cleaning sandpaper

Sayer Fancher

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169
Location
Hudson Valley NY
Here's a tip that I have never heard before, maybe you already know of it. I came across this in a magazine of shop tips I received for xmas. Save your corks from wine bottles and use them to clean your sanding disks and belts. Run them across the paper with the machine running as you would a piece of wood. I tried this yesterday, it cleaned the sandpaper just like new. The tip says you can use natural or synthetic cork. Now here's a great reason to open another bottle!
 
Great tip Sayer! :thumb: Hadn't heard that one before. I've got an old stick of gum rubber that I've had for 10 years now, will probably last for at least another 20 if I don't lose it.
 
Nice, I'll have to keep that in mind. I've got some corks stashed in the shop, just because sometimes they come in handy. Good to know there's another use for them!
 
Nice tip, thanks :thumb: I use one of those 'stick of butter' looking rubber thingys Darren's probably talking about....anything beats cleaning, over the skin and knuckles I've tried on many occasions :eek::D


The coc won't let me tell you what the tradespeople call the belt cleaners :eek: But they sure work well.

Great tip on the corks, I'll give it a try :thumb:
 
I just toss it and get new.


That's my deal too, I'd spend more time getting it clean than the paper is actually worth.

I have heard of pressure washing wide belt belts when doing something nasty like pine because it gums up the abrasive so badly. I could see that being worth while when you've basically destroyed a few $80 belts
 
Don and Karl, have you actually used one of the rubber sandpaper cleaners? It takes me less time to clean a partially used sanding disk than it does to replace it. This is particularly true for the 2" and 3" disks I use on the lathe. If I use a disk for a couple of minutes, it's not ready to be thrown away, and if I touch it to the cleaner stick as the sander is coming to a stop, it's ready for use on the next piece. (I also will hit it with a blast from the air hose, since I've got it in hand to blow off the workpiece after each grit, too.)

Don't knock it until you've tried it. ;)
 
I haven't tried cork, but I have used the big eraser looking things and wasn't all that happy with the results. Yeah, it does refresh things a bit, but it's still not cutting the way it should. There is always a point where the money you save from doing something like that is costing you a lot of time. For me costing time is worse as it still cost me money, and makes things less enjoyable.
 
I haven't tried cork, but I have used the big eraser looking things and wasn't all that happy with the results. Yeah, it does refresh things a bit, but it's still not cutting the way it should. There is always a point where the money you save from doing something like that is costing you a lot of time. For me costing time is worse as it still cost me money, and makes things less enjoyable.
I agree with you Carl, I think the grit looses it sharpness after a period of use but some folks do thinks different then others like setting hinges some use a router some do it the old fashion way.
 
I bought a pair of cheap flip-flops at the store for $1, and they work well for cleaning sandpaper. Just make sure they don't slip off your feet while cleaning :D

(Just cut them up into small blocks)
 
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