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Save those old sanding belts
http://w-ww.luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10102&t=13539		 Page 1 of 2
Author:  Tim McKnight [ Thu Sep 06, 2007 1:08 pm ]
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Hey fellow wide belt and drum sander users, here is the frugal tip of the day. Save those old gunked up belts. Now that it is nice weather outside, steal (oops borrow) some of your significant other's "Easy Off" oven cleaner and liberally spray the entire belt sanding surface (It is much easier to do this AFTER removing the belt from your sander) ;). Let the oven cleaner work for 5 minutes or so then use a stiff bristle nylon brush and scrub the belt with a spritz of water. After you have scrubbed for a while rinse it off with the garden hose. If all of the resin and pitch did not come off spray it one more time and repeat the process. Let the belt dry in the sun or over night and it will be as good as new.



If you have any oven cleaner left you can also use it on your router bits (after removing the guide bearings) and on your table saw blades (works best if the blade is off the saw) ;) Work safe and be sure to wear safety glasses and rubber gloves. I scrubbed 4 of my belts this afternon and they all look like brand new.



Let me know how it works on yours. Be well.
Author:  KenH [ Thu Sep 06, 2007 1:49 pm ]
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Thanks for the tip Tim! I happen to have one right now that I can try this out on!


You dont know how to splice sanding belts together do you? I have a couple that I wound the wrong way and tore a piece off right where it connects to the drum. The sand paper is practically new but it is unuseable in it's present state. If it could be reliably spliced it would be great!


 
Author:  grumpy [ Thu Sep 06, 2007 2:00 pm ]
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The oven cleaner is an old trick for belts and blades/bits, but an alays effective one.


BTW, the active ingredient is caustic soda, so if you have access to industrial solvents/chemicals, look for it in bulk(pints/quarts/gallons0 and save mucho change, and you'll also have it at full strength(though it is dangerous at that concentration and will burn your skin instantly).


also great for cleaning old machinery, de-greasing old car chassis(will remove paint, so I'm talking full-on restorations) and engines. Migthy powerful sh%t.....

Oh, and even Easy Off will kill paint, and plants, so be careful where you spray it, and watch the overspray...
Author:  David Collins [ Thu Sep 06, 2007 3:00 pm ]
Post subject: 
When I thrash a belt I generally consider it gone. I'll occasionally save a few
worn ones for lighter, less aggressive work, but when I'm done with them
they are thoroughly worn rather than clogged. I tend to grind a lot of metal
on my sanders, and at a few bucks per belt I find it most efficient to just
consider them disposable.

If they're getting clogged as a result of resinous woods or synthetics
however, that sounds like a good trick.
Author:  Brock Poling [ Thu Sep 06, 2007 3:05 pm ]
Post subject: 
[QUOTE=Tim McKnight] Hey fellow wide belt and drum sander users, here is the frugal tip of the day. Save those old gunked up belts. Now that it is nice weather outside, steal (oops borrow) some of your significant other's "Easy Off" oven cleaner and liberally spray the entire belt sanding surface (It is much easier to do this AFTER removing the belt from your sander) ;). Let the oven cleaner work for 5 minutes or so then use a stiff bristle nylon brush and scrub the belt with a spritz of water. After you have scrubbed for a while rinse it off with the garden hose. If all of the resin and pitch did not come off spray it one more time and repeat the process. Let the belt dry in the sun or over night and it will be as good as new.



If you have any oven cleaner left you can also use it on your router bits (after removing the guide bearings) and on your table saw blades (works best if the blade is off the saw) ;) Work safe and be sure to wear safety glasses and rubber gloves. I scrubbed 4 of my belts this afternon and they all look like brand new.



Let me know how it works on yours. Be well.
[/QUOTE]

Cool.. so maybe this would be a good time to swing up and sand some cocobolo and brazilian?



Author:  peterm [ Thu Sep 06, 2007 3:10 pm ]
Post subject: 
One of the best tips I ever heard!!!

Thanks!
Author:  Kim [ Thu Sep 06, 2007 3:12 pm ]
Post subject: 
Rick Turner suggest hitting the belts with a pressure washer if you have one at hand to blast off the crud after soaking, I recon I will give that a go, beats scrubbing.

cheers

Kim
Author:  David Collins [ Thu Sep 06, 2007 4:11 pm ]
Post subject: 
Sorry, I guess I skimmed over the "wide belt and drum sander users" part. I
though it sounded a bit cheap and counterproductive to be spending that
much effort when I thought you were talking about 6'"x48" belts.
Author:  Blain [ Thu Sep 06, 2007 4:38 pm ]
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Thanks for the tip Tim.

I've got a couple drum sander belts that I can give it a try on.
Author:  Colin S [ Thu Sep 06, 2007 8:26 pm ]
Post subject: 
Yes it's a system that I have used for some time, mainly on my router bits and band saw blades as these are the things I find hardest to clean. It is also very cheap as you never have to buy the oven cleaner, it just gets paid for in the general household shopping, so comes out of the bosses side of the finances.

