Harbor Freight Belt and Disc Sander Mods

[@x3seriesx]

Dialogue would make this video 100x better for us DIYers

[@splinejunky]

Graphite sheeting on the sanding bed help reduce heat transfer .

[@randomactsofmakingstuff5881]

I purchased one of these a few months ago. Very sluggish on start up. Motor ran slow and bogged down easy. Took it back and exchanged for another. Runs much better. Changed the belt to a segmented belt and runs really smooth now. Plenty of power for my hobby builds. Thanks.

[@fishman2951]

Hey Random, mine (also the 2nd, has done same thing since new. Where did you get segmented belt? Thanks.

[@randomactsofcooking]

@@fishman2951 It's been too long and I don't remember but likely Amazon.

[@randellrude6065]

Agreed nice work. I wish you would have done without the music and explained some of the steps you were taking while rebuilding this.

[@alexsaveragegarage7188]

Thanks Randell, I'll do commentary in my future videos. And yeah I agree the music is a bit much

[@marcusgreen3398]

@@alexsaveragegarage7188 Any chance that you could (or have already) go back and overlay commentary explaining the problem and how your work helped? I am new to working with a belt sander and any information would help. Interesting video but somewhat confusing to me. Thanks for posting.

[@coleyounger4060]

love the music

[@justinshields4216]

Used $2500 in tools and 4 hrs shop labor to fix a 50 dollar sander.. 😆🤣 good work tho on doing it right!

[@ats440you]

Why not just get a commercial quality grinder in the first place and skip all the work.

[@wayneblalock87]

I must have gotten lucky with my purchase, worked just fine out of the box. I missed the point here, thanks for sharing the tear down.

[@pcrengnr1]

Mine shakes itself to pieces. So, when I see the motor pulley wobbling and he turned the sanding belt roller I can relate.

[@jeremynance2]

I need this done to mine it's way out of round and balance lol

[@ericwilliams538]

I guess that getting a good one is hit or miss!!?? That would be quality control at the factory. I have all so seen where a lot of these Sanders are simply rebranded as other brands too??

[@pcrengnr1]

This unit doesn't have much starting torque so you do have to adjust the belt just right. Mine shakes itself to pieces. So, when I see his motor pulley wobbling and him turning the sanding belt roller I can relate. One day I"ll teat into mine and true up the rotating parts. I've heard it said that Chinese products are more or less kits that require the buyer to finish the kit. All in all, it does work out of the box and does a good job. Refinements to make it a smooth performer is kinda worth the time. You'll have to decide.

[@bks6909]

Too much work when you could have just moved the motor and adjusted the belt.

[@jackpshannonsr.1838]

So correct.. But still cool to watch.m

[@pr0faker]

moving the motor hardly changes the fact those pulleys are way off or changed the fact these come with the most shitty drivebelts in the world. I think he should also have changed the platen behind the belt because if its the same as the carbon copy grinder I have from einhell, thats not flat by a long shot and needs a real flat surface to even be able to grind decent straight edges.

[@chode.chotchney]

If the pullys are different there is a littlen threaded rod at the back you can just take a clamp and pull the motor toward it tighten the shit out of that belt as much as you need

[@MarshmallowVogt]

now i just need to buy a lathe

[@bryanbreton1188]

Allot of that is not heavy duty work. Maybe just a corded drill in a bench vise and allot of time with a vile and sand paper.

[@Theorbit10]

The best thing I have found to make this sander better is to change the drive pulley to a 3". I used a 3" Chicago diecast pulley and drilled the arbor hole from a 1/2" to 9/16" to fit the motor shaft size. It doubles the speed. Some people use a 3 1/2" pulley but that is a bit too much for the motor. If you change to the 3" pulley you will need a 3L - 230 V belt.

[@RJB_FixinStuff]

Great video! I through mine after I read nothing was concentric or parallel! Even the sanding belt pulleys had to be turned and crowned! What a mess! But after installing some American made bearings and reassembling its much smoother and stable!

[@opinionated6034]

The sanding belt would stay on track better if you had not turned the crown of the pulleys. Turning them true was a good thing but always turn flat pulleys with a slight crown in the center. But otherwise nice job

[@-AnEv942]

Another reason lathe handy. Just picked up another 4x36 sander, motor pulley wobbles horrendously. Trying to align pulleys with straight edge, rotate 180° and its 1/4" off.... like hole bored with a hand drill.

