Someone allowed the belt to track far off to the left, so far that something caused the belt to fold over onto itself. It then started ripping at its seam.
The belt tracking had been very stable for a long time, but I know I’ve told every single Stationary Sanders class that you have to keep an eye on it. I’m wondering if someone left the belt running for an extended period of time; it would take a long time for damage this extreme to happen.
We may have a spare belt on hand, but replacing the belt isn’t trivial; I don’t know when the woodshop stewards will get to this.
Parts ordering process has started. I need to talk with Laguna support to understand which belt to order. Seems there are two options and I can’t tell which one we have or which one is right.
There is a spare belt in the closet. You could also use a utility knife. Pick a spot close to the fold, turn on conveyor belt on medium speed, press hard with the blade, maintain pressure until you cut all the way around, stop conveyor belt cut across the cutoff part and dispose of the torn belt. Balance the belt. You don’t have to go through Laguna, the belts are readilly available at Amazon and other places. If im in and have time in the next couple of days, I’ll look at it.
From the same page, scrolling down, they have text for “What does XYZ Machine Use?”
What size conveyor belt does a Supermax 25-50 use?
A Supermax 25 uses a 22-3/8" x 47-1/2" feed belt and we make ours using a premium heavy duty backing.
If it doesn’t work, I’ll make sure it gets swapped out for a correct one.
Is not a matter of fitment. The two that were ordered last time would stretch and would not track right. They also tear rather easy on the edges. Maverick’s abrasives cloth backing is more maleable than others. I guess that’s what makes them pressure washable when they get clogged. For the conveyor belt of the drum sander you need it to be stiffer.
Fortunately we have one installed currently. Worst case here we have a few backups on-hand. I’ll keep an eye out for the silicon carbide alternatives for future “primary” backups. If you have any links for this, please send them my way!