Jose Caubet | Woodmaster Drum Sanders Blog

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.

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!

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.

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.

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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