# Makita 9401 drive roller repair?



## shoot summ (Feb 21, 2014)

Got my old Makita 9401 belt sander out for my oldest son today, as I was testing it debris started coming out of the lower section. Took the belt off and discovered that the covering of the drive wheel has finally disintegrated after 20+ years. Fortunately I can get a new one, but they are $70. I'm wondering if anyone has reconditioned one before? I have a metal lathe and mill, have thought about turning the drum down, and making an aluminum sleeve to go on it. Then I realize how much time that will take, and how little free time I have...

Any ideas?


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## epicfail48 (Mar 27, 2014)

How good does the final result have to be? If you don't mind the end result being a little jury rigged, you could just wrap the drum in electrical tape, or some of that skateboarding friction tape if you're feeling fancy. All you really need is something to give the drum enough friction to grab the paper


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## shoot summ (Feb 21, 2014)

epicfail48 said:


> How good does the final result have to be? If you don't mind the end result being a little jury rigged, you could just wrap the drum in electrical tape, or some of that skateboarding friction tape if you're feeling fancy. All you really need is something to give the drum enough friction to grab the paper


Need to check to see if it will provide enough diameter to snug the belt, but a good idea. The "coating" on the roller was about 1/8" thick.

I was tired of messing with the trim molding I should have been working on so I turned the drum surface on the lathe. Good thing the outer coating was round as the casting wasn't. I looked around the shop and realized I just replaced the serpentine belt on my truck. I was keeping the old one as an emergency spare, but decided to try it on this project. Challenge now is the adhesive, but this might work...


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## epicfail48 (Mar 27, 2014)

shoot summ said:


> Need to check to see if it will provide enough diameter to snug the belt, but a good idea. The "coating" on the roller was about 1/8" thick.
> 
> I was tired of messing with the trim molding I should have been working on so I turned the drum surface on the lathe. Good thing the outer coating was round as the casting wasn't. I looked around the shop and realized I just replaced the serpentine belt on my truck. I was keeping the old one as an emergency spare, but decided to try it on this project. Challenge now is the adhesive, but this might work...


Thatd certainly get you the grip you need. I'd wager some contact cement would get everything stuck together


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## shoot summ (Feb 21, 2014)

Thought I would update this. Time got the better of me, and I ordered a new roller. Glad I did actually as something I didn't get to see on my old roller because the coating was gone is that the roller is concave. I suspect this is to tension the belt, and to help it run true. So it's possible my franken roller may have been an adjustment nightmare. Will never know now though as it will take it's place in my scrap bin to be re-purposed sometime later...


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## Oneal-Woodworking (Apr 14, 2013)

shoot summ said:


> Thought I would update this. Time got the better of me, and I ordered a new roller. Glad I did actually as something I didn't get to see on my old roller because the coating was gone is that the roller is concave. I suspect this is to tension the belt, and to help it run true. So it's possible my franken roller may have been an adjustment nightmare. Will never know now though as it will take it's place in my scrap bin to be re-purposed sometime later...


 
Have no idea about your particular Makita model but the PC belt sanders handle the belt tracking with the front wheel (the smooth one) and not the drive wheel (with the rubber coating). 

Which wheel does your particular tracking adjustment thingie adjust?

Your 'fix' may have worked if the wheel was for driving only in my opinion.


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## shoot summ (Feb 21, 2014)

OnealWoodworking said:


> Have no idea about your particular Makita model but the PC belt sanders handle the belt tracking with the front wheel (the smooth one) and not the drive wheel (with the rubber coating).
> 
> Which wheel does your particular tracking adjustment thingie adjust?
> 
> Your 'fix' may have worked if the wheel was for driving only in my opinion.


The front wheel is adjustable for tracking.

Just thought it was interesting that the surface of the drive wheel wasn't flat. Obviously flat works as my large stationary belt sander has a flat surface drive wheel. Maybe it provides more grip on the belt when it is under load.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

Here is a roller for 52. http://www.ebay.com/itm/MAKITA-PART...:g:Gh0AAOSwnLdWsMo~&item=311539700310&vxp=mtr


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*it's too late now ...*

Your roller may have been salvageable if the coating wasn't too far gone. If you could have smoothed it out enough to dip it in "plastic tool handle dip" an air dry coating you can get at Harbor Freight. 

