Hi Louis,

To start it would be helpful to know key details about your new drum sander e.g. drum diameter, drum length, and type.

I don't know if this will help you, but Shopsmith (maker of multi-purpose woodworking tools in the usa) (Woodworking Tools -- Shopsmith Woodworking Equipment and Supplies) used to market a "Sand-Flee" drum sander manufactured by RJR Studios (R.J.R. Studios, LLC - Home) which was powered by the extension shaft on the Shopsmith. This drum sander was (and still is) also available as a standalone unit (I have one of the former for my Shopsmith).

This sander has a 2"D x 18"L drum and utilizes a loop & hook (velcro) approach for attaching the abrasive sheets i.e. it is very easy to install or peel off and reinstall these - In fact, I sometimes put a coarse sheet on the LHS half of the drum and a fine sheet on the RHS. The sheets are "double secured" (so they don't peel off during sanding by wrapping a narrow piece of sticky-backed tape at the start point (on the LHS) and also in the middle (if two different sheets of sandpaper are installed). These abrasive sheets are sold in 3"W x 10yd L rolls (all in Imperial units) by both Shopsmith and RJR and fundamentally should work on any drum diameter.

What might also be of potential interest to you is a video on the Shopsmith website in the online video section titled "Sawdust Session no. 6 - An Overview of the Sand Flee Finish Sander" which describes, among other things, how the abrasive is installed on to the drum sander.(SS106 Directory)

Shopsmith also sells a large selection of small, drill chuck-mounted sanding drums and preformed refills ranging from 1/2"D to 3"D x 3"L or 6"L. - probably not of interest to you.

I'm not sure if you are on the same side of the 'pond' as me, but either way there are bound to be suppliers in many countries making a similar product.

Best regards,
Gary (kngtek)
Calgary, AB Canada