Repair of a Delta Belt Sander

by atenea

38K1318

Intro: Repair of a Delta Belt Sander

We got a broken delta belt sander. We didn't know what the problem was, but after gathering the right tools and a bit of part searching and ordering, we could get the replacement parts. Then, after few hours of diagnosis and labor, we were able to get the belt sander up and running again!

Here is how we fixed it.

STEP 1: Tools

To be able to get started, you'll need the following tools:

- Screw drivers ( 3 standard sizes).
- A hammer.
- Set of allen keys (different sizes).
- Thin wire.


STEP 2: Diagnostic

- First we inspected the power cable. Because the cable was in a good condition, we decided to connect the sander to the power.

- - Once powered, we were able to diagnose that sander belt was not turning but the engine was working fine. The motor seamed to have no load; it was spinning but nothing else happened.

- We decided to open the machine.

- While unscrewing for opening the cover, we realized that one screw was missing. We used an screw of the same size from the robotic life tool box.

STEP 3: Opening and Identification of Missing/broken Parts

- To open the belt sander, we turned the machine upside-down and took the cover off.

- Once opened, we suspected that there was something wrong between the motor and the sander belt. However, we couldn't identify right away which pieces were broken.

- We inspected the motor axis with a wire, trying to pull off the loose pieces. Though we were able to identify which pieces were out of place (rubber belt and motor axis cap), we couldn't take them out.


STEP 4: Moving the Motor

After the unsuccessful attempt to taking the pieces out using the wire, we determined that we needed to move the motor outside its protective cover. To do that, it was necessary to unscrew the disk that rotates over the machine's horizontal axis.

STEP 5: How Could the Wheel Be Taken Off?

Also, we struggled to understand how the wheel could be taken off. We found that it could be unscrewed from the inside. This allowed us to see that the rubber belt was not fixed properly and that another plastic part (motor axis cap) was not properly attached to the wheel.


STEP 6: Fidding the Appropriate Rubber Belt

Once we took the loose parts out, we identified that the drive belt was shot.

We did an online search for the sander "model number" and "drive belt" or "rubber belt" or "sander replacement parts". However, we didn't find an exact mach with our model.

Then, we looked at the "rubber belt" specification numbers and realized that it has a standard specification which can be obtained from various online vendors.

Hence, after counting the number of marks on the rubber belt (80), we were able to find the vendors:

McMaster:
http://www.mcmaster.com/#6484k126/=3vj5wp

MikesTools:
http://www.mikestools.com/1347220-Delta-Drive-Belt-for-31-460-SA446-4-Belt-6-Disk-Sander.aspx

STEP 7: Installing the New Rubbert Belt

Once the rubber belt arrived, we could try it out on the sander - it worked great!

The pulley was a bit loose so we used an old trick and put paper between the motor shaft
and the pulley.

The pictures below depict the steps for setting up the new belt:

1. (p. 0185):
Old belt vs. New belt. Notice the lack of teeth of the old belt.

2. (p. 0188):
Install plastic pulley on motor shaft. Used paper on shaft to increase
friction fit. Rubber hammer was used to install the pulley

3. (p. 0186, 0187):
Install belt and tighten tension bolt with adjustable wrench.

STEP 8: Working Like a Charm!

Once the rubber belt was intalled, we were able to rebuild the sander. It worked like a charm!! :-))

Hope this helps other people!

Ryan, Jerome, Selene, and Ned

14 Comments

pierrePiper 2 years ago

thanks for the paper inside the drive gear trick, it worked for me. I was going to either grind a groove in it and in the shaft and use a pin, or weld the thing. even if it wears out after a while, easy to redo.

bobzjr 10 years ago

THANK YOU for posting this helpful instructable. I have the same Delta sander.

Any advice on removing the aluminum disc? Mine is stuck!
I'm very familiar with the set screw accessible via the top with a hex key. I have taken it out completely and replaced back into position multiple times. With limited view and access, it's much like Arthroscopic Surgery!

As I cannot remove the disc, I also am unable to remove the black plastic housing which is positioned behind the disc. In order to check out the belt, I had to improvise and made my own new "access hole". I riveted part of CD to use as my pivoting cover. Actually very functional.

I was able to see that my belt is worn strangely. If you think of the ridges as running horizontally, I see that the left 50% of ridge is about completely worn away. The right side still looks OK. The belt has come off FREQUENLTY. I'm able to get the existing belt back on properly. But - I'm guessing a new belt will certainly help.

Unfortunately, I'm not sure I can replace the belt without getting access behind the black plastic cover. Any suggestions on how to get the aluminum disc off? Would you have any suggestions? I've put a couple pictures here to illustrate...

