Drum sander poped spring

Bill McQueen

Member
Messages
140
Location
Lincoln AR
I have a Jet 10x20 I went to change the sandpaper on the drum and ran into a problem.

I was using the strange tool they give you with this unit prying the clip up to slip the end of the sandpaper in and I heard a pop.

I looked and started moving things around and noticed part of the clip mechanism was kind of just flooping around. There is a small spring on the shaft of this flat lever.

It looks like it slipped out and where it should be under the bottom part of the clip it is now on the top causing the flat lever not to have any tension. I have tried several times to push it back under without success.

I noticed that there is a small phillps head screw right by the clip on the drum. It looks like it might hold the clip to the drum. I tried to loosen it but it seems to have a nut on the other side.

Has anyone experience this? This may be clear as mud. I was just wondering if I was looking at a tear down.
 
Mine's older than yours - a Performax made just before Jet bought them out. I'm guessing Jet hasn't made many - if any - changes, though.

There is indeed a nut on the back side of that clamp. I can see, and just barely, touch it on the outer clamp, but not on the motor side. The parts breakdown (#90 on mine) shows it as a 6-32 X 3/8" flathead machine screw. Since it's such a common size, you might be able to drill the head off the screw to remove the clamp, but getting it back on is gonna be a trick no matter how you do it.

I can scan the parts breakdown picture if you need one, and email it to you in jpg format. Email me if you need it. Have you checked Jet's website? They might have a parts breakdown picture there, too.
 
I don't have Jet's drum sander; but found their support to be very good for a problem I had with their band saw. May be worth a try getting them on the phone.
 
Here's a link to the Manual.

As to the tool to "make it easier" to work that clamp, I found it was easier to just stick my finger in the end of the drum to operate the clamp.
 
Here's a link to the Manual...

That's the same manual I have for the Performax. Looks like Jet only changed the telephone numbers and contact info when they took it over. Unfortunately, the manual doesn't cover machine disassembly, but getting to that part will be more a physical problem than a technical one anyway.
 
Well boys I took it off by bending a 6mm wrench, it wasn't an exact fix but enought to jam it so I could take it off. Turns out more than the spring came loose, the shaft had broken off on one side.

It's just an aluminum shaft that goes through bracket and then is peened on both sides. Your right about trying to put it back on, I'd have to super glue the nut to my finger!

I did what was suggested and called Amazon they keep appogizing for the trouble I was having (unusal) and said they would send a new one out and ungrade the shipping. Another strange thing, I couldn't read the ser #. My friend tried to read it too, it seems like it wasn't stamped deep enough.

That almost proved to be a problem but Amazon let it go, I wouldn't have been able to send in the warrantee card so that would have been another problem.

Anyway thank's for your imput it helped a lot.

PS Any suggestions on how to get the slack out when putting on a new belt.
 
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I have a Perfomax 16-32. It replaced a 22-44 that I foolishly sold. I made a hook to grab the spring loaded clip thingie. It is nothing more than the very longest nail I could find with a half an inch of the the end bent over 90 degrees. I cut a 4" piece of large dowel, drilled a hole perpendicular through it, insert the nail and then bent of the end in a vise. The dowel makes a nice handle and I can hang on longer. Wrap the paper on the drum as snuggly as you can. With the hook, pull up the spring thingie as far as it will go, insert the paper end and let the spring take up the paper.

I used to get the paper tearing at the end of the drum as well. Properly tensioned it doesn't seem to do that. To get some use out of torn paper, I used fiberglass reinforced packing tape on the ends and re-inserted them. Remember that you won't have the full width of drum and you are good to go. I am out of the tape and can't find any more. So I had to learn how not to tear the paper. :)
 
....I used fiberglass reinforced packing tape on the ends .... I am out of the tape and can't find any more. So I had to learn how not to tear the paper. :)

Carol, I was going to be a hero and find some (and get a reserve stock for my drum sander that requires it). I Googled "filament tape" (which is what it was called years ago, and maybe still today) and found MANY sources, including Office Depot, Staples, etc.
 
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