I was using a 1″ x 44″ belt sander. Not a common belt size. The belt came apart where the manufacturer glued it together. It looked like they used some sort of heat-activated patch. I tried to glue it back together using several different methods. The last one I used was a glue called Goop®. But none of these seem to work very well. My question is: do you have a better solution that might work with a lasting effect? – Joe Maurizzi
Tim Inman: Try an epoxy. The heat the sanding belt generates is high, so you need something that will withstand that high heat. I have used epoxies myself, with good luck. (I, too, have a special belt sander that uses “off” size belts. Mine is 1/2 by 14-inches – but I just love that little sander!)
Chris Marshall: Unless these belts are really spendy, I would probably replace rather than repair them. One reader recently suggested that he keeps his belt sander belts stored in a sealable freezer bag because humidity in his shop tends to degrade the adhesive that holds the belts together. Sealing out the humidity seems to extend their lives and keeps them from breaking. Or, you might try loosening the tension on the belt when not using the sander. It could be that constant tensioning is also contributing to a failed joint.
