How to Reglue Sanding Belts

Sanding belts take a lot of abuse. They get old, and the glue holding them together fails. You don't need to throw them out. If the sanding surface of the belt is still good, you can easily reglue it. All you need is a few common items, and you can have your belt sander or stationary sander up and running in no time.

Things You'll Need

• Hand file, medium teeth
• Wood glue
• 2 wood blocks, approximately 3/4 by 2 by 4 inches
• 2 hand clamps

Instructions

1. Lay the broken belt on a hard flat surface. Find the area where the glue separated on both ends of the belt.

2. File the area where the glue failed. Completely remove any old glue or abrasive until the area looks fresh and roughed up. Do both ends.

3. Smear glue along the roughed-up areas. Place the two ends together as they were before they failed, one end on top of the other end.

4. Place one block on the bottom of the glued area and one block on the top. Place two clamps on the blocks and tighten them as hard as you can with your hands. Let the belt dry for 24 hours before removing the clamps.

Tips & Warnings

• Put a plastic baggie underneath the wood blocks before tightening the clamps to prevent excess glue from sticking to the blocks.

References

• British Blades: Making a Sanding Belt