My 1" x 30" Belt Sander is Giving Me Grief

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shikano53
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My 1" x 30" Belt Sander is Giving Me Grief

Post by shikano53 »

I bought it from KMS tools two years ago and besides my lathe; it's the second most important shaping tool in my shop. About 2 months ago it just quit on me. I checked everything I knew to check, various other power outlets, took the switch apart and everything was fine. After about 5 days I finally took it back to where I purchased it and spoke with the sales person who I bought it from. The first thing he did was plug it into an extension cord at the shop and it started up and worked fine. I was kinda surprised because I plugged it into several outlets in my shop to try one last time before I drove to KMS. He shrugged, I shrugged and I took it back home and plugged it back in and it worked fine until today. It stopped again this morning right in the middle of shaping a volcano I'm working on and I've done all the unplugging and plugging into other outlets. Again.
No luck. It wasn't expensive, $90.00 bucks when I bought it new and to send it away would cost me probably weeks of down time and if they found anything it would probably cost more to fix than my original purchase price.
I'm just wondering if anyone else has run into this before and if the solution was something you fixed or troubleshooted on your own.
Thanks.
Chris
dogcatcher
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Re: My 1" x 30" Belt Sander is Giving Me Grief

Post by dogcatcher »

Unplug it, and clean out the switch, you probably just have enough dust in there to screw up the contacts.
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sandahlpipe
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Re: My 1" x 30" Belt Sander is Giving Me Grief

Post by sandahlpipe »

Things I'd check, which you probably already have.

1. Tripped breaker.
2. If your dust extraction is extracting enough dust to keep it out of the motor windings.
3. If there's a safety feature to shut down if the motor gets too hot. I know my motor gets hot to touch after prolonged use.
4. If there's a wire that shorts out the unit once it gets hot. Could be melted sheathing or something similar.
5. If there's anything obstructing the free motion of the belt or disc. Could be a screw got loose somewhere.
6. Any possible safety features that the manufacturer put in the unit that may be documented in the owner's manual, such as fuses or safety contacts.

I've never had this particular issue.
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shikano53
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Re: My 1" x 30" Belt Sander is Giving Me Grief

Post by shikano53 »

Thanks for the comments.
dogcatcher, I tried that, no go.

Sandahlpipe,
There is no fuse or breaker on the machine and I've read through the owner's manual a few times now.
I've blown everything I can with the air hose on my compressor.
I would think if it was belt or wheel the motor would still switch on.

I've tried gently tapping it with my rubber mallet and holding it up about 1 centimeter off the bench and dropping it thinking that something must have moved or shifted when I put it in the trunk and took it to KMS the first time.

I'll have another go using the suggested points to try again.
Thanks all.
dogcatcher
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Re: My 1" x 30" Belt Sander is Giving Me Grief

Post by dogcatcher »

See if you can wire around the switch and see what happens. I would bet money it is the switch, if it isn't, then it is the motor.
shikano53
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Re: My 1" x 30" Belt Sander is Giving Me Grief

Post by shikano53 »

I took the entire thing apart and back together and no go but I agree with your last comment dogcatcher. I'm going to wire around the switch tomorrow and see.
Hoping that's it. I'll let ya know how I make out.
dogcatcher
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Re: My 1" x 30" Belt Sander is Giving Me Grief

Post by dogcatcher »

If it is the switch, get a 20 amp light switch and wire it in the place of the original. On wood lathes the switch is usually the first thing to go bad, on my sander, it was also the switch that died first. You would think some "smart" tool designer would realize that, but so far it is either no smart tool designer or they don't care.
shikano53
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Re: My 1" x 30" Belt Sander is Giving Me Grief

Post by shikano53 »

Dogcatcher you the man! That was exactly what it was. The new switch fit exactly without having to modify anything! Back in business!
Thanks for the heads up! :thumbsup:
dogcatcher
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Re: My 1" x 30" Belt Sander is Giving Me Grief

Post by dogcatcher »

Glad you got it working.
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Ratimus
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Re: My 1" x 30" Belt Sander is Giving Me Grief

Post by Ratimus »

dogcatcher wrote:If it is the switch, get a 20 amp light switch and wire it in the place of the original. On wood lathes the switch is usually the first thing to go bad, on my sander, it was also the switch that died first. You would think some "smart" tool designer would realize that, but so far it is either no smart tool designer or they don't care.
Ryan Richardson
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shikano53
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Re: My 1" x 30" Belt Sander is Giving Me Grief

Post by shikano53 »

Ryan, I think it is also a factor of where the tool is made and the quality of said tool and like you said. I think they can design QUALITY if they choose too, but cheaply made is their collective philosophy and money is the bottom line. Isn't it always? I called Lee Valley Tools one day to ask them where their files etc. were made and was told they are ALL made in China to Lee Valley's specs and tolerances. Tall tale or convenient marketing? I have done a little bit of searching and see that their are some very good lathes made in the USA and other tooling but they are about 9 levels above my pay grade. Perhaps one day.
I think Craftex are good from what I have seen. I took my wood lathe apart when I first got it and sanded and polished all the ways and other parts that I could access.
This guy has some outstanding videos on how to tighten up a metal mini lathe.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7m9L28CQ1s

I don't plan on buying a mini lathe but his information is good and no doubt you could do the same thing to a larger metal lathe. Again I have no experience with a metal lathe so I could be talking through my hat.
caskwith
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Re: My 1" x 30" Belt Sander is Giving Me Grief

Post by caskwith »

There are superb tools made in China, some of the best in the world, however they are not cheap, hence they don't sell many. You get cheap tools because you want them cheap.
dogcatcher
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Re: My 1" x 30" Belt Sander is Giving Me Grief

Post by dogcatcher »

These tools are cheap because some American company bought them to sell to the consumer. Some of the same factories make the same tool for the bigger name brands that make the same tools for Harbor Freight. The Jet 1236 lathe is an example, HF sells the 34706 lathe that is a copy of the Jet 1236. If you need a repair part for a HF 34706, buy it from Jet tools, it will fit and be of a better quality. But new the HF is $400, and the Jet 1236 is $1300. The former also has lower finishing standards and different paint job.
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