Installing sandpaper on spindle sander

[Mike Stelts]

After thoroughly cleaning the rubber spindles on an old floor-standing spindle sander, I'm still having trouble getting sandpaper tubes on and off. Has anyone learned a trick for making the rubber spindles smooth and slippery?

[Kevin Jenness]

No, but you could reduce their diameter slightly with a sanding block.

[Mikail Khan]

Place in Freezer to shrink and or use talcum powder as a dry lubricant.

MK

[Mikail Khan]

Tap against a wooden block to slide on.

MK

[Paul F Franklin]

If it's the type where you tighten a nut to squeeze and expand the rubber to hold the sleeve, I usually back off the nut and roll the spindle on a hard surface with a fair amount of pressure to "unsqueeze" the rubber and make it easier to slide the sleeve on or off. I think if you lube the rubber spindle or otherwise make it slippery, it might make the sleeve slip during use.

[Mike Stelts]

Thanks for all the ideas! Last time I changed them, they were snug but not this tight. There's ten of them and the problem gets worse for larger diameters, implying that the larger surface area creates more friction, rather than being too big. I'll try talcum powder, having tried wax and oil with no success. Twisting seems to work better than tapping with a block. I've sanded the ends to make sure they aren't flared and will sand the length if talcum doesn't work. Right now, one is stuck 3/4 on, so I'll throw it in the freezer.

[Jim Becker]

Mike, did you try a different brand of abrasive sleeves by any chance? There could be a minor variation in diameter as a result.

[Mike Stelts]

Jim, I think I'd rather adapt the spindles to the sleeves, because I can get the non-standard sizes at Industrial Abrasives, nearby in Reading, PA.

[Bill Dufour]

Place in Freezer to shrink and or use talcum powder as a dry lubricant.

MK
Rubber expands as it cools. Heat them a little to shrink them. Don't worry most people get this one backwards.
Bill D

[Mike Stelts]

Freezer experiment results: Tight sleeve slid off. Rubber is very tight on the metal spindle. Before, it slid off without much effort.

[Alex Zeller]

I have a Grizzly spindle sander and the rolls that came with it have always gone on hard. I switched to Klingspor ones (I wish they would mark the grit on the inside) and they go on much easier. I assume they are slightly larger in diameter but still work just fine.

[Joe Cowan]

I could not get mine off the first time. I put it in the freezer for 15 minutes and it came off without a hitch. The new one went on easily as well.

[Jonathan Jung]

I keep a small bottle of baby powder next to the machine. A light dusting inside the sanding sleeve before sliding it on keeps the sleeve from sticking, yet still allows for adequate tightening.

Also, only tighten the sleeve as much as needed. It doesn't take much to keep the sleeve from spinning (if it does, normally that's because I'm pushing the material too hard).