Busted belt sander (?)

[Jay Bruckner]

I have an old Craftsman belt sander that decided to nearly burn up on me the other day. I figured out that the problem rests in the drive wheel. The rubber part of it is kinda separated from the axle, so that when it runs, the axle spins inside and generates heat instead of turning the belt. Does anyone think it's worth it to try to fix it? Has anyone fixed a belt sander with this problem? Do you think I can get a new drive wheel? The sander is about 35 years old, but it was hardly ever used until I started making cornhole boards. Thanks

[Chip Lindley]

Jay, maybe the wheel can be pinned to the axle through a drilled hole. There are different diameter *roll pins* available at most hardware stores. Some TiteLoc on the axle will help hold it. Epoxy or SuperGlue alone will not work.

Search for your model sander on eBay, and see that they probably don't bring over $20 in working condition. Sears sold LOTS of consumer tools, designed to be used only lightly. Heavier usage shows up as you have found. If this simple fix will not keep the sander running, time to trash it and look for an upgrade!