Making a slide plate for a hand-held sander

My venerable Bosch belt sander gave up t'other day - the 'slide plate' (Bosch terminology), which is the steel plate the belt runs over between the rollers, has worn through. Can't complain, I've had it maybe 25 years! An OEM replacement is (unsurprisingly) unobtainable. I'll probably just buy a new machine, but as it works OK apart from this plate thing and I have an aversion to chucking stuff that can be revived. I am wondering if I can make a replacement myself.

The plate is 0.5mm spring tempered steel - I hope the pic below will make it clear how it fixes to the machine. Question is - given that I have no metal folding machinery other than a vice and hammers, and no experience doing this sort of thing, what are my chances of succeeding in this? On a scale of one to ten if you like!

Daft perhaps to think about spending an hour or so repairing a 50 quid machine, but I just feel bad about skipping stuff. Still using my late Dad's metal-bodied power drill bought in the 1960's! Works fine.

Rob.

You could make a replacement from "Band-it" strapping. The steel straps that are used to tie heavy materials to pallets etc. It is about 0.5mm thick and springy steel. Available in different widths. I have some offcuts 1/2" & 1" wide. Very useful for various projects and free if you can find it. Check industrial sites in their rubbish bin.

A vice, hammer, hacksaw and a file are all you need for manufacture.

Paul

You would be amazed what humans can make when they don't know what thay are doing - how do you think the wheel was invented ?

Some pics of the piece you need to make from a few angles might be helpful and some of how it mounts to the machine like wise .

if it just the support surface for the belt to run over it was more than likely not hardened and i suspect it was nothing more than a piece of angle iron and zinc plated.

A hammer , vise , a saw , afile and a drill should get you by

If you do replace it- I believe axminster (and many other) sell adhesive sheet that is some form of firm carbon/rubber 'stuff' designed for the belt to run over- this is normally stuck to the steel plate I think you are referring to? It's easily cut down to size and provides a cheap and disposable low friction smooth surface - a significant upgrade to my belt linisher (created by G-Clamping a £5 B&Q belt sander to edge of a workbench...)

Robin,

I inherited a couple with damaged plates......no replacement parts avail.......I used some stainless sheet for the job, just enough spring, still using them 10 years on......clogs........

Re Richards reference to self adhesive low friction sheets for linisher, router et al tables.

Looks like the Axminster product has been de-improved! Used to be UHMW, now HDPE which is nowhere near as good in the low friction stakes. Unless yours is very rough you'd be better off polishing it than applying HDPE. HDPE is smooth and moderately slippy but really not noticeably better than any of the other smooth plastics or well polished metals.

Clive.

As said, Stainless Steel sheet, or perhaps some thin Gauge plate?

Howard

Hi Clive- I think this is a version of the stuff I used, which I glued to a flat steel sheet. Not sure which product you refer to- it seems Axminster don't have an own brand version of this anymore which I bought originally and cut to suit my sander.

**LINK**

but I have noticed they also sell

**LINK**

which is just a thin steel sheet bent to suit, to which the carbon sheets can be added, should you so desire... I assume these steel sheets are therefore considered replaceable normally, so spares may be obtainable, even if 25 years old... maybe?

Hi Richard

This **LINK** was the material I found.

Your links are coming up with Makita spare parts. Didn't see them but one would expect anything Makita branded to be of more than decent quality. I have several Makita tools and all have proven to be more than worth the extra cost over the more economy and big box store own brands.

Hafta say the Axminster site has got big enough that searching can be a problem when you know what you want to do and sort of know what ought to do the job but don't really know what suitable things are called.

Clive.

Thanks, I'm encouraged by responses that it's doable with primitive tools.I have some stainless sheet so shall have a bash (literally) at it. I'll buy a new machine for myself, but if I can get it going again maybe it'll serve someone starting out.

Rob