure supports.”

The Feed Belt runs at variable speed – I love it, wouldn’t be without it. You can put wood through fast or slow as needed. And the sander’s Reversing Switch is great. A lot of times, I send a workpiece through then hit the Reversing Switch — it brings the board back to you. It saves you steps and it works real nice.

Tim runs 2 Woodmaster Molder/Planers — 1 for molding, 1 for planing

One of my Woodmaster Molder/Planers is set up as molder. Periodically, I use it for ripping, too. I just used it to make a display kiosk for Mille Lacs County Courthouse. I used the 718 to duplicate old molding used in the late 1800’s.

My Woodmaster 725 Molder/Planer is set up for planing and it runs every day. I buy all my lumber in the rough and plane it to thickness. I installed Woodmaster’s Spiral Cutterhead for planing — I just love it! I’d never go back to using planer blades. The Spiral Cutterhead is awesome. It’s quiet and doesn’t chip wood. I plane thousands of board feet a year. The Spiral Cutterhead stays sharp and just keeps going. I’ve never even rotated the 4-faced cutterheads — I’m still planing with the original faces.

I also have Woodmaster’s biggest double bag dust collection system. It works out real well. I ran 6” pipe throughout shop, all with blast gates regulating the vacuuming to whichever machines are is in use.

“I absolutely attribute my business growth to Woodmaster.”

Tim's Warranty Card

Tim sent in his Warranty Card when he purchased his new 50″ Woodmaster Drum Sander and it got our attention. He wrote, “There is nothing to compare (with a Woodmaster). I currently own several Woodmaster machines. This (50″ drum sander) purchase was an upgrade from my 3875. I also am the proud owner of your midsize planer, plus your 725 & your large double bag dust collector.”

 I can absolutely attribute my business growth to my Woodmaster machines. I couldn’t go after the business I’m getting now without my Woodmasters. I can run figured woods. I can sand perfectly flat with professional quality because of Woodmaster. I’m also able to offer moldings nobody else can because I have access to Woodmaster’s 600 molding knife patterns; custom moldings, too.

Tim built his successful woodworking business from scratch. You can, too.

If you want to get into business and want full confidence that you can produce the products with the quality you want, I highly recommend Woodmaster machines. They’re low maintenance, easy to use, and very accurate. You’ll definitely get your money out of these machines. They will perform over and above what you expect.

My respect for Woodmaster is really high. When it was time to buy another sander, I didn’t go anywhere else. Same thing with my planers – my first was a 718, then I got a 725. If you’re like me, when you own a Woodmaster and it’s time to upgrade, you’ll go with another Woodmaster.”

— Tim Ziegler, Ziegler WoodWork & Specialty, Foreston, MN  —  Woodmaster Drum Sander & Woodmaster Molder/Planer Owner

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“My Woodmaster Drum Sander GIVES ME QUALITY RESULTS & INCREASES MY PRODUCTION EFFICIENCY.”

Woodmaster owner, Donald Accomando, shared his success secret with us recently. “Many woodworkers have the same skills I do,” he told us. “But their equipment doesn’t let them work efficiently so they can’t turn the product out.” Donald’s secret? “Choose equipment that produces high quality results with high efficiency.”

Here's Donald with his 50", double-drum, 5075-X2 Woodmaster Drum Sander. His wife, Janet, stands behind the sander. Donald tells us, "Janet is my Chief Inspector and Quality Control Supervisor!"

Here’s Donald with his 50″, double-drum, 5075-X2 Woodmaster Drum Sander. His wife, Janet, stands behind the sander. Donald tells us, “Janet is my Chief Inspector and Quality Control Supervisor!” Photo by Donald’s former student, Julie Prayer.

“I buy equipment that will make my shop more efficient and I believe dedicated machinery that does one thing perfectly is best. My advice for anyone thinking of getting a drum sander is to get the best you can afford that fits the size of your business.

My main point? I choose the best equipment that helps me turn out quality work with high efficiency. Other cabinetmakers are as good at woodworking as I am but their equipment doesn’t increase their efficiency. So they can’t put the product out. Woodmaster helps me work efficiently.

