| Review by tmiller | posted 208 days ago | 671 views | 1 time favorited | 19 comments | ![]() |
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- Harbor Freight Sanding Belt/Abrasive Cleaner
- Brand: Harbor Freight | Category: Other

Many of you probably have used this stuff before but it is new to me. I mean I have seen it around for years but never thought much of it till I picked up the Ridgid EB4424 Oscillating Edge Belt/Spindle Sander (pictured above). I have noticed a number of lumberjocks with this machine.
You can pick this up from many different manufactures and at many different outlets but I happened to get mine at Harbor Freight for $4.99. That seemed like a reasonable gamble not knowing how well this type of product worked; I am pleasantly surprised. The manufacturer states that this will “make your discs and belts last 5X longer!” and that “it removes the accumulated particles that lodge between the abrasive grains and cause a dull cut.” After using this on my belt sander I could see noticeable faster and more aggressive sanding. It seems like this cleaning brick will last a long time because it wears slowly and it is pretty big; 8-1/2’’ x 1-1/2’’ x 1-1/2’’ (think 2×4 thickness). I only unwrapped mine brick a little at one end and use the rest of the plastic wrapper to keep it dust free.
On the down side it didn’t clean an area of the belt that had sap residue ‘burned’ on. So, I recommend you use this cleaner frequently to avoid allowing sap to coat.
If this product can extend just one belt 2-3 times as long it will have paid for itself. I would recommend this product to a friend.
-- All trees have projects inside of them, it is your job to get them out.


























19 comments so far
Don K.
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1095 posts in 226 days
posted 207 days ago
Nice review, thanks for sharing.
-- Don S.E. OK
Todd Thomas
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4829 posts in 348 days
posted 207 days ago
good information..I have looked at these before and thought. ” that doesn’t work”....good to know….thanks for the review
-- Todd, Oak Ridge, TN, Hello my name is Todd and I'm a Toolholic, I bought my last tool 10 days, no 4 days, oh heck I bought a tool on the way here! †
tenontim
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1319 posts in 644 days
posted 207 days ago
These are great. I’ve used them for years. Sure beats using your old tennis shoes to clean your sanders.
-- Tim -- http://tmuli.com
HokieMojo
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1142 posts in 628 days
posted 207 days ago
Glad it worked for you. the sears near my house has them a bit cheaper, but what’s a dollar in the grand scheme of things. This will probably last you quite a while.
Emeralds
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155 posts in 462 days
posted 207 days ago
Yep… I use this stuff as well on my belt, drum and disc sanders and it works very well however, it is only effective to a grit of about 150 or so after which the gum particulates appear to be too large to reach between the grit to remove finer dirt. So, although it’s not perfect, I’ve found it to be well worth the small investment.
-- JMP
woodworm
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8309 posts in 490 days
posted 207 days ago
Good stuff. I use it on the belt sander each time after use.
-- masrol, kuala lumpur, MY.
childress
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163 posts in 442 days
posted 207 days ago
I agree. Great product and I’ve found another use also! When working with laminate (ie. Formica and such) it works great for removing the gummy cement after trim routing. Instead of sanding the cement off, which is what I used to do, run this stick over the edge and it strips it off easily. Even on edge banding too!
-- Childress Woodworks
Greg Wurst
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716 posts in 732 days
posted 207 days ago
Yep, these really extend the life of your sanding belts and discs.
-- You're a unique and special person, just like everyone else.
Greg
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226 posts in 208 days
posted 207 days ago
I am glad I read your review. I bought the same sander from Home a few months ago and really like it. I bought the same abrasive cleaner from Harbor Freight about 2 or 3 weeks ago and have yet to use it. Your review motivates me to srart using it.
-- Each and Every step of any project should be considered your masterpiece if you want the finished product to reflect the quality of your work. Greg Little
a1Jim
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17211 posts in 477 days
posted 207 days ago
I use mine to erase the mistakes on my drawings and cleaning my sanding belts
-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop, custom furniture ,maker, woodworking school, heirloomwoodshop.com
AaronK
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409 posts in 364 days
posted 207 days ago
i dunno… is that HF sanding belt cleaner one that you would want to hand down to your grandkids?
just kidding…. thanks for the review. i was wondering how this compares to the other brands as well.
Jeremy
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52 posts in 230 days
posted 207 days ago
Great product! I too was amazed the very first time I used it!
-- Jeremy, Rochester, NY
tmiller
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90 posts in 213 days
posted 207 days ago
If it is still around when my grandkids come along, its theirs.
I can’t inagine much improvement, its already pretty cheap and it does its job.
Some guy did indicate you could use and old shoe sole. If that works it would be free. :)
-- All trees have projects inside of them, it is your job to get them out.
daltxguy
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568 posts in 814 days
posted 205 days ago
I use the old shoe sole – it’s the same stuff ( just make sure you use the right shoe!) Just look for a sole which is the same color as this stuff. A natural gum rubber crepe sole I think it’s called. t didn’t used to be $4.99, so using an old shoe was better value – maybe not anymore.
-- Steve, New Zealand, www.steveracz.com
tooldad
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456 posts in 615 days
posted 205 days ago
We use them 3-4 times a day at the school shop. Most of the kids just enjoy playing with it. One stick almost lasted a year. So I would concur that the stick will last a while. I bought ours at Rockler. I am going to be by HF tomorrow, I think I will pickup one or 2 more to be ready for this summer. Thanks for the review.
Dusty56
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3518 posts in 588 days
posted 205 days ago
I’ve also been using this type of cleaner for years ….it pays for itself very quickly : ) Another thing that I’ve used is the “plastic” trim that they use on house exteriors nowadays. The brand is called “KLEER” , but I’m sure others would work just as well . It is white in color and comes in several sizes / thicknesses. Maybe if you see a contractor working on a house , you could ask him for a piece of scrap and try it for yourself. I’m not referring to vinyl siding here : ) http://www.kleerlumber.com/products.html
Look for a dealer in your area , I got a few free samples from mine : )
I also have a RIDGID OSS that I’m going to review after a little more use on it …so far ..NICE ! the only odd thing about it is the 13/16” miter gauge slot…. W T H were they thinking ???
-- You know you're getting old when you know the difference between you're (you are) and your (belonging to you) AND how to use them in a sentence .
Durnik150
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536 posts in 221 days
posted 203 days ago
When I first saw these, I had the same reaction most did. Yeah right. Then I realized that it was only 3 or 4 bucks which was about the price of one belt for my 4×36 belt sander anyway, so I gave it a try.
There have been belts that I would agree have gone 5X longer with the use of this product. Even doubling or tripling the life would be well worth the minimal cost of the cleaner. I have yet to totally wear one of these out.
Thanks for the review and making sure everyone knows about this product.
-- Behind the Bark is a lot of Heartwood----Charles, Centennial, CO
USCJeff
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901 posts in 968 days
posted 203 days ago
A must buy. Been using the same one for a couple years. I hate sanding, so it’s nice to be able unload the sand paper. I’ve read a tennis shoe sole works as well.
-- Jeff, South Carolina
MikeinNJ
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17 posts in 205 days
posted 179 days ago
T, I have had the same one for about 7 years and still have more than half of it left. It’s nice to see that something so inexpensive works so well.