Cleaning Wide Sander Belts

Tips for de-gumming sanding belts. August 8, 2005

Question
I am wondering what the best way to clean wide belt sanders is. I was told that using rubber sticks would dull the grit. If you wash them, what do you put them in? Do you put them in a large pipe and soak them, or just spray a cleaner on then wash with a high pressure sprayer? Any help is appreciated.

Forum Responses
(Cabinetmaking Forum)
From contributor G:
I used to use a purple solvent which I believe was called nu-grit. We did a knotty pine project and the belts were loading right up. We would spray the nu-grit on the belt, let it set up, and scrub it with a brush and let it dry and then we were back in business.

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From contributor J:
Isopropyl alcohol will do exactly the same thing as any commercially available cleaner.

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From contributor L:
My buddy takes his to the coin operated carwash, soaks them with Fantastic or 409 and then sprays them off. They look brand new when he's done.

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From contributor M:
For our cloth backed belts we use Simple Green. Spray it on, let set for a minute or two, and use a scrub brush. It will peel off even the worst burn line. Be very careful if you are using a paper belt though, it might cause delaminating.