DarkWings 3 years ago

I just posted quick instructions on how to make a simple disk puller. I don't know of you get notified when replies are posted, but if so, the instructions are on this thread.

bobzjr 10 years ago

I finally figured out how remove the stuck "aluminum sanding plate". After peeling off the sandpaper disc, I noticed 3 holes visible from the outside. I hacked together a custom "gear puller" and it worked! See photo here. Also, I plan to put up some detailed notes in a separate instructable. You can find it by looking for: "How to Remove a Stuck Disc Sander Disc".

gfhull 4 years ago

i have picked up one of these but the wiring had been ripped apart by previous owner, could someone post a wiring diagram?

DarkWings 3 years ago

Easy way to remove the aluminum disk: Make a disk puller.

Take a piece of 1/8" - 3/16"Th aluminum or 1/2" - 3*4" Th wood, about 1" Wide and 2-3" Long. You can use steel instead of aluminum, but aluminum is just a lot easier to work with.

If building with Aluminum, drill & tap for a 1/4-20 bolt in the center.

If building with wood, drill a hole in the center to accept a 1/4-20 threaded insert or T-nut, and install same.

On either side of the center hole, spaced to match the threaded holes in the aluminum disk on either side of the shaft - I forget what size/thread they are. They can be a little on the large side, as long as you can get two bolts through and threaded into the aluminum disk.

To use: Remove the abrasive disk to expose the aluminum. LOOSEN THE SET SCREW holding the disk. This can be tricky to find on the back side of the disk, and you need a very long Allen wrench to do it. Handy Hint for the future - mark the location of the set screw on the edge of the disk with permanent marker so you can find it more easily.
Thread bolts (machine screws) of the appropriate size into the aluminum disk on either side of the center hole to attach the disk puller to the disk. Thread a 1/4-20 bolt through the threaded hole/insert/T-nut so it contacts the shaft on which the disk sits. Once you make contact, take a wrench and keep turning it in. This will slowly,evenly pull the disk off the axle.

If the T-nut is forced out of the tool, you mounted the tool backwards - the plate of the T-nut should face the disk.

I guess I'd better write an Instructable about this... I want to build a new one anyway.

SirBrittanicvs 7 years ago

Just got mine tuned up and put a new drive belt on there. Everything was working fine until I put the plastic guard and disc plate back on- it became evident that the drive belt was slipping off the gear and cutting into the guard.

Am I to understand that this is similar to the tracking of the sanding belt? In that it's a balancing act to keep the belt in the right place? Or am I missing something? Taking the plate off is a real pain in the ass, so I'd like to know what I'm doing before I go any further.

amclaussen 7 years ago

Somebody can help me?

Mine is a Sears 6" disc x 4" Belt sander that started to fail to keep the belt on the rollers: If I install the belt centered the rollers, it takes about 20 seconds for the belt to start "walking" towards either the front or the rear of the machine, regardless of the adjustement of the right side roller (if I turn the knob to one side, initially it tends to stop the belt running out of position, but makes it slowly start to go to the other side, so that I'm never able to keep it running centered. This problem was not present when the sander was new, and it behaved OK for three years, and then started acting. Any suggestions? Amclaussen (amarquezclaussen at Hotmail.com)

Kevanf1 9 years ago

Nice instructable :) Sadly this one doesn't help me. I have a similar belt and disk sander. It is marketed by a company called Clarke here in the UK but it is also very similar to one with the 'Titan' name also. With mine the motor has burnt out completely :( A new motor is £75 (roughly $130 to $140US dollars). To get the motor fixed is around £150. Way over the top in both cases. So I'm looking at adapting another motor to put in its place. Has anybody ever done this with this style of sander?

Oberoten 12 years ago

Hello, Im in need of assistance, Im about to buy a second handed belt sander, exact same model, only thing is, the rubber belt is missing, but the motor seems to work just fine, if you could only send me more info on the rubber belt, like measure length and wide it would help me a lot with my decision. Thanks, by the way, Nice instructable, very detailed.

finbar galdeep 12 years ago

i have that exact same belt sander. it was making a squeaking noise and the engine did not run smooth, so i opened it up an had to loosen some of the screws with some liquid wrench. i discovered the problem was that the disc was loose so i secured it. then when i ran it again it did not squeak but it was still rough sounding. then it stated smoking, and slightly caught on fire. now it does not run but when turned on it makes a buzzing sound. i think it probably short circuited because of the oil, and burnt out the motor. do you think it would be possible to replace the motor?

AshoftheDark 13 years ago

Absolutely. A wonderful instructable. Thank you for taking me through all the steps. I had a similar problem with a Ryobi sander, and the drive belt was the problem. I wouldn't have even known what to look for had I not seen this. So I wanted to thank you for saving me $60 in repair shop costs. :)

anti_dolph 13 years ago

Hi could you post a picture of the "drive wheel", the part that is in contact whit the sandpaper belt and makes it spin around, cause i am planing to build a home made belt sander and was wondering which shape and textured it had and hoped you might have a picture of it. Anti_dolph