[@itsmemckee2110]

I bought one of these and put a 4' pully on it. That thing flies!

[@miniprepper4270]

Umm your belt was to tight all you had to do was move the motor and it would have fixed it

[@Quantiples]

Thanks, you’ve just convinced me to upgrade to the Jet brand

[@coleyounger4060]

Jet is junk

[@Quantiples]

@@coleyounger4060 useless reply. Provide some explanation or don’t leave a comment. I have several Jet machines (planer, spindle sander, drill press) and don’t feel they are less quality than other brands I have (Laguna, Grizzly, SawStop, etc). I’ve been using them for years with only regular maintenance. The boards get planed flat, the holes are drilled straight and the spindle sander has plenty of power.

[@coleyounger4060]

@@Quantiples like I say overpriced junk

[@Quantiples]

@@coleyounger4060 thank you for your valuable contribution to the youtube community.

[@Harrzack]

wOW - that look like almost a rebuild - not just a 'mod'! Nice work

[@xMrBlack]

I'm thinking if you can afford a lathe, you can probably afford a better sander. And in reality, the belt isn't the issue with these, it's the sackless motor.

[@donaldtrump2078]

well this kind of makes buying a more expensive one a no brainer!

[@coleyounger7229]

maybe be a no brainer for those with no skills or the knowledge

[@dylanniles3965]

@@coleyounger7229 or a lathe

[@KLP99]

A no-brainer for anyone who can afford whatever he wants. Those of us who can't, well, this was very educational. Add this to another one (kzbin.info/www/bejne/o4ubqpiLrdWJfKc) where the channel owner shows how to adjust the tension on the belt by moving the motor, then you can make this as solid and workable as possible.

[@luckydubeinrc5165]

mine the belt to wide as well, just let it run and sanded the belt down, it worked. The rollers were a bit out of centre a re machine like Alex done. The motor still get very hot in 25 minutes time, untouchable... cant do nothing but buy more expensive one i suppose. Over all ok for diy small jobs. Changed the roller bearings after about a year..but i did use it a lot on small projects, so no complains.

[@cri8tor]

Nice work and thank you for taking the time to record, edit and share your work with all of us who appreciate your effort. Cheers brother

[@jasonlangmead8418]

Hmmmm , mine works just fine . No bogging down unless you get goofy with it . I did get a longer screw for the angle fence on the table so it would actually lock in place .

[@adamtesta5800]

What does lathing those black rollers do for the belt sander? Improve power somehow?

[@trapperbill4962]

I just replaced a 25 year old Delta sander of the same size with the same HF as your showing and straight from the box and not the first problem I use them pretty hard on metal parts and doe's just fine but for the work you put into that one I would have used the warranty.

[@ChristopherSalisburySalz]

A lot of these belts are really stiff when you first buy the machine especially if it's cold outside. My drill press was just like this. It wouldn't even start turning without me helping it start. I just got it going and let it run for like 30 minutes and it loosened up and worked fine after that.

[@wartlme]

I had to cut flat metal and weld it inside of the belt sander part. The weld broke and the metal was weak at the end of the tracking wheel.

[@NUKERR555]

I have one but i dont use the belt because it always slides off. i use the side adhesive disk

[@TheCash500]

Can I just replace with a better quality belt to make this thing work properly and motor not bog down while sanding?

[@tonywalker8030]

Could you upgrade the motor ? They got a 2 hp at harbor freight.

[@NBGTFO]

It would be nice to know what the hell you're doing and why.

[@gordonjones1516]

Really like the end footage. Much improved.

[@alexsaveragegarage7188]

Thanks Gordon, Much appreciated

[@number1dutchkid]

Alex, is there a way to modify this model to SLOW down the overall speed? I bought it to use on small pieces. I have switched out the sand paper to a higher grit. The pieces still become flying objects.

