This tool, like others, is a consumable item. After wear, it is thrown away and a new one is installed in its place. Despite the fact that flap grinding wheels are inexpensive, if the volume of work is large, then the total cost of purchasing them can be significant.
Meanwhile, it is possible to extend their service life by at least another half if you know how to restore an already partially used circle, which is usually thrown away, and thereby reduce the cost of purchasing them by 50%.
As a result, the petals with abrasive particles wear out and expose a disc base made of composite material, which, not having abrasive properties, slides over the material being processed and prevents other areas of the sanding petals from working productively.
If you somehow remove the exposed part of the composite disc-base, then you can use the not yet worn areas of the abrasive blades for work and, thereby, extend the “life” of the no longer new disc.
This can be done using a few leftover grinder cutting wheels.
Three or four of these “stubs” must be placed together in a bag and pressed between the jaws of a bench vice so that they rise halfway above the jaws.
Now you need to rotate the worn flap grinding wheel, mounted on the grinder, and bring it to the package of the remaining cutting wheels clamped in a vice.
As a result, they grind off the composite base, which will then not interfere with the abrasive blades of the restored wheel to do their job.
Such updating of the tool can be done twice, provided that the sandpaper petals are completely glued to the base, as can be seen from the dried glue protruding from under the ends of the petals.
Given the large amount of abrasive particles and fine dust, this work must be carried out with a mask, safety glasses and gloves. It is also necessary to grind down the composite base, setting the working direction of rotation for the restored circle. If it is the opposite, then there is a possibility of the sandpaper petals coming off.