Here's a spectacular example of Donald's work. "I recently did this complete kitchen," he tells us. "The wood is all Australian Liptus. The homeowner wanted a natural finish to offset the decor of their home. I achieved this by using a 3 ml coat of conversion varnish."

Here’s a spectacular example of Donald’s work. “I recently did this complete kitchen,” he tells us. “The wood is all Australian Liptus. The homeowner wanted a natural finish to offset the decor of their home. I achieved this by using a 3 ml coat of conversion varnish.” Photo by Donald’s former student, Julie Prayer.

30 years with no advertising, no website, not even business cards.

I make custom cabinets, mostly residential, all high quality work. I’ve been doing this for over 30 years and it’s always been fairly steady. My work has been all referral. I don’t advertise and I don’t have a website. I don’t even have business cards. I don’t have to.

Early words of wisdom stuck with him.

When I was in college, I worked in a cabinet shop where I picked up the cabinetmaking trade. It was a good-sized, 40-man production shop that built high end, quality cabinetry. I got a well-rounded education there. Sometimes I’d make drawers, sometimes face frames, always something different. When I left that job, the owner told me, ‘Whatever woodworking you do, always buy the best equipment.’ That’s always struck with me.

I started making cabinetry on my own, and I kept buying better equipment. My first shop was an old garage with an 8’ ceiling which is tough for tall cabinets. The shop I have I have now is over 4,000 sq. ft. The equipment I’ve acquired over the years is pretty much top of the line. It’s a serious shop.

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Donald Accomando has a shop to die for! It's over 4,000 sq. ft. with a high ceiling, and it's packed with top-of-the-line woodworking machinery that gives him excellent results and high maximum working efficiency. His sander? A Woodmaster Drum Sander, of course.

Donald Accomando has a shop to die for! It’s over 4,000 sq. ft. with a high ceiling, and it’s packed with top-of-the-line woodworking machinery that gives him excellent results and high maximum working efficiency. His sander? A Woodmaster Drum Sander, of course. Photo by Donald’s former student, Julie Prayer.

An average new home around here will have 40 to 75 doors in it. I’ll make doors for the kitchen, two or three bathrooms, laundry room, entertainment center, and more — it’s a lot of doors. I buy doors through a custom door company but 90% of the time I make the doors. I have eight shapers that are dedicated to making doors.

Hand-sanders are inefficient tools for finish sanding

When I first started making doors, I used conventional hand-held belt sanders. These were good hand sanders — Porter Cable. But they weren’t efficient tools for that job. You grind down the high spots, air sand the rest, and you’ve ended up sanding multiple times with multiple sanders. To sand that many doors that way would take two guys probably 10 hours. You’d do a lot of hand sanding and you still wouldn’t get the door dead-flat.

Wide belt sanders? Fussy, expensive, “wavy” results.

My first sander was a used vertical wide belt sander with a 30” wide belt. It did an OK job although, unlike the Woodmaster Drum Sander, the pressure on the platen was controlled pneumatically. A lot of times, the panel or door you put through would end up with a bit of wave or ripple to it. There were other little things. It went out of adjustment and it wasn’t wide enough.

I like drum sanders. I had a big vertical belt sander. The giant ones cost three times more than a drum sander. They’re a little faster but the one I had was too small and I was always dicking around with adjustments. It wouldn’t make doors flat. A drum sander – when something goes through it, it comes out flat. Everything that goes through the Woodmaster comes out flat. It just works better. It works every time and you don’t have to fool with it. Price is a consideration, too. At the time I bought, new wide sanders were probably $15,000 – $25,000 and the Woodmaster was under $5,000.

This gorgeous stone-topped kitchen island makes an outstanding focal point in this showcase kitchen. And it makes food preparation convenient, too. Note the fully functional sink. Photo by Donald's former student, Julie Prayer.

This gorgeous stone-topped kitchen island makes an outstanding focal point in this showcase kitchen. And it makes food preparation convenient, too. Note the fully functional sink. Photo by Donald’s former student, Julie Prayer.