http://www.harborfreight.com/14-1-2-half-oz-plasti-dip-black-2779.html


Another solution would have been a bicycle inner tube cut to length after you forced the roller inside. :smile3:


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## shoot summ (Feb 21, 2014)

Steve Neul said:


> Here is a roller for 52. http://www.ebay.com/itm/MAKITA-PART...:g:Gh0AAOSwnLdWsMo~&item=311539700310&vxp=mtr


That's a good find Steve.



woodnthings said:


> Your roller may have been salvageable if the coating wasn't too far gone. If you could have smoothed it out enough to dip it in "plastic tool handle dip" an air dry coating you can get at Harbor Freight.
> 
> http://www.harborfreight.com/14-1-2-half-oz-plasti-dip-black-2779.html
> 
> ...


Good ideas, I've used Plastidip for many things in the past, and I always have old tubes and tires around. Unfortunately the coating had completely disintegrated.

New roller is installed and sander is back in service.


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## Oneal-Woodworking (Apr 14, 2013)

shoot summ said:


> New roller is installed and sander is back in service.


Keep your old parts if not too late...

Is your new drive wheel flat or concave on the very outside? (the part that the belt touches and 'drives on')

I still can't imagine that one or why they would do that.

Glad you got your machine back up and running. :thumbsup:


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## WarnerConstInc. (Nov 25, 2008)

Drive wheels like that for flat belts or sand paper are usually crowned. It keeps whatever is on it, tracking in the center.


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## LTRR-CB (Sep 7, 2016)

*Makita sanders*

I work at a university tree-ring laboratory where we do a great deal of endgrain sanding/polishing of wood sections - pitchy pine, oak, spruce, whatever the current projects bring in - and Stihl chainsaws and Makita belt sanders (along with a 1960s era 20" Delta bandsaw) have been the tools of choice for 25 years. I am talking many hundreds of samples/year, some very large, and sanding with #24 grit to start if the surface is VERY bad and it won't fit through the bandsaw or 60/80 grit from a band saw cut to 320 or 400 grit polish for microscope viewing with wood cells visible. Makita sanders - rugged, powerful, dependable, and repairable (to a point). I found this discussion thread when searching to see if the model 9401 was still available - answer: not really, not new for a reasonable price anyway.

The good thing about the 9401 - flat top and horizontal dust port so it can be turned upside down and used that why with little fuss when needed. (the newer 9403 has an angled dust port so a cradle would be needed to use it effectively this way) King kong drive belt - 'V' grooved.

The bad things about the 9401 - motor fan port (1 of 3) on top of housing throws debris at operators face, bronze bushing supporting drive roller - it wears out and the sander is trash because you need to purchase the aluminum frame to renew it (might as well buy a new machine). Front roller supported by bronze bushings on a case hardened pin - bushings wear out and wear the pin so need to get both as a set every time. The drive roller, by the way, is crowned off-center to help the belt track. We probably had 20 of these over the years - 3 or 4 still working, rest mostly stripped for parts and need to be recycled.

The 9403 is a much better machine! Roller bearings supporting the drive roller shaft. New drive roller costs about $20. No fan port on top of housing. All around upgraded materials and finish so it's lighter and just as powerful.

Bad things - same issue with bronze bushings on front roller, drive belt toothed and not nearly as beefy - you can strip the teeth off. All in all a very good product.

We've tried Bosch, Porter Cable, AEG, Royobi - none compared although the little 3x21 AEG sanders had cool feet to flip them upside down. Front motor bearing would go in those and melt the housing ruining the equipment. Bought a 4x24 Porter Cable sander brand new and the motor arced like crazy. Took in in and they told me it was too dusty - we needed to clean it more often!!! Oh well - first and last.

We have a few Makita 9404s - variable speed in nice for fine grit belts but not nearly as powerful - not the machine the 9403 is.

When we get them we take off and throw away the spring metal plate with cork cushion, get the replacement stick-on cork and stick it to the table and buy bulk graphite impregnated canvas and cut it to fit, punch holes for the screws and secure it in place of the metal plate. Runs cooler and provides a softer, more resilient cushion. Using the metal plate with fine grit belts mars the work.

CB


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## bigglesworthkeith (Mar 17, 2017)

*makita drive roller rescue*

here is what i did and it works great on e bay for 7 english pounds found some rubber car radiator hose the right internal diameter ido have a metal turning lathe but used my drill press to sand it to the correct external diameter when it was gled to the roller with super glue hope this helps


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