Belt Sander?

B

Bull Jones

Joined
Feb 28, 2007
Messages
21
I'm slowly - very slowly - getting my tools back together after a long period of recuperation. The one thing I never had was a belt sander.

What make & model would you guys recommend for a small personal shop being built on a shoestring budget? I'm not talking about production equipment here, but something for the guy who likes to tinker with little projects.

Thanks!
 
Get yourself a 1X30 with a disc sander.Various makers.I have seen them for$40.00 on the net.Good luck
 
grizzly or harbor freight 1x30. I have the grizzly. It's not amazing by any stretch, BUT it does it's job. I've done full convex reprofiles of blades with it, satin finished, sharpened etc.. No real problems to speak of.
 
Some knock the Harbor Freight 1x30 but it is a good little machine. I have one, my son has one and my brother has one. It does a good job on knives and you can find plenty of belts for it. I have had mine for two years now. I think you can get it for about 50.00 shipped.

Need any more info, PM me .
 
I like the Kalamazoo 1x42 that was linked to earlier. I also like the Viel sander. The Kalamazoo has better tension and tracking control. The Viel is a bit cheaper and has various attachments you can get with it. If you go with the Viel, I recommend buying it directly from manufacturer rather than from Lee Valley. http://vieltools.com/detail.php?p=NTQy
 
The Harbor Freight has been working well for me. I think I will get my $40 worth out of it.
 
Another +1 for the Harbor Freight 1" x 30"

www.customsandingbelts.com has a good variety of metal grinding belts and their 600 grit silicon carbide belt acts as a good polisher (and their 80 grit silicon carbide is a terrible grinder - go for closed-coat aluminum oxide, zirconia, or ceramic). www.leevalley.com has some good mylar belts for sharpening and polishing (as well as zirconia belts for rough grinding) and the ever-cool leather sanding belt (load up with compound of your choice and let the awesome occur). http://rshughes.com has 3M Trizact belts for the 1x30, but the shipping on them was astronomical the last time I ordered some (almost every grit was in a different warehouse).
 
The HF is cheap enough to get a couