Premium Partners

Video: Why Head Pressure on Your Big Machine Matters

Wayne Lee Headshot
Wayne Lee
Feb 23, 2015

Do you think about the drum pressure on your big machine? Do you adjust it depending on the species and your abrasive? When I was at the Master Craftsman school at the NWFA headquarters last week I did a demo where we looked at head pressure of the big machine:

Read Next
Am24 Wdwrks Edgers 1
Machines/Tools
Meet the Repairman Turning Edgers Into Artwork
March 26, 2024
Recommended
Custom Stain Application Techniques with Loba-Wakol North America
Sponsored
Custom Stain Application Techniques with Loba-Wakol North America
Am24 Wdwrks Edgers 1
Machines/Tools
Meet the Repairman Turning Edgers Into Artwork
Readers Respond 6
Tools + Equipment
Readers Respond: What’s One Thing You Hesitated To Buy and Now Can’t Live Without?
Some drum problems we see (clockwise from top left): a deep nail groove; chunks missing and the rubber almost melted on a rider drum; a chunk missing from next to the slot on a Galaxy drum from running it as a belt without having a shim in the slot; and a crack in the actual metal.
Troubleshooting
Get Better Sanding by Taking Care of Your Drum
Related Stories
Am24 Wdwrks Edgers 1
Machines/Tools
Meet the Repairman Turning Edgers Into Artwork
8 H 1022 Wfb On22 Fundamentals Blowing Off Edger Pad 2
Machines/Tools
Use This Checklist For Daily Edger Maintenance
With all the new equipment available, there’s a lot of talk about if we still need hand-scrapers.
Machines/Tools
The Tool That Started It All: The Hand-Scraper
Custom Stain Application Techniques with Loba-Wakol North America
Sponsor Content
Custom Stain Application Techniques with Loba-Wakol North America
More in Machines/Tools
News
WFB FB Buy, Sell, Trade Listings: Two Hummels, Bostitch Nailers, Fein Sander
See the latest used items for sale in the Wood Floor Business Buy/Sell/Trade Facebook Group.
New Listings4 10 24
Sponsored
Bona Traffic HD RAW® Damage Mitigation
Bona
In addition to its superior durability, Bona Traffic HD RAW’s ultra-matte sheen can help mask surface damage when re-coating.
Bona Traffic HD RAW® Damage Mitigation
Machines/Tools
Meet the Repairman Turning Edgers Into Artwork
Aaron Stieferman takes broken edgers and turns them into sought-after works of functional art.
Am24 Wdwrks Edgers 1
Tools + Equipment
Readers Respond: What’s One Thing You Hesitated To Buy and Now Can’t Live Without?
WFB asked followers on Facebook and Instagram to list something they hesitated to buy and now can’t live without.
Readers Respond 6
Troubleshooting
Get Better Sanding by Taking Care of Your Drum
Here are some tips from sanding drum expert Jerry Brainerd for getting a longer life for your big machine drums and ensuring you get better, more consistent sanding in the meantime.
Some drum problems we see (clockwise from top left): a deep nail groove; chunks missing and the rubber almost melted on a rider drum; a chunk missing from next to the slot on a Galaxy drum from running it as a belt without having a shim in the slot; and a crack in the actual metal.
Tools + Equipment
What Tool or Piece of Equipment Could You Not Live Without?
WFB asked its followers on Facebook and Instagram what they absolutely could not live without in their wood flooring lives. Here's a sampling of what they said.
2 K 1223 Wfb Dj24 Talking Shop Pallmann Spider
Techniques
How Do You Control Dust on Your Wood Flooring Jobs?
Readers of Wood Floor Business share which tools and techniques they use to contain dust when installing and sanding on their wood flooring job sites.
Jj23 Talking Shop
Safety
My Trigger Phrase: ‘Been Doing It That Way for 35 Years’
T.J. Haas's father, Mark Haas, was highly motivated, supremely intelligent and well-liked among his peers in the industry, but a series of electrical hookup accidents may have contributed to his premature death.
My dad was an innovator in the industry, but his life ended too early, potentially in part due to being electrocuted when hooking up power. In this photo he is running a Sharpless Built Super Sander, which was a hardplate belt sander we used for our intermediate cuts and leveling.
Tricks of the Trade
Trick of the Trade: This Trick Leaves You Hanging … Your Buffer Attachments
Wood floor pro Joshua Crossman now offers these handy buffer attachment hangers for sale.
Screen Shot 2023 03 17 At 3 06 30 Pm30
Techniques
What Is Your Favorite Flat Floor Photo?
Wood floor pros share their favorite photos of floors that are impressively flat.
2 D 223 Wfb Fm23 Talking Shop Bob Alberding
Machines/Tools
Use This Checklist For Daily Edger Maintenance
Sanding machine expert Mike Rocher has an easy maintenance list that will keep edgers running.
8 H 1022 Wfb On22 Fundamentals Blowing Off Edger Pad 2
Tricks of the Trade
Trick of the Trade: A ‘Little Lifesaver Of A Tool’
When I am refinishing old homes with tight balusters on the stair treads or landings, this tool works perfectly for the job.
As22 Tot Orbital Air Sander Between Balusters
History
Gasoline-Powered Drum Sanders Beg The Question: ‘WTF!?’
“Who gets it in his head to sand parquets with a gasoline engine in the house?”
This 4-hp, gas-powered big machine dates to 1951.
Page 1 of 5
Next Page
Resource Book
Looking for a specific product or a company? Wood Floor Business has the only comprehensive database of the industry.
Learn More
Resource Book
Podcasts
All Things Wood Floor, created by Wood Floor Business magazine, talks to interesting wood flooring pros to share knowledge, stories and tips on everything to do with wood flooring, from installation, sanding and finishing to business management.
Learn More
Podcasts