Colin
Author:  Arnt Rian [ Thu Sep 06, 2007 8:38 pm ]
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I like the way you think, Colin!

When they are too beat for the sanding machines I always find some use for these belts on sanding boards, radius dishes and what not.
Author:  Bobc [ Thu Sep 06, 2007 11:57 pm ]
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Lately I've been using that Dollar Store oven cleaner. Works good. I've been cleaning my saw blades and router bits with oven cleaner for years. As for the sanding belts it works fine if they get clogged early on. If they have been used for quite a while the abrasive is pretty worn but you can get a bit more sanding out of them.
Author:  WaddyThomson [ Fri Sep 07, 2007 2:30 am ]
Post subject: 
Wurth Group makes a Pitch and Resin Remover that is very good too.  It is somewhat less toxic than oven cleaner, and is very fast.  Also, it is designed for abrasive belts, but works on saw blades and router bits too.  It is, probably, more expensive, and less available than oven cleaner though.
Author:  Don Williams [ Fri Sep 07, 2007 2:50 am ]
Post subject: 
All you have to do is keep a good stiff steel wire brush handy, and you can get the caked on stuff off the belt right on the drum.... I'm getting a ton of use out of my paper now, and rarely have to change it out.
Try it...you'll like it.
Author:  Hank Mauel [ Fri Sep 07, 2007 2:51 am ]
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I'll toss in a product called Reuzit. Since everyone is concerned with the chemical load we luthiers experience (finishing, super glue, etc) this non caustic material is great. If you have an abrasive supplier nearby, check with them for this product...or Google it.
It's biodegradable and runs about $12/gallon (last time I bought some). Cut it 2:1 with water and apply with a spray bottle. You can scrub the stubburn areas of a belt. Then rinse with water and let air dry.
Can also be used to clean saw blades and router bits.
And it won't curl your nose hairs like oven cleaner!
Author:  LanceK [ Fri Sep 07, 2007 2:58 am ]
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[QUOTE=Don Williams] All you have to do is keep a good stiff steel wire brush handy, and you can get the caked on stuff off the belt right on the drum.... I'm getting a ton of use out of my paper now, and rarely have to change it out.
Try it...you'll like it.[/QUOTE]

Don this is what Ive been doing, until Brock reminded me that "steel" will spark, and that is something I DONT want in my dust collector! So I have switched to Brass brushes instead.
Author:  WaddyThomson [ Fri Sep 07, 2007 3:02 am ]
Post subject: 


Author:  Don Williams [ Fri Sep 07, 2007 3:33 am ]
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[QUOTE=LanceK]Don this is what Ive been doing, until Brock reminded me that "steel" will spark, and that is something I DONT want in my dust collector! So I have switched to Brass brushes instead.[/QUOTE]

Yes, I know. But what fun is that?
I mean, where's the excitement, the sense of danger that gets our adrenaline pumping? Can you tell me that???

Wimps.




I don't run my dust collector at the same time...
Author:  Bob Garrish [ Fri Sep 07, 2007 3:48 am ]
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I'm a wire brush guy as well, I have a 'softer' wire brush I use to get the gunk off my bandsaw blades after I cut really gummy woods as well. Maybe cuts down the life a bit, but I spend so much time getting a perfect setup on my saw when I put on a blade that it's a really big deal for me to take one off and back on for cleaning.
Author:  Billy T [ Fri Sep 07, 2007 8:31 am ]
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[quote]that is something I DONT want in my dust collector![/quote]

Hear that! I lit a collector on fire once! No fun!
Author:  Don Williams [ Fri Sep 07, 2007 9:31 am ]
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Billy, that was a silly thing to do. Why did you do that, just for kicks? Did you use a match, or something else?



That gives me an idea...when I get my new Oneida system, then I'll try that with the old Grizzly unit. Outside, of course.
Author:  burbank [ Fri Sep 07, 2007 10:17 am ]
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[QUOTE=WaddyT]
[/QUOTE]

?!
Author:  Bobc [ Fri Sep 07, 2007 10:55 am ]
Post subject: 
[QUOTE=Don Williams] All you have to do is keep a good stiff steel wire brush handy, and you can get the caked on stuff off the belt right on the drum.... I'm getting a ton of use out of my paper now, and rarely have to change it out.
Try it...you'll like it.[/QUOTE]

Been there Done that.... After 6 or so wire brushes wearing out I decided the oven cleaner is cheaper if not easier. If I'm in a real hurry the trashcan is a good place to toss the sandpaper.
Author:  Don Williams [ Fri Sep 07, 2007 11:41 am ]
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Yeah Bob, but now that you have that wide-belt up and running, you won't need that stuff anymore.

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