Tim Ziegler | Woodmaster Drum Sanders Blog

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

“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.

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

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 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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“As long as you’re willing to put in the work, you can make a good deal of money with a Woodmaster. The quality is there and they’re well built. The warranties are good and I’m very satisfied.”

Among many other fine woodworking products, Tim Ziegler makes commemorative American Flag display boxes for the American Legion.

“I’m an advanced woodworker. I have a specialty shop — Ziegler Woodwork & Specialty — where I make pretty much anything and everything anyone could ask. I dabbled in woodworking for 20 years and have been in business for over 20.

One of Tim’s commemorative American Flag boxes – a fitting tribute to one who’s given service to his country.

I make a lot of triangular flag cases for a Legion, about 50 a year. I’ve made gun cases, display cabinets, arched window frames for our church, even complete kitchen cabinets.

Massive bearings & USA-made motors

I bought my first Woodmaster Molder/Planer/Sander/Saw back in 1991. Now I have two: I have one set up as a planer and the 725 as a molder. Woodmasters are simple and well built and that’s important to me. Open one up and you see massive bearings supporting the head — that was a big selling point to me. They’ve got American-made motors and they aren’t afraid to put 5 or 7HP motors in them — the Woodmaster is NOT underpowered. It’s simple to align and is just a well made machine.

Payment plan made it easy

I first heard about Woodmaster in woodworking magazines. I dreamed, hoped, and wished for a long time. Woodmaster’s payment plan made it easy to acquire my first molder/planer.

(Editor’s note: Woodmaster offers financing terms on all our products. Our in-house financing program has helped many hundreds of men and women get started in profitable woodworking businesses of their own. If you have dreamed of owning your own business, and are willing to put your back into it, Woodmaster Credit could be your pathway to financial freedom. Please call for more information on financing — Toll Free 1-800-821-6651.)

SAVE BIG NOW on Woodmaster Drum Sanders! – sale prices, online specials

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Buy Chinese? You couldn’t pay him.

I like that Woodmaster is a US-made machine. I wouldn’t buy a Chinese machine if you paid me. Woodmaster is superior quality and the company works with you. It’s made in the US and if you need parts you can get them at a local hardware store. But my Woodmasters look as good today as the day I got ’em. They’re so hardy you just don’t need to replace anything.

Here’s Tim’s molding production line. The hood’s off the Woodmaster Molder/Planer as he makes some fine adjustments.

Up to 1,000 cuts per inch

The quality of my work increased when I started using the Woodmaster. The number of cuts-per-inch is phenomenal. The standard in the industry is 14 cuts-per-inch and Woodmaster far exceeds that. (Editor’s note: Tim’s right – Woodmaster makes 0 – 1,000 cuts per inch!) Unless you get a nick in your knife, you don’t have to sand.

Adding a Woodmaster Drum Sander boosted production & income

I bought a Woodmaster Drum Sander so I’d be able to work on more than one piece at a time. I knew that machine was made exclusively to sand. The capacity is what I was after.

This machine helps me make money. First off, I’m not spending lots of time sanding by hand. You can change the sandpaper on the drums in no time so you can go from a medium paper to a fine finish in no time at all. There is very little hand sanding left to do once I run it through that sander.

He slashes sanding time by 50%

You could probably figure on an average project 50% of your time is spent on sanding. Now, with the flag boxes I make, I work on 6 or 8 of them at a time. I run them through the Woodmaster Drum Sander and someone’s out there to catch them. You run them through a few times and you are done. Other wise you are working on one at a time and using the sanding pad and vibrating your arms to death.

2 Molder/Planers & 1 Drum Sander — 3 Woodmasters reduce setup time – key to making money

Tim owns 2 Woodmaster Molder/Planers AND a Woodmaster Drum Sander. He gives his Drum Sander a big “thumbs up” and says it saves him 50% on sanding time.

My two Woodmaster Molder/Planers and my Woodmaster Drum Sander work real well together. I wanted to reduce setup time. Your setup time is key to making more money. This way I have dedicated machines with very little setup time. If someone comes in and requests something I am able to do that with a minimal amount of set up time.

I bought the larger planer because I do buy all rough-cut lumber and I wanted to be able to plane panels for high-end furniture. I also want to be able to make bench tops. Of course once they are planed you are going to want to run them through the sander and there is nothing better than to run them through that drum sander knowing that you wont have to do any touch up work on it. It really helps me out and saves me a lot of time.

Woodmaster gives him an edge on the competition

There are very few guys in this area that have as much equipment as I do so that gives me an edge. I can offer practically anything out of my shop and there aren’t too many people around here that can do that. I can plane rough material, all the way up to 25” panels. I can run molding; I can make cabinets and doors. All at the quality that customers are looking for.

What do I think of Woodmaster? Nothing but good. The quality is there, the machines are well built, and the warranties are good. I’m very satisfied with Woodmaster.”

— Tim Ziegler, Foreston MN

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QUESTIONS? COMMENTS?

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