Belt Sander, Montgomery Ward

Power-Craft model TPC 8533 A

I bought this belt sander for two dollars. The seller sold it that inexpensively on the condition I not plug it in and try it! I can fix anything so I bought it.

Of course, the problem with it was the power switch. It would not turn off! I used it for a summer by plugging it into a power strip.

I always recommend that you not turn on the device until you have checked to see if it is safe to do so. Many things are ruined because the new owner is impatient. I did not heed my own advice.

So now it is time to rebuild it.

It was impossible to disassemble. Most of the threads were corroded and I could not get the pulley or wheel off. I just kept pounding on it. I used an impact driver and liberal amounts of Kroil, a penetrating lubricant.

The small bearing is blind. There is no access from the back side. I used the trick of cramming grease soaked paper towel strips into the hold and then pounding a drill bit that was a close fit through the hole. The bearing eased itself out.

The bearing are standard, the small being skateboard bearings, 608, and the large bearings were 6200. The large bearings are on the belt side of the sander and the small bearings are on the opposite side.

The above shows the direction to tightern the pulleys on the shafts. Note the left is reverse threaded. The rubber wheel is held on by a nut, slightly visible on the upper right, which is reverse threaded as well.

Montgomery Ward stopped operations in 2000. This sander probably dates to the 1980s. or even before.

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