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I have the old aluminum 12" disk sander for my Mk V/500. The self-adhesive sanding disks don't stick very well. I tried a stick of disk adhesive, but it made a mess and got all over the tubes after running for a few minutes. Any suggestions for something better?

john_001 wrote:I have the old aluminum 12" disk sander for my Mk V/500. The self-adhesive sanding disks don't stick very well. I tried a stick of disk adhesive, but it made a mess and got all over the tubes after running for a few minutes. Any suggestions for something better?

Did you clean the aluminum disk prior to attempting to attach? Are the sanding disks old? I do not have a similar problem and have several aluminum disks.

I switched to the hook and loop system years ago.
I don't remember the adhesive making a mess, but I do remember having a hard time removing the old adhesive.
Hook and Loop is so convenient.

Heat will re-activate about any contact adhesive. I mostly use a common heat lamp but I have also used a simple blow dryer (everybody should have one of those in their shop, hundreds of uses) Once heated you can scrape any "goo" off of the plate then I use spray carb cleaner to clean it with. A BBQ grill scrubber works well too. A very thin coat of that 3-M spray adhesive on the disk will help the PSA stick better. If you heat the disk (evenly and just warm, not hot) like in an oven and then place it sanding side down on a flat surface like a piece of Masonite laying on a smooth table saw table etc. and evenly weighted until it cools will make it stick well. To change paper just heat again. I have a bunch of sanding disk so I never have to change paper until it wears out.
Somewhere, not found lately, I have a piece of Masonite about 16" long and a little wider than the way tubes that has a couple of simple cleats on the bottom that I have used to protect the way tubes from messy stuff. I don't believe I ever used it with the sanding disk or if it will even clear but I think it will. I have covered the way tubes when using a 8" wire wheel, a buffing wheel or finishing something on a faceplate and a few other "messy" operations.

Laquer thinner also can be used to remove the residue from adhesive.

You can also use a woodworking vise as a clamp to press the sandpaper to the disk, as the pressure from the vise will increase the bond of the sandpaper to the sanding disk. Rotate the disk and reclamp in the vise to apply pressure to the entire surface. This is easier with the steel sanding disks because they are flat. Try a hand screw clamp placed between the ribs on the aluminum disk.

pennview wrote:Laquer thinner also can be used to remove the residue from adhesive.

You can also use a woodworking vise as a clamp to press the sandpaper to the disk, as the pressure from the vise will increase the bond of the sandpaper to the sanding disk. Rotate the disk and reclamp in the vise to apply pressure to the entire surface. This is easier with the steel sanding disks because they are flat. Try a hand screw clamp placed between the ribs on the aluminum disk.

Or put a concrete block on it!;) (paper side down on flat surface, block on top)

You could use this. I would still buy the unglued 6" 3M discs if I could. This stuff works better than the PSA glue and the dry discs were a lot cheaper. A little pass over the disc with a propane torch would always free a troublesome disc, but normally the heat of sanding keeps them peel-able. One application is good for around 10 to 15 discs.

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Paul M

JPG40504 wrote:Are the sanding disks old?

Yes - several years old. Do you think that's the problem? I'm going to try the heating trick suggested by several and see if that "revives" them.