Shopsmith Forums

I needed to change my sanding disc today and still remember the last time I fought the beast. I decided to try an old trick that is commonly used in shops to peel laminate from a substrate. Usually when you screw up!



I started with my heat gun to get it started. Now to be perfectly clear I did not use the heat gun after starting with the thinner. Lacquer thinner is highly flammable and you could ignite it easily with a heat gun.







I could tell it was going to be a gooey mess.






I filled a small bottle with lacquer thinner and placed a board and paper towels to protect the rails. Squeezing a little thinner while pulling at the disc goes a long way. I used less than an ounce of thinner for the entire thing.




It peeled off pretty quickly with this method.















With the disc removed the residue cleaned off pretty easily because it was already soften by the thinner.






New disc in place in 2 minuets even taking the pictures. A lot easier than last time with the heat gun alone.

Now to be perfectly clear I did not use the heat gun after starting with the thinner. Lacquer thinner is highly flammable and you could ignite it easily with a heat gun.

Some time ago I bought some used sanding discs with sandpaper that had been virtually seized on them for years.

Mom had a cake in the oven, so that was out. Looking across the yard I saw my BBQ Grill, flat black and in full sun in the Texas summer. You know how hot your car can get in full sun, so the flat black grill is like that on steroids.

I laid down some of the discs on the grate and closed the lid. About 20 minutes later I went over, with a glove, picking up one disc after another and the old sandpaper came off like butter.

No cost, no fuel, no solvents - totally green solution. Yes, later I just laid them face down on the sidewalk with the back side of the disc in full sun. Worked perfectly on mine.

I have never tried an older aluminum disc, but I suspect it would work.

I don't change sandpaper often, using multiple discs, one for each grit.

Everett