New tool, Jet Disc/Belt sander. photos and a few questions

[cody michael]

I just picked this up from a garage, seems to have sat for a little while, I'm getting the rust cleaned off now.

Question there is white crusty buildup on the rollers for the belt sander, what is this? how can I clean it up? does it need cleaned?

where the paint is flaked off, I am assuming it is aluminum underneath, is there any place to get this color of paint that I could touch it up without repaint the whole thing?

I am using a product called evapo-rust and it works great.

I got it for 100$ how did I do?

[George Bokros]

I would say you did good.

[cody michael]

the picture with the liquid is the table before the clean one is the day after. dirty one is the second table

[Edward Oleen]

If I remember correctly, the "white stuff" on the metal is an aluminum salt (see inorganic chemistry book for definition). (The pictures aren't that detailed, even when I blow them up.) It is similar to the corrosion and pitting that occur on "naked" aluminum in a sea-air environment, only that salt is Aluminum Chloride. I don't know what material would be in a garage that would cause this reaction, but it looks as if it has removed metal from the surface. Cleaning it up would reveal a pitted surface. It would be a lathe job to resurface the rollers for the belt sander and the disk sander disk.

Unless, of course, the "white stuff" IS aluminum chloride, which, come to think of it, it just might be...

No matter: the surface is "rusted" in a way, and it would have to be cleaned up in an analogous fashion.

[cody michael]

can I just lightly sand it to clean it? would just running it remove that build up?

[Ronald Blue]

I would just lightly sand it and get it smooth. If there is pitting I don't know why that would hurt anything. Nothing that would need corrected by truing up in a lathe. "Polish" the rollers up and put a belt on and try it. I don't know if you have any belt sander experience such as this but the first time you put a belt on and tension it just jog the start stop button. If the tracking isn't very close it can and will shoot off quickly and can mess your new belt up so proceed cautiosly. You can roll it by hand and get an idea but until you power it up you won't know for sure. By the way all in all I think you did great for $100. That being said YOU SUCK!!!

[HANK METZ]

The parts are interchangeable with Grizzly sanders, I had a unit from H.F. and their parts were a direct replacement, made in Taiwan. A new table like yours was about $100 so I just made a plywood substitute, it works well enough. I paid $50 for mine, but spent that much again for repair parts, so we both won big on this tool type.

[cody michael]

I would just lightly sand it and get it smooth. If there is pitting I don't know why that would hurt anything. Nothing that would need corrected by truing up in a lathe. "Polish" the rollers up and put a belt on and try it. I don't know if you have any belt sander experience such as this but the first time you put a belt on and tension it just jog the start stop button. If the tracking isn't very close it can and will shoot off quickly and can mess your new belt up so proceed cautiosly. You can roll it by hand and get an idea but until you power it up you won't know for sure. By the way all in all I think you did great for $100. That being said YOU SUCK!!!

I had a craftsman little bench top sander. Same basic idea, and that is a good tip about the belt. I will definitely be doing that, check by hand then tap on off.

I went to the garage sale and the guy had quite a few nice woodworking tools jointer, lathe etc but I already had comparable or better he had 200$ on it I offered 100 and he took it. I'm glad he went done. The tables should he great now that they went through evapo-rust, the one looks great second one is soaking now I will go finish it shortly, then I need to soak the metal plate that goes behind the belt and put that in to soak then put it back together and put on the new sand paper.

[cody michael]

I started taking it apart to clean up tables etc, and got a little crazy, it is now completely disassembled and getting painted (rustoleum blue I had it from clearance deal)297423297424

the white on the aluminum seemed to come off quite easily, with 320 grit sand paper

[cody michael]

297478

they are looking very nice, can't wait to get it back together

[Ronald Blue]

Looking Good!

[cody michael]

Looking Good!

Thanks, I always thought it was very cool seeing people do restorations this one so far has been very easy. as long as I can figure out how to put it back together, lol. I wasn't planning on taking it all apart when I started so I didn't label stuff. but there are not that many pieces.

[Rick Potter]

It's going to look great, and you will be proud of it when done. Careful, it's a slippery slope.

Rick P

[cody michael]

It's going to look great, and you will be proud of it when done. Careful, it's a slippery slope.

Rick P

i know, I'm always browsing craigslist for an upgrade. I almost finished putting it together, it needs a few touch ups but looks way better

[Rick Potter]

It's not good to lay it on its side like that :D