Delta BOSS Spindle Sander Drum Removal

[Nick Shepler]

I have a 15 year old Delta BOSS sander that does a fairly decent job but the main problem I have is when it comes to switching between sanding drums. It is a real pain to slide the drums off the spindle. Short of applying a lubricant (silicone, Vaseline, etc.) what are others doing to make the task easier? It would be great to upgrade to something newer but I have yet to research other models yet.

[Mike Chalmers]

I have the same issue with my brand new King Canada Spindle sander. Sometimes, putting the drum on the floor, putting a 3' long board ( 2 x 6 or something like that) on top of it, and then standing on that board, one foot on either side of the drum, and rolling the board back and forth over the drum sometimes work. Freezer works very well, but takes a while.

[Rick Potter]

Talcum powder on shaft. do not put oil on shaft, it may ruin the rubber drums.

Once the drum is off, you could use a strip of fine emery cloth and polish the shaft with the motor on.

[Bruce Page]

Try heating up the sleeve with a hair dryer. It worked for me.

[John Lanciani]

Talcum powder on shaft...

+1. I keep a bottle in my shop just for this reason. (Talc works great for keeping innertubes from sticking to the insides of tires as well)

[Curt Harms]

Touch wood but I haven't had a problem with mine. Talcum powder seems like something worth trying. One thing I try to be careful with is to not go overboard with tightening the bolt, just finger tight plus a little. I puff a little talcum powder in blue nitrile gloves before putting them on. I can usually get them off and reuse them a few times with talcum powder.

[Nick Shepler]

I should clarify my statement regarding removal of sanding drums. What I am actually referring to is the rubber disk or drum from the metal spindle. The sanding sleeves slide off the rubber drums with no problem. I apologize for the confusion.

[Bruce Page]

Nick, try using a hair dryer to expand the rubber drum. It will expand much more than the steel shaft. Wear gloves!