Tape tames belt tracking

Sanding belts on my stationary belt sander consistently slipped off the roller despite my attempts at adjusting the tracking. After discovering that most sander rollers—but not mine—have a crown in the center, I wrapped a few turns of vinyl electrical tape around the center of the idler roller. It doesn't take much to create a crown. Just make sure to wrap the tape in the same direction as the belt rotation to keep it from working loose. The tape lasts a long time before it needs to be replaced.

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