[@jeremynance2]

Dang I just bought this and it almost hops off the bench top ☹️ wish I had the capabilitys you have amazing work 👍😁

[@rayadelic4327]

I was given one, the roller had cracked I’d advise not to turn down the roller the wall is to thin and an undersized roller will cause drag. I turned a roller from red gum made it 5/16” larger and machined a bore to accomodate 35mm oversized bearings. I replaced the tension spring using a valve spring and adjusted the travel to use a longer belt, I’ll be changing the motor next to 1/2 HP

[@codystillman1181]

Yeah I put a bigger motor on mine helped alot

[@chadparker8198]

I’m just curious as to how many people own this $90 machine and can go to their $3000 lathe to make adjustments. Imagine if someone had an issue with a 1982 Corolla and put it on a hydraulic lift to inspect for leaks.

[@rchydrozz751]

Trimming too much off of those black plastic arbors for the belt, in making them smaller, can cause the inside of the sanding belt to drag on the sander.

[@daviddaddy]

Awesome Video and Fix Bro! So i want to buy the same sander but dont have a lathe to repair it, could you think of any alternatives to fix it ? How much would you charge me to fix mine? Ill pay shipping both ways plus labor fees lol. Thanks again for Sharing, hope you have a Blessed day.

[@nunyabizznuss8463]

Thought you were gonna say something then the loud-ass annoying music starts!

[@davidkozelsky]

Great skills!

[@junksprite7130]

Are harbor freight belt sanders that bad? I'm thinking twice about a future purchase...

[@oldtimeycabins]

Morons galore on these comments- you did a good job and anyone with a mechanical mind understands this video.

[@badtolz2122]

How remove metal dsic?

[@3dtexan890]

Cut the music and TELL us what you are doing.

[@stringbender247]

Without the music and explain steps and this would be 100 times better. Sorry Randell Rude beat me to that but yeah I agree

[@WesleyVantHull]

Great video 📹

[@colemahaney4208]

I use mine just as it came out of the box withy no problems

[@73superglide62]

He loves HF scrap

[@reneemills-mistretta790]

I wish people would stop using music in demo's.

[@martymorgan9977]

Never, never use a rag on a lathe. Paper towel, yes, not a rag. Good way to amputate fingers, break bones and hurt like hell. I have seen it, nasty!

[@scoutdogfsr]

No Kevlar/cut resistant gloves too. Saw that one. Stripped the skin off the back of the hand after his hand went around the drill chuck a time or two.

[@muhammadfadhil4821]

just bought similar sander

[@kennethlowe6337]

Great video now all I have to do is buy a lathe to fix this POS

[@blender_unleashed]

>has a lathe >modifies a 60 dollar belt sander instead of just buying a bigger one

[@Rfster900]

Great tips on improving that sander. Thanks. You also win the prize for most annoying sound track on KZbin. Please find something else, or just use no sound at all. My ears hurt.

[@METALMUNCHERS77]

Don’t see the difference because you did the belt tension or differnt

[@theflickman]

I was interested until the music came in.

[@keltecshooter]

I love how folks take machinist equipment worth tens of thousands of dollars to upgrade a 150 dollar tool

[@dp91c]

I feel like you got a really crappy one from the factory. I have the same sander that I've used for 8+ years and it's ran like the end of your video from the day I bought it. The only thing I have done is remove the disk sand from the side. If sand everything from hardwood to bolt heads and washers without a problem. I would have just taken that thing back. I mean good work, maybe I just lucked out.

[@roguerebel2023]

It's sad that you have to do a full tear down restoration on a brand new machine to get it to work right! Nice work you did though.

[@SharpestBulbs]

It's sad how little the bug people have to do to make their tools and equipment they manufacture better.

[@MrGeroth]

You don’t have very many diy skills. Hit and miss at best.

[@robertlangley258]

Ah, hell no, had to quit watching halfway thru,. Who the hell is going to do all that work for an $80 Machine. Put another $80 with it and get a better quality machine. Unless you just like to tinker like this guy.

[@alexsaveragegarage7188]

I enjoy tinkering/making things better.

[@ChristopherPayneMUA]

Why on earth would you do this as a silent video with no voiceover or text telling viewers what you're doing??

[@Hawkermkii]

So basically the sander is junk unless you have a machine shop and several hours of time to modify it.

[@robertjames-life4768]

On better tools you don’t need a machine shop to get get your new tool purchases to run correctly. Lol These things are the classic “you get what you paid for” scenarios. That said I got enough use use out of mine for what I paid for it but I’m ready for something better.

