How do you clean drum sander paper?

[Robert foster]

I made the mistake of sanding some pine withe my drum sander. It got pitchy. Is there a good way to clean the pitch off the sandpaper or do I have to replace it?

Thanks

Bob

[Greg Heppeard]

They make big rubber erasers for this. If that doesn't work, you can take the sandpaper to the carwash.

[Mike Cutler]

Fill a bucket with a mild solution of Simple Green and water, and drop the rolls in for 1/2 hour or so.
Clamp them to a 2x4 with some spring clamps, get a stiff bristle brush, not steel, and scrub them down. Whatever pitch the rubber eraser doesn't remove can be removed this way.
Leave 'em clamped to the 2x4 to dry.
I've done dozens of them this way. They're too expensive to toss out.

[Richard M. Wolfe]

Just make sure you're using cloth backed paper if you use the Simple Green.

I've had no luck taking pitch off with the eraser sticks. The Simple Green works well for all sorts of cloth backed abrasives...sanding belts, etc.

[Mike Cutler]

Just make sure you're using cloth backed paper if you use the Simple Green. .

Whoops, forgot to mention that. Good Point!!

[Rick Potter]

I soaked mine with paint thinner, and used a brass brush. It had cloth backing. For small lines, I use the thinner and brush while it is on the machine.

Rick Potter

[Jack Briggs]

Brass wire brush. When that doesn't get it sometimes I soak the rolled-up abrasive in acetone for several hours or days, then wire brush.

[john frank]

I've always used the big eraser or old shoe soles (no nails) for sanding belts, but when I used to plane lots of lumber I'd use kerosene to get the pitch off the feed rollers. It dissolves it pretty readily. I would think it'd work to soak your (cloth) belts in it.

[Nathan Conner]

May sound silly, but I accidentally found out that PVC pipe cleans drum sanders really, really well. I now use it on all of my sandpaper, and it's way cheaper than those rubber erasers.

If you have a scrap of 4" laying around, just hold the cut end against the drum for a second and see if that helps. If not, the next time you're at the BORG, grab a piece out of their cull bin for $.50 and keep it handy. Beats paying for that rubber eraser that works, but only sort of and only sometimes. Not like they show you in the marketing pictures.

Good luck, whatever you do, and let us know what worked best! I always need more tips for my tool-cleaning arsenal...

[Bill White]

Second or third on the big crepe rubber sticks. Man they'll slick up the belts or drums in a flash.
Bill

[Robert foster]

Thanks guys. I put the sandpaper roll into a solution of hot water and dish soap. It bubbled a while and when I took it out I hardly had to use the brass brush at all. It worked great.

Bob