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fjimp
03-01-2008, 05:05 PM
My apoligies I searched for Sand Flee in order to not begin a new thread. Unfortunatly Sand Flee way found within a threat for the belt sander.

I am trying again with a new thread. Please ss below:

I Love My New Sand Flee
My new Sand Flee arrived just over a week ago. As I attempted to assemble it I became a bit frustrated. The packing and assembly of the wooden bottom of the sand flee cabinet to the steel sides lacked just a bit. The tiny screws were too small for the predrilled holes. Clearly they also would never hold up to being bumbed or jostled. During shipping all four pulled out and were floating loose in the box which scratched the finish on the wood.

After visiting with Shopsmith customer service I received permission to drill out the four holes in the wooden cabinet bottom and insert four small nuts and bolts with washers top and bottom. This created a far more stable mounting than the screws it was originally built with. I am just a bit concerned that a week later I have not heard a word from the folks at sand flee.

The good news is that I assembled and mounted it on my 520. After following the written instructions tried a few sample runs sanding some scrap hardwood. One of those trials was a piece of scrap I had used to try out the wood burning signature iron my wife had given me for Valentines day. As I was learning to use it I had several "Brands" that were severly burned into the wood. The nature of the flat surface of my sand flee evened out my signatures beautifully without creating divits in the wood. I then tried it on the edges of the scrap. The edges were uneven (cupped) on the first pass, with each additional pass they evened out and the edges ultimately became perfect after several passes.

I have never seen a sanding tool that removes so small an amount of stock with each pass and creates a truly flat surface in the final analysis.

Thanks Nick for showing me such a fine method for finish sanding.

Yes I love it and am convinced it is a valuable addition to my shop. As to not hearing from the sand flee folks, I am disappointed but really don't think I care that much. I feel my minor redesign of their assembly is an improvement and the scratches are minor enough as to not worry me.
Would I recommend the sand flee for others? You bet its 100% worth every dime. Jim:)
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nuhobby
03-01-2008, 05:21 PM
Thanks Jim,

I've been wanting to hear some real-world feedback on the SS Sand Flee. Good info you have posted.
I just ordered my DC3300 today, so I may be getting more into some sanding tasks that I've previously avoided.

Best Regards,

fjimp
03-01-2008, 05:52 PM
Chris,

Thanks for the kind words. One benefit I failed to mention about my Sand Flee is the dust port. Yes it does have one. In my excitment to try it out I failed to hook a hose up to my DC3300. I also failed to turn it on.

The good news is that Nick was on target again. Most of the dust from my trial is inside the bottom of the Sand Flee cabinet. In fact I am blown away at how efficient a dust collector it is. I had a small coating of dust on the top surface of the sand flee and virtually none on the floor.

Once again the Sand Flee is exactly as advertised. My next step is to create a parking place for it when not on the 520. I have an extra workmate saw horse I seldom use. I am planning mount a short 2X4 wedged between the jaws of the Workmate and drill two holes then set the Sand Flee on top. This will work until I get my new shop and create a more permanent home for it. Jim

a1gutterman
03-01-2008, 06:24 PM
Hi fjimp,
I caught the review on the other thread. It was good of you to move it.;)

charlese
03-01-2008, 09:31 PM
Jim - Great review! Thanks! It is good to read about the performance of the sand flea. Also how the construction held up during shipping. Your straight forward review is very appreciated. Cleaning up the edges of wood burning - never would have thought this as an excellent use!!!:D

fjimp
03-26-2008, 07:05 PM
When I wrote my review of the Sand Flee I commented about The base seperation I experienced related to shipping.

Today the customer service folks at shopsmith called to follow up and ask if I was satisfied with the outcome of my small issue. Yes they cared enough to call and find out if this one small customer located deep in the woods of central Virginia was happy. Yes I am happy and yes I do feel valuable to shopsmith, just as they are valuable to me. Jim:D :D :D