Auto cleaning wide belt sanders?

[Lew Hodgett]

Depends.

If I'm using 16 or 24 grit on either a disk or a belt, then it epoxy is involved either as fiberglass or fairing putty.

Epoxy absolutely destroys abrasives.

I'm lucky to get 30 sq ft sanded with a 9", 16 grit disk, before it is time to change.

A box of 25 disks doesn't last very long.

If I'm using 60 grit and finer, then it is with a ROS and wood.

When I'm working with wood, you can tell when the paper is getting dull by just feeling it.

It may or may not load up but it makes no difference, dull is dull.

Lew

[Leon]

Agreed, cleaning does not sharpen.

[Jay Pique]

Yellow pine creates a big mess in a big hurry. I heard a story once about a guy that had some sort of gun that sprayed dry ice pellets at the belt while it was still going 'round in the machine. Don't remember hearing if it worked or not.

JP

[J. Clarke]

You can't sharpen it but aluminum oxide abrasive is hard enough to cut hardened steel. On most woods it clogs a lot faster than it dulls.

[B A R R Y]

I totally agree for smaller discs. For 12" and wide stuff, the eraser is helpful.

[mac davis]

For sure... I clean my 2" and 3" H&L sanding disks several times before they're dull or torn, especially when sanding pine of something clogging like that...

mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

[steve]

I go to thrift stores, and buy old crepe soled shoes for a quarter or so, then bandsaw off the tops, and use the soles to clean belts with. It works really well. Steve