Shopsmith Forums

On the conical disk, if I want to change from one grit paper to another, can you remove the old sandpaper without destroying it to put on the next higher sandpaper. Why is there not a velcro option for the conical. Maybe dumb questions buy I am curious.


Thanks

thebear wrote:On the conical disk, if I want to change from one grit paper to another, can you remove the old sandpaper without destroying it to put on the next higher sandpaper. Why is there not a velcro option for the conical. Maybe dumb questions buy I am curious.


Thanks

Hi bear,
Maybe I am wrong, but I think the only solution is to buy a conical disk for each grit. That is what I have done.

BTW, If you use the conical disk for sharpening your jointer and planer blades (a major use of the conical disk), you wood knot want to use a velcro system anyway!

the instructions that come with the conical disk say that you can reuse the disks. i have not tried it and am very sceptical.

bettyt44720 wrote:the instructions that come with the conical disk say that you can reuse the disks. i have not tried it and am very sceptical.

I can understand that skepticism! It wood be really nice for someone (SS?) to explain just how to do that!!! I have knot had any luck with that and that is why I have 3 conical disks.

Hi,

I tried it once. Never again. When I put the used one back on it came loose along the seam and did this neat fold making it just right to sand my then very new 520 table along the edge. No real damage but now I get to see that all the time reminding me never never again. BTW they do tell you that you can do it and to save the backer paper etc.... I'd say buy a second disk.

Ed

==========================

This has probably been said before, but: At a TA last summer Rick Davis told us the fast & easy way to get sandpaper off the disk. Stick it in the bathtub and run straight hot water over it. Takes about 3 minutes and leaves the disk almost perfectly clean. I doubt you could reuse the paper, but you won't warp the disk.

I HAVE NOT TRIED THIS, BUT, IF "HOT WATER" WORKS, I WOULD THINK A HEAT LAMP WOULD ALSO. IF PAPER IS KEPT DRY IT COULD PROBABLY BE REUSED.
SOMEBODY TRY IT & TELL US IF IT WORKS!!!

My Goodness! I have changed disks several times on my conical disk. From 150 grit to 80 grit and back again with no problems. The disk and paper first needs to be heated to allow the glue to soften.

The direct sunshine on a normal summer day will accomplish the heating in just a few minutes. During winter, I have set the disk (with paper attached) in front (3 feet or so) of my electric radial heater to allow the disk to warm up to the point where it is hot to handle, but cooler than a hot light bulb. The paper comes of fairly easily.

Some folks have reported the use of a hair dryer will also work well.

The trick in both situations is to have the original paper covering of the glue available to quickly place back onto the back of the sandpaper.

Yes, I only own one disk and have no plans to buy another. There have been no problems with warping. I think to warp this disk, with it's conical form and lip, would require a tremendous amount of fast heating in an isolated part of the disk.

Here's the problems I've had during changes of paper:

I have had an issue with the outside diameter of the used disks not sticking well when re-placed. This is because of sawdust contamination of the glue. This problem area is easy to avoid by future sanding away from that outside edge.

One time I did rip an 80 grit paper when removing it. The paper was ripped only part way from the inside. I successfully re-used this paper two more times simply by re applying so the ripped area was glued down firmly.

http://www.shopsmith.net/forums/showthr ... +disk+heat
http://www.shopsmith.net/forums/showthr ... +disk+heat

charlese wrote:My Goodness! I have changed disks several times on my conical disk. From 150 grit to 80 grit and back again with no problems. The disk and paper first needs to be heated to allow the glue to soften.

The direct sunshine on a normal summer day will accomplish the heating in just a few minutes. During winter, I have set the disk (with paper attached) in front (3 feet or so) of my electric radial heater to allow the disk to warm up to the point where it is hot to handle, but cooler than a hot light bulb. The paper comes of fairly easily.

Some folks have reported the use of a hair dryer will also work well.

The trick in both situations is to have the original paper covering of the glue available to quickly place back onto the back of the sandpaper.

Yes, I only own one disk and have no plans to buy another. There have been no problems with warping. I think to warp this disk, with it's conical form and lip, would require a tremendous amount of fast heating in an isolated part of the disk.

Here's the problems I've had during changes of paper:

I have had an issue with the outside diameter of the used disks not sticking well when re-placed. This is because of sawdust contamination of the glue. This problem area is easy to avoid by future sanding away from that outside edge.

One time I did rip an 80 grit paper when removing it. The paper was ripped only part way from the inside. I successfully re-used this paper two more times simply by re applying so the ripped area was glued down firmly.

https://forum.shopsmith.com/viewtopic.php?t=181&highlight=conical+disk+heat
https://forum.shopsmith.com/viewtopic.php?t=1167&page=2&highlight=conical+disk+heat

Hi Chuck!
It looks like you have a workable way to do this that is successful a lot of the time. I carefully read each post of the two threads that you linked to and found zero reference made to REUSING sanding disks that had been previously removed. I agree that using heat helps to remove the old sanding disk and left on adhesive, but as you pointed out, there seems to be problems with reusing them again. Being that I already gave up trying to reuse sanding disks, and I have a seperate conical disk for each of the three grits, I do knot need to switch sanding disks until they are all used up. It was a large initial expense, but it saves me time and I do knot have to be careful when removing an old disk. This works best for me.