Woodmaster: “Everything comes out perfectly flat.”

The next sander I bought was a Custer, similar to the Woodmaster except it was not as heavy. The aluminum drums didn’t have the mass that Woodmaster’s steel drums have. The bed wasn’t as sturdy as Woodmaster’s, either. It was OK, but it just wasn’t heavy enough. So I sold that and got my first Woodmaster Drum Sander — a 38” double-drum 3875-X2 — about 12 to 15 years ago. The only thing I’ve ever replaced is the starter switch. What I liked about the Woodmaster from the get-go is it’s slightly slower than a wide belt, and everything comes out perfectly flat. I could do 75 doors in an hour and a half vs. 10 hours. And the doors come out with more precision.

Occasionally I’ll get 4’ face frames so I bought the 50” double-drum 5075-X2 Woodmaster which I love! It came with a 7-1/2HP motor. It’s a simple machine but everything on it is heavy duty. It’s a better machine: you never have to worry about parts breaking. There are lots of imports that initially look good but just don’t hold up. I still prefer Woodmaster. If I had to buy another one, I would.

“I prefer Woodmaster’s Double Drum Sanders.”

Woodmaster has both single and double drum sanders. I prefer the double drum. I can put 80-grit on one drum and 100, or 120, or 150-grit on the second. You can put different grits on the drums and sand with precision. I have my 5075-X2 set up with 80-grit on the infeed drum and 100 or 120- grit on the outfeed drum. That works for 90% of the work I do — doors, predominantly.

Another thing I like about the Woodmaster is the way the paper fastens to the drum with Velcro®. Other drum sanders have spring-loaded paper tensioners that are difficult to use. With Woodmaster’s system, the paper fits a lot better and changing papers is not a big issue. Woodmaster has an adjustable feed rate that others don’t and the feed-belt is heavier, too. The bearings are heavy, the motor’s heavy.

“Imports just don’t hold up.”

There are so many imports out there that just don’t hold up. For example, I had a 2HP Grizzly® dust collector hooked up to a $12,000 edge bander. The Grizzly® motor failed within a year and the local motor repair guy said he couldn’t fix it for what you’d buy a new one for. So I bought a dust collector from you guys – from Woodmaster. That motor has worked for 15 years.

An outstanding kitchen like this one deserves more than the traditional lazy susan in the corner. Donald has maximized storage space while creating a unique and outstanding corner storage solution with angled drawer faces.

An outstanding kitchen like this one deserves more than the traditional lazy susan in the corner. Donald has maximized storage space while creating a unique and space saving corner storage solution with angled drawer faces. Photo by Donald’s former student, Julie Prayer.

Price/Value Relationship

I’d look at Woodmaster first. It’s a real good value. Take Performax® sanders for example. They’re $2,500 and they’re just a big arm with a sanding head on it. They say you can sand half the width of your workpiece, then flip it around and do the other half. That doesn’t work that well. For a little more money, you can buy a real drum sander that’ll do the job well. Woodmaster just flat out works.

Most of my equipment is from Austria, Germany, or Italy. But I’d never buy any drum sander other than Woodmaster. In my experience, the Woodmaster Drum Sander does what it’s supposed to do and you don’t have to fool around with it. You can buy a wide belt but a wide belt the same size as the Woodmaster Drum Sander I have would cost you at least $25,000. Then you need the power to run its 10 or 15HP motor. Or you can pay $6,000 for a Woodmaster. It holds up and works better.

“The guys I talk to at Woodmaster build the machines.”

From a service point of view, Woodmaster’s great. Anybody you talk to there, they know their machines. Whatever I need to be satisfied, they do it. I wanted a longer power cord; they just did it for me. Other companies would say, ‘You’ve got to do that yourself’ and blah blah blah. I’ve talked to other salespeople for other products and, basically, they’re just reading the brochures. The guys I talk to at Woodmaster actually build the machines.

Simple & dependable

I like quality machinery and that drum sander is the heart of all my finish work. It has to be dependable and Woodmaster is. The edge bander I have is the most complicated machine I’ve ever had. It has probably 15 micro-switches in it. To have it serviced costs $2,000. I don’t have that problem with my Woodmaster Drum Sander!”

