You must use a dust collector of some sort because the amount of dust generated by this machine is incredible. I used a Shop Vac for a vacuum source for 6-7 years and hated it because it was soooooo noisy. I now have one of those high volume low pressure vacuum systems which would be fine for low noise levels if the bearings weren't wearing out on the cheap imported motor. Attaching the sandpaper to the cylinder is an irksome problem. The strip has 6 evenly spaced holes in it and holds sandpaper in place by friction.
Wood screws work OK as do deck screws.
When the holes become too large, I just put a few drops of superglue and several toothpicks to fill them up again. This is a very forgiving machine. I now use a 1 HP motor left over from an imported belt sander whose bearings cratered after a year or so. The pulley at the shaft is about twice the diameter of that at the motor , but I recommend that you buy the pulley with the three different diameters so that you can see for yourself what speed works best for you. An adjustment screw through the plywood board and framework base allow loosening or tightening of the tension on the V-belt connecting the motor and the sanding drum.