Belt Duration

T

TheOTBalisong

Joined
Jun 28, 2012
Messages
288
So, I recently purchased a sears 2 x 42, along with different varieties of belts.

For the two most coarsest grits (36 & 60) that I bought, they tend to wear our fairly quickly.
These were cheap ceramic belts bought from Tru-grit, Labeled "Best Value Ceramics."
They last for maybe, two minutes, give or take, then go dull and don't cut.
Is it that the grinder only has 1/3 HP and it's not strong enough to handle cutting past that point of use?
I tried using more pressure, only to create a fireworks display and send massive amounts of excess sparks everywhere, and it didn't help cutting much.

Any experience with these belts, or input on them is appreciated.

Thanks,
Alex.
 
Ceramic belts are made to cut using pressure and speed. Lack of either will glaze the surface of the belt. Ceramic belts are made so they can be "fractured" where a new cutting surface can be bought to bare by pushing a carbide or diamond tool into the belts surface while it is moving at speed. The sparks do indicate that the steel was being cut even if it did not appear to be so.

Fred
 
Fred.Rowe said:
Ceramic belts are made to cut using pressure and speed. Lack of either will glaze the surface of the belt. Ceramic belts are made so they can be "fractured" where a new cutting surface can be bought to bare by pushing a carbide or diamond tool into the belts surface while it is moving at speed. The sparks do indicate that the steel was being cut even if it did not appear to be so.

Fred
Click to expand...

I try to use as much pressure and speed as is adequate, I don't lean my entire body into the grinder, but I feed it fairly hard.
Although I'm not sure about glazing, the steel is still technically being "cut," although at a much, much slower rate.
I do not own any diamond/ceramic made tools. So how shall I go about this without them?

Thanks,
Alex.
 
You don't have to grind hard and fast with ceramics, you just have to do that when you want to expose fresh grit.

You don't need any fancy tools to fracture the grit. Just harden a narrow piece of scrap steel and run it across the belt at a right angle. You're basically scraping the belt really hard. Don't stand in front of grinder when you do that unless you want a bunch of grit in your face. ;)
 
Those PARTICULAR ceramic economy belts are just junk. I tried a bunch on my 2X72 because a maker in another forum said they worked great for the money paid. I usually don't use anything except what is known to be the best and then go from there. Norton ceramics in the course grits don't work for me . I don't push hard and my grinder runs slow because that's the way I like it; I do know however they are quality. I am now using the 3M 978(?) ceramic. They are great for how I grind and give me the best results I've ever had. Frank
 
Frank Niro said:
Those PARTICULAR ceramic economy belts are just junk. I tried a bunch on my 2X72 because a maker in another forum said they worked great for the money paid. I usually don't use anything except what is known to be the best and then go from there. Norton ceramics in the course grits don't work for me . I don't push hard and my grinder runs slow because that's the way I like it; I do know however they are quality. I am now using the 3M 978(?) ceramic. They are great for how I grind and give me the best results I've ever had. Frank
Click to expand...

Yeah, I do realize that the specific belts I bought were not up to bar with some other ceramics.

I did get a Norton Blaze ceramic in 120, though.
 
The ceramic belts from Supergrit are a much better option for the 2x42. I never had much life out of the ceramics from Trugrit, although I routinely purchased other belts there. While you're at supergrit, pick up the 10 pack of AO belts for handle shaping.
 
jkf96a said:
The ceramic belts from Supergrit are a much better option for the 2x42. I never had much life out of the ceramics from Trugrit, although I routinely purchased other belts there. While you're at supergrit, pick up the 10 pack of AO belts for handle shaping.
Click to expand...

I am using supergrit ceramics too. Like them. Last well for me. I think I am using a 50 or 60 belt for most oft he work,

I just need to find some structured trizact cf in 2x42 and I will be happy.
 
ernestrome said:
I am using supergrit ceramics too. Like them. Last well for me. I think I am using a 50 or 60 belt for most oft he work,

I just need to find some structured trizact cf in 2x42 and I will be happy.
Click to expand...

Trugrit has structured trizact (gator) belts in 2x42. Just got a bunch in last night from them.
 
The only thing I didn't like about the ceramic belts from supergrit is in the weight of the backing. I prefer something stiffer then the batch I got from them. The 60 grit were ok but the 120 and above were to thin for me.
 
Better belts last longer. Try the Cubitron 60 plus belts. And as stated above you need to lean in hard enough to expose new material on the belt. I recently went to them and when I had them figured out it was a big plus time wise.
 
Talking with Jim, @ PoP's knife supply he told me: people who grind blades on powerhouse machines and are grinding quantities of blades, will run speeds of 7000 sfm and apply pressure by using a long lever. The blade is clamped in a holding jig and the pressure is applied with the bar. Using the high end ceramics from 3M they can grind dozens of blades per belt. The idea is to fracture the ceramic and expose new surfaces. They can be used at lower speeds and lighter pressures, but they are built for speed.
Ceramic is three times as hard as stainless steel, it needs to be fractured with something harder than itself. Tungsten carbide is one material that can be used.

Stop by any machine shop and ask if they have any broken carbide drill bits or end mills.
 
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