Found a good deal on an older (90's) powermatic 24" wide belt. Going to take a look at her and want to know what to look for. Of course the owner says its in GREAT shape… I have 2 drum sanders and a large stroke that I've been using and normally wouldn't consider a 24" but the price is right and I can get rid of my smaller drum sander that I hate...
From contributor do
They are workhorse sanders. I have a 1997 model that i run the heck out of and have never had a problem. I still have origional air lines and drum. Make sure it has the left and right limit switches. Can you see the machine run to make sure it works correctly? Just a good sander. I never even to adjust anything on it. I would love a 37" dual head but dont have the room to fit it.
From contributor La
Widebelts are simple machines. Almost all the parts are available from industrial supply houses. Most expensive parts are the feed belt and the contact drum. The rubber gets less resilient with time and may have uneven wear. Both can be trued up while on the machine but may still be better off being replaced. There are companies that can recover the drum (many durometers are available) and can provide a variety of feed belt designs. All the electrical components are off the shelf items including the tracking sensors. The 24" width is pretty limiting. If you get it, go through the complete adjusting process. Simple but often neglected.
From contributor Ad
Check out the condition of the drum with a flash light set at a low angle so you can see any damage. I really don't like seeing people dress drums in their machines. Too often they ignore getting the drum really level before grinding and they really screw it up. Just plan on having it trued up and rebalanced right away. Make sure you get graphite if it has a platen so you can freshen that up too. I can wall you through that process.
I can also walk you through dressing the conveyor if you want to really make it shine.
