# Clogged belt sander "ureka!" moment



## Eric The Viking (2 Oct 2015)

I've got one of these:




(Makita 9911)

Using it reminds me of that old joke: "Don't ever try to wrestle a pig into submission -- you both get filthy dirty and the pig enjoys it."

It's a horribly crude tool for most jobs, and can be relied on to ruin any flat wooden surface, usually in seconds even though I'm trying to be ultra cautious. So it gets used mostly for decorating and very-DIY woodworking. The belts clog something horrid too, and once that happens you have scrape marks as well as the inevitable deep gouges that happened when your attention lapsed for a split second.

Today, I has bin mostly having to sand an emulsioned wall (don't ask!). The belt clogged VERY fast indeed, even though the paint's been on there for at least two weeks. And the long streaky clogs mean more trouble, and waste of an expensive belt.

Now I do have one of these:




It's crepe, just like old plimsolls (if you're over a certain age), but doesn't smell as bad. You force the end into the belt and it lifts the sawdust - usually really effectively.

*But it didn't want to work at all on the emulsion clogged belt, until I had the brainwave of**
fitting the belt on the sander backwards, 

at which point it worked superbly well, and the belt looks pretty much like new again!* 

I think I'm going to experiment on a couple of really sawdust-clogged belts I couldn't get completely clean before (but kept for some reason).

There are probably umpteen safety elves after me as I type, so...

... don't try that at home, down the pub, or even in the outside khazi, under any circumstances. OK?

E.

PS: I know you won't dream of trying it, but if you did you'd obviously have to use the very slowest speed, and put the belt back the right way round afterwards.

PPS: I know: "Everyone _always_ does that, didn't you realise?" Well no, but then I'm a bit thick and now I have a smug grin, at least until the thing gouges a big groove in the wall or pulls me off the scaffold tower...


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## Phil Pascoe (2 Oct 2015)

Everyone does that - didn't you realise?

 Seriously - the crepe cleaners work reasonably well on hand sanding sheets, as well.


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## DiscoStu (2 Oct 2015)

That's what I do - I didn't realise it was a secret I thought it was common knowledge.


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## Monkey Mark (2 Oct 2015)

DiscoStu":38aoysbh said:


> That's what I do - I didn't realise it was a secret I thought it was common knowledge.


It's new to me.


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## Eric The Viking (2 Oct 2015)

It was running the belt backwards that made a really dramatic difference.


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## beganasatree (3 Oct 2015)

A bit .of garden hose pipe will do the the same job a lot cheaper.

Peter


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## devonwoody (3 Oct 2015)

I pinch the wifes plastic clothes pegs, or use the ones with broken springs.


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## Nelsun (3 Oct 2015)

I think I've seen Izzy Swan use an old trainer. I'd forgotten all about that until now so thanks for the reminder. Here he is https://youtu.be/d2ABs3VokH4

Sent from my m8 using Tapatalk


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## Eric The Viking (3 Oct 2015)

I obviously wasn't very clear in my original post, so have edited it slightly.


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## rafezetter (5 Oct 2015)

Thats a good tip about the belt backwards - I'll have to try that for really clogged up belts., I've used those, and hosepipe, but another thing you can do and even cheaper still than hosepipe is.... a tube of old silicone sealant that's gone hard all the way through.

I was going through my tubes of sealant and found one old that wouldn't squeeze - not even a bit, so I cut the end off - and realise it had totally set. I pushed it out of the tube - just to look at what a whole tube of set silicone looks like, as you do, and left in on the side.. and it sat there until I couldn't lay my hands on my rubber cleaner or bit of hose and voila - sanding belt, as clean as you like, and it actually seems to wear less than the rubber crepe cleaner too.


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