TENSIONING LEVER 2608045023

- Remove sand paper
- Remove sanding pad (6? screws)
- Remove 4 screws in corners of platen to (rubber?) supports
- Use screw driver to pry platen over just far enough to access and loosen tension bar hold down screw (this was the only difficult part)
- Relax platen and remove tension bar by sliding it out the side ... Read more
- Install new tension bar by slipping end into hole in platen.
- Use screw driver to pry platen over just far enough to access and tighten tension bar hold down screw
- Repete on other end for second tension bar if needed
- Replace support screws
- Replace sanding pad

Removed the screws , removed the parts and reinstalled screws

Replacing the sanding pad is very easy. That may have been all it it needed. However, I also replaced the two spring arms that actually hold the paper. Replacing these requires disassembling the sander because the nut at the end of the armature needs to be removed first before you can get it apart far enough to access the screws that hold ... Read more the spring arms in place. To remove this nut, the armature itself needs to be removed from the sander in order to hold it in a vise. Perhaps if you were to fabricate a special socket that could hold the eccentric and nut, you might be able to use an impact wrench to remove the nut/eccentric without the need to remove the armature. I decided to just remove the armature. I used a large cove router bit to make a pair of wooden blocks I could use as soft jaws in order to hold the armature securely in my vise without damaging the armature itself. With the armature clamped solidly in the vise, I used a hammer and punch to unscrew the eccentric/nut (it uses right hand threads). After the eccentric/nut is removed, the base casting can be removed which will allow the spring holders to be replaced.
The problem now is the armature cannot be re-inserted into the blue sander body because the springs behind the brushes have extended the brushes all the way out. The only way to get the armature back in is to first remove both brush holders, and this will require removing the top half of the blue plastic housing. Separate the two halves, remove the top half, remove both brushes, and re-assemble the armature back in. Then re-install the brushes, put the upper blue plastic part back on, and youÆre done! ItÆs a lot of work, but the sander now holds the sandpaper as well as it did when it was brand new. ItÆs like a new tool now. This saved me a ton of money over buying a new half-sheet sander. I REALLY like this sander. IÆm glad I was able to fix it and not buy a new sander. To me, it was worth fixing. It turned out well and IÆm very happy.

Nothing special. Removed screws holding lever after loosening the plate and tightened all when done.