Scotchbrite Wheel - how to fix it?

[BSwayze]

I made a mistake when I was a newbie building my empennage, and I allowed some grooves to be formed in my scotchbrite wheel. Now, if I'm not very careful when I'm using it, the narrow groove in particular will catch the edge of the metal piece I'm working on and nearly pull it out of my hands. It's the groove on the left side that gives me so much trouble. The surface slopes to the left also, as you can see. I would like to get it back to a nice flat surface, if there's a way to do that.

I'm wondering if someone knows a method, technique, or tool that I can use to "dress" the wheel? Is there some way to cut, grind, or wear away some of the surface and get it back to a flat, smooth surface? Or do I just have to bite it and throw it away and buy a new one?

[cjensen]

I've been using mine for a long time now with those same grooves. I just keep the material moving to avoid getting caught in a groove. I've tried several things I thought would "dress" it out, but not even a steel file would dress it...just wore down the teeth on the file.

Maybe some others have some ideas that do work...

I didn't want to spend another $50 for one, so I work around it.

The longer you use it, the more AL will eventually wear it down, and the grooves will disappear...

[Spike]

I have more grooves in mine than I know what to do with. I did not do a good job of protecting it when I started. Oh well, live and learn I guess.

John

[flytoboat]

I remembered this topic on the other site recently and did a search.
http://www.vansairforce.com/community/s ... rite+wheel

[Brantel]

You can dress it right up if you use the corner of what is normally the handle end of an old file. It must be held with a firm grip and you must find the angle where it does the most work. Crap will fly everywhere and you must hang on for dear life but it can be done. Just be carefull that you do not let it grab the end of the file and jerk it out of your hand. You must work the file end back and forth to get an even effect.

I must warn you, this waste alot of the wheel.

[captain_john]

Bruce, That wheel is fine.

Keeping a wheel like that in good shape is a Zen-like behavior. Be one with the wheel. You have worn some fairly deep gouges in there, but next few times you use it you should use the flat face of it. This may take more than the next few times. You won't have it smooth until you have it smooth.

The wheel does a good job of deburring edges in the parallel fashion, but try it perpendicular. You will be surprised at how well it works at taking off the edge.

Whenever my wheel gets grooved, I find some heavy stock that needs polishing and it takes the edge off real nice.

You have abused that wheel pretty good. Try not to let it get that bad in the future and it won't take too long to straighten it out.

Also, try taking it off and spinning it in the other direction. It helps keep the edges square.

CJ

[weezbad]

i make a grove shallow then move over then another and so on. i use the opportunity of doing heavy work to dress as i use it. my wheel is almost gone now. i never let the groove get deeper than an 1/8 before starting a new groove. i have dressed it one time but only because i was doing a wide part and it was leaving grooves on the part.

[JohnR]

I hate to break it to you but I think you better buy a new one and send that one to me and I will dispose of it. Seriously, the wheel will still work fine. Just use light pressure and keep the part moving. It will smooth up. Mine is only about 4 inches in diameter now, I was hoping to be able to get by without buying another but looks like I might go ahead and bite the bullet on one. I've found it is useful for a lot of things besides the airplane.

[BSwayze]

Hey everybody...
Thanks for the replies and the suggestions! I did some searching and tried some things, and I thought I would let you all know what I found.

I tried the end of a file, as you suggested, Brian, but it only ground away the metal. Then I searched online on 3M's site but couldn't find anything. So I tried some coarse sandpaper on a block. It worked a little bit, but wore out the sandpaper very quickly. So I thought I would try something harder than sandpaper. I grabbed an old coarse grinding stone. It worked better than sandpaper. I finally settled on a round cylindrical grinding stone for my die grinder. This works great! The two surfaces are spinning in opposite directions to each other, and it really works. Go slow and press hard. Let the stone cool once in a while. I have attached some before & after pics. I could have gone farther, but I left a couple of grooves in the wheel. I think this will work out just fine.

Here's my weapon of choice:


Before and After:

[jim_geo]

I was using my wheel to clean up a piece of sheet stainless steel the other day and noticed that it wore the wheel pretty rapidly. Maybe that would work for you.