Static charge on your widebelt sander can wreak havoc on your machine and workpiece. Grounding the sander will cut back on wasted belts, resolve your dust collection issues and improve the quality of your sanding results. 

Here are some of the issues that could indicate a static problem and ways on how to ground your machine. 

Issues with the machine & belt
If you have sanding dust inside the sander — stuck to the machine, to the sanding belt, the workpiece, the rollers, the platen and all the other internal components of the machine, including the tracking eyes … you likely have a static issue. 

• Conveyor issues: The pores of the rubber can accumulate dust, causing your conveyor to become slippery prematurely.
• Off-tracking of the belt: Dust inside the machine leads to build up on tracking eyes, causing belts to mis-track and potentially break.
• Dust extraction system clogged: The dust that is collected will also have a static charge, which will cause a build up inside the dust collection system.
• Burned belts: If dust is sticking to the workpiece and the sanding belt, then you’re sanding dust with dust, which will lead to burns.

Issues on the workpiece
These issues can include:

• Raised lines on the workpiece: Static raised lines generally skip spots instead of being a continuous line that goes from one end of the work piece to the other; they resemble a raised “dashed line.”
• Shiny line on the length of the workpiece: Sometimes static can cause a shiny line on the workpiece that follows the oscillation of the belt.
• Cross-grain sanding is harder than usual: it could be due to excess dust building up on the grains, due to static charge.

Solution: Grounding the machine
To dissipate the static charge you need to ground the machine.  First, you will need a grounding rod, preferably made of copper. Then, attach it to the sander and drive it into the ground beneath the concrete floor.

Using a copper wire that is at least 3/8-inch thick, attach the grounding rod to the metal conveyor bed of the sander, preferably on the side of the machine closest to the platen. Make sure to attach the ground wire to the actual bed and not a plate. If the bed is painted, then the paint where you attach the wire should be removed. Make sure to leave enough slack in the wire to allow your bed to move up and down. Finally, do not attach the ground wire to the foot of the machine.

Once the rod is connected to the sander, insert it through the floor and into the ground below, about 3-6 feet deep. Note: the rod must be connected to the actual, natural ground.

Source: Uneeda Enterprizes. For more information, call 845-582-3849 or visit Sandpaper.com.