? on Cleaning Drum Sander Belts

[Craig Stueve]

Since I now have a drum sander I was wondering about the sanding belts. The belt that is an my sander now is gummed up good and I was wondering if it is worth the time and effort to attempt to clean them. I have read that you can clean the belts by soaking them in MS for about 30 minutes and then brushing them.

Has anyone tried this and how well has it worked?

Any additional tips or advice on the use and care of drum sanders would be great as well.

Thanks,
Craig

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

They sell a rubber stick you can just rub against them while they are running. I've used 'em they work OK

[Mitchell Andrus]

I've got the Powermatic 2x25". 5 HP closed cabinet, non-cantilevered. It's a beast, but incredibly gentle on belts if you take small bites. I work almost exclusively white oak and I change paper four of five times a year - thousands of BF throughput on a paper change. When I get a gummed up spot that just won't come back to normal (usually from a glued up panel), I place a small magnet to remind me to avoid that area. I use a rubber block for cleaning. Someone suggested gum and pitch remover, haven't tried it yet.

Mitch

[Don Selke]

You can remove the sanding belts from the drum and soak them in simple Green and water in a plastic container that will hold the belt. I roll up the belts and place them into the container letting them un-ravel in the cleaning solution. The next morning, hose them off with clear water, hang them up to dry and they are like new. Make sure that the belt is completly covered in solution during soaking. I use a strong solution but adjust it depending on the amount of pitch on the belt. Make sure that you do not take to much material in a single pass, make multiple passes, with your sander. If it is below freezing in your area, you may have to hose them in the basement. Here in the SW that is not a problem.