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In this article, I’m going to show you how to change sanding drum, sanding sleeve, sanding wheel, and sanding cylinder on your Dremel tool. The circular sanding bands are easy to change but if you get to know some tips and tricks, your experience sanding with the Dremel will go much smoother. And you will avoid the sanding bands falling off while the Dremel is running or the sanding bands not wanting to fit on the mandrel.
To change the sanding band on a Dremel you first have to turn off the power, then loosen the screw on top of the mandrel, remove the old sanding band, put on a new sanding band, tighten the screw on top of the mandrel and then turn on the power. Now the sanding drum is ready to use.
The video below will quickly show you how to change the sanding sleeve and band on your Dremel. But if you want to know some tips and tricks I recommend reading through the article as well since I will go a little bit more in detail here.
How To Change Sanding Band On Your Dremel | Step By Step
1. Turn Off Power
It is always a good idea to turn off the power before changing bits and sanding bands on the Dremel. We do not want to accidentally start the Dremel while changing the sanding band. If the bit is not attached to the Dremel you can skip this step.
2. Loosen The Screw On Top Of The Mandrel
Loosen the screw with the tip of the wrench that is included when buying the Dremel. Turn the screw counterclockwise to loosen it.
The rubber on the mandrel contracts when loosening the screw and releases the tension that held the sanding band in place before.
3. Remove The Worn Out Sanding Band
When the screw is loosened the sanding band should be easy to pull right off without too much force. If you feel like you have to use force to pill the sanding band off the drum, try loosening the screw a little more.
You might also have to wiggle the band a little bit while pulling to get it off, the rubber on the drum will still create some friction against the sanding band.
4. Put On New Sanding Band On Drum
Find a new sanding band to replace the old one. Be sure that you have the right size sanding band for the sanding drum you are using. The normal size of the sanding bands is 1/4-inches (6.35mm) and 1/2-inches (12.7mm). But you change the bands in exactly the same way with both sizes.
A problem you might encounter when putting on the new sanding bands is that the band does not fit onto the drum. Because of the way the sanding bands are cut in the factory they become a little bit squished on one side, try turning the sanding band180 degrees and putting it on from the other side.
If it is still hard to put on you can remove some material from the inside of the band with a knife, this leaves more space to ut the sanding band on the drum.
5. Tighten The Screw
When you have fitted on the sanding band to the sanding drum you can tighten the screw on top of the drum with your wrench. Just tighten the screw clockwise as much as you can to keep the sanding band tightly in place.
6. Turn On Power And Use
The sanding bit is now ready to use. Just plug in the sanding drum to the power outlet and get at it. When using sanding drums, especially on wood, use a fairly low RPM to avoid burning the wood and wearing out the sanding drum too quickly. Use RPMs between 15 000 and 25 000.
Check Out These 4 Different Methods Of Sanding With A Dremel!
Here Are My Favorite Dremel Tools, Bits, And Attachments:
Recommended Dremel: The Dremel 4000 with Flex Shaft is the Dremel I recommend. It is a little bit more expensive than the Dremel 3000 but the powerful 1.6 amp motor of the Dremel 4000 is worth the extra money.
Affordable Dremel: The Dremel 3000 is an affordable option and is a good Dremel to buy as well. Just know that it comes with a little less power and runs at a little bit lower RPMs
First Accessory: The Quick Change Chuck is the first accessory I would get for the Dremel. This makes it so much quicker and easier to change bits.
