Hi: There are items that are touted to clean up sanding/grinding belts to make them last longer, and am wondering how effective these really are.

Once I use a belt for wood rather than just metal, it tends to get gunked up.

Any experieces?

Thanks much!

I use belt cleaners, basically a large eraser, whenever I use a belt sander. They remove the gunk from the sanding belt so that the sanding belt can remove material.

I have found they do work well for cleaning wood out of abrasives. But what I have found works as well is using compressed air. Hold the nozzle about an inch away from the sandpaper and blast away while the machine is running. Obviously glasses and if you have no dust collection a respirator are neccesary.

yes they work, some old tennis shoes do too.

There were some shoes that had the same type rubber (latex?) as the erasers, got them free.

I also used a tube if silicone rubber that had hardened in the tube. Bandsawed the plastic tube off to leave a silicone eraser.