Wide sanding belts are belts with minimum width of 457 mm.
It is recommended to hang sanding belts for a period of one or two days before use when they should be checked for possible faults.
Special attention should be paid to humidity, dust, feed speed, metal and other particles in the wood and other factors which can significantly shorthen the lifetime of the abrasive. By doing so, you can easily prevent most of the problems with sanding belts.
In case you're still having problems with your sanding belts, we are listing couple of most common problems and their solutions.
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PROBLEM
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CAUSE
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SOLUTION
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Chatter marks and impact marks
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Contact rolls not running true; faulty belt joints.
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Examine the contact rolls and belt joints.
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Longitudinal stripes
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Damage of the graphite layers, unequal density of the workpiece material, uneven wear of the belt caused by placing smaller workpieces in the same track, felt exposed to burning due to the frictional heat which causes hardening.
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Fix the malfunctions on the tools.
Replace the belt.
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Needle stripes
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Damage to the abrasive grain from mineral or metal particles entrapped in the material. or premature contact of pressure bars on the workpiece.
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Replace the belt.
Adjust pressure bars.
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Burn tracks
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Partial clogging of the sanding belts caused by remains of the glue on the wood surface, incomplete condensation of glues in chipboards, resin gall and oil-content or moisture in the wood.
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Replace the belt.
Use anti-static sanding belts.
Prevention: use exclusivelys workpiece material that has completely hardened glues and woods with low moisture contentand ensure good removal of the sanding dust.
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Belt fracture transverse to running direction
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Excessive belt tension, splits in chipboards, inadequate joints in sanding belts, use of damaged sanding belts (wrong handling).
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Check and correct machine settings.
Poper storage of the sanding belts.
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Creasing
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The sanding belt oscillation is set too fast and/or too jerky.
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The belt slide distance should be between 15 and 20 mm and the change in direction should be jerk-free.
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Cracks
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Careless mounting on the machine.
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Cracks witha a length of less than 15 mm should be cut to a round shape with a pair of scissors or a knife. If the cracks are longer than 15 mm, the sanding belt should be replaced.
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Belt run-off
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Taper in the sanding belt (i.e. the edge lengths are different), wrong storage conditions, faults in manufacture.
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Proper storage of the sanding belts.
Adjust the oscillator.
Increase belt tension.
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