[@SABjork]

Great video, crappy music. Can you remove the music as easy as moding the sander?

[@coleyounger7229]

Great music

[@ilaadmo2812]

You don no to speaka da engalish my fren, speak so people can under stand what the unnecessary work you've done to the belt/disc grinder just because you have a lathe, what would've you done without the lathe

[@robert5]

you did not mod it you fixed it. Should have just taken it back to the store and got another one that did not have those problems. Of course, if you ordered it and could not just take it back easily.... I get it. I just bought one off CL for 21 bucks. It works but the side disc sander wobbles like a drunken hooker. I'll have to pull it off, bore it out on my lathe, make a bushing and then it will work a bit better. It will still be an under powered piece of junk only good for occasiona light use, but that will do me. If I'd paid full price for this piece of crap I'd be pissed. 21 bucks was 10 bucks more then it was worth...

[@ClellWise]

I mean come on...everybody that has one of these(which I do)knows what you're getting. It's from Harbor Freight which means made in China,mass produced and made to sell so cheaply that the hobbyist believes it's a fantastic deal. I guess I got REALLY lucky mine seems to work fine for what I use it for and worked well right out of the box. I have it clamped to a table so it doesn't vibrate badly. It will never perform like a $500. piece of equipment. If that's what you're looking for buy another brand

[@chrisapattee]

Yep, audio explanation would have made this a good video. I dont think it was good for anyone.

[@samalverio3157]

Buy Diablo belts and disc they Outlast any other brands.do it u won't regret it.no more packages of harbor freight belts the suck.duablo belts are available at Lowe's and home Depot they are the red ones.you won't regret it.u think u are getting a deal by buying a pack of harbor freight..no way Diablo is the belt

[@socalskateboards254]

Harbor Freight Tool... Central Machinery... A sander that's barely alive... Gentlemen, we can rebuilt it... We have the technology... It will be better than it was before. Better! Stronger! Faster!.... The Six Million Sander! Heck, I've had mine for 3 years, as is and keeps on jugging. Okay. Weaker. Slower. Forty Nine. Ninety Nine.

[@SAXONWARLORD1000AD]

HOW ABOUT ACTUALLY SPEAKING AND GET RID OF THE ''MUSIC'' - Can someone tell me what this was about as i couldnt watch it - too annoying

[@hidenrage]

to fix a $50 sander, you need a $300 lathe? pointless video. just tune the HF sander or buy a better one.

[@ilaadmo2812]

The metal lathes at harbor freight is now $600 and you still have to do a lot of fine tuning

[@avatar021]

All you need for those to work fine is to adjust the tension on the drive belt by moving the motor and they run fine. The rest can be done after (little lube and a better belt)

[@lindam.9282]

If your objective was to teach us diyers, you failed miserably. The music was horrible and no dialogue made it just plan irritating with fast motion. UGH

[@nathanweese3812]

Que terrible edm, get your hot glue guns ready, its life hack time! Wait, you know how to use real tools/ have skill? please skip the music. Your better than that.

[@alexsaveragegarage7188]

I promise no more music next time

[@thomascoscetta6452]

Just buy a better sander.

[@Assassinsoftanaris]

You talking about what you're doing would be far more helpful than looking at a wheel for 60 seconds while listening to bad on hold music.

[@nickduffy8482]

Couldn’t stand the music and lack of narrative, stopped watching.

[@larryconner4062]

I hate videos with no dialog! It's sped up where you can't tell what the person is doing! Waste of time!

[@Intarsia82]

Horrible,, annoying music. Had to turn sound off.

[@jeffery19677]

Cheese-ball music sucks!! Please don't use it again. So how many hours of your time did you waste repairing the HF Sander? Looks like you could have build a 2X72 in the time it took to repair this junk. Next time, crown your rollers and the belt will track better.

[@Naeiou]

It looks like he was putting a crown on the roller because he was feeding the lathe's cross slide and not using the carriage itself to turn it.

[@ChuckInOregon]

Oh boy! Way too fast and really bad music. Need a lot of practice before you inflict videos on us.

[@ShellyDankert]

Why talk? We'd actually know what the hell you're doing. Good grief.