— Donald Accomando, Cabinet Maker, Woodmaster Drum Sander Owner, McArthur CA

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Boat builder, boat restorer says, “I DO BETTER, FASTER WORK THAN MY COMPETITION THANKS TO MY WOODMASTER DRUM SANDER!”

Glen Taniguchi had been in the boat building and boat restoration business for 35 years when we spoke with him. He’s got a unique, high-end niche woodworking business in Washington state, and said he couldn’t do it without his Woodmaster Drum Sander. Here’s Glen’s story…

Here's Glen Taniguchi with his Woodmaster Drum Sander and an example of some of the work he does as he's building and restoring high-end boats in his Washington state shop. "I couldn't do the work I do without the Woodmaster," he says. "It gives me an edge over my competition."

Here’s Glen Taniguchi with his Woodmaster Drum Sander and an example of some of the work he does as he’s building and restoring high-end boats in his Washington state shop. “I couldn’t do the work I do without the Woodmaster,” he says. “It gives me an edge over my competition.”

“I’m a self-employed professional woodworker. I create and restore high-end boats and boat interiors. I’m a subcontractor; I work for several different companies. I don’t think I could do a lot of this work without my Woodmaster Drum Sander. It gives me the edge over my competition to do things that would be impossible without it. I’m faster and do things my competition can’t. For example, I’m working on a 50-foot catamaran (twin-hulled boat) and the owner wanted a teak and maple floor. I glued it all together on a piece of plastic. When the glue dried, I was able to run the floor panels through the sander and bring it all down 1/4”. If I hadn’t had the Woodmaster, I’d have had to do it a more traditional way: laying the floor piece-by-piece and sanding it with a buff pad. That would have taken a long time and would have been very labor intensive. This way, I made panels and laid them in — just like fitting sheets of plywood.

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The Woodmaster saves him time and does a better job than a hand-held sander

My Woodmaster has paid for itself. I use it on a daily basis, it helps me every day. I can sand molding, flooring, doors, and more. All I have to do is run my work through and it’s a finished piece. I save an immense amount of time and it’s a much better job than if I’d used a belt sander and a dual-action sander.

Onboard a boat, space is at a premium. Glen uses fine cabinetry skills to make the most of every square inch.

Onboard a boat, space is at a premium. Glen uses fine cabinetry skills to make the most of every square inch.

Making doors, for example: I glue them up, run them through the Woodmaster, and I’m done. I get a perfectly flat and even surface that would have taken far longer by hand. Another example is a set of cabinet doors I made for the boat I’m working on. It’s a three or four million dollar boat and the panels are all veneer. I glued burl onto a substrate of the same cherry I’m using for the frames. Then I ran the panels through the Woodmaster and brought the veneer down to the same level as the cherry frames. They look wonderful. If I’d sanded then by hand, it would have been very difficult to keep everything even.

Half an hour’s hand sanding done in just 10 minutes

What would take me hours to sand by hand I can sand in minutes. I work with less fatigue because the machine does the work. It was always kind of depressing to see a big stack of doors that would take me a day or two to get through — now I can do them in a few hours. Jobs take less time; they’re less labor intensive, less demanding, and the Woodmaster does a better job that you do.

I can multi-task now: I run a panel through the sander do something else while the Woodmaster is doing its thing. I’m working more than twice as fast. Polishing a 6” x 8’ board by hand would take at least half an hour. With the Woodmaster it takes maybe 10 minutes. I typically don’t buy Grizzly® or tools imported from China. Most of my tools are professional grade. I think it’s a good thing that Woodmaster is made in the USA. I’ve used it a lot and I’ve never had any problems with anything. Bearings and tracking are all good. It was a terrific purchase for my business.

I’d recommend Woodmaster to a friend. If you look around, you won’t find anything better on the market in the price range. For the kind of woodworking I do, this machine is perfect.”

— Glenn Taniguchi, Glen Taniguchi Woodworking, Port Ludlow WA

Glen’s doubling his productivity and YOU CAN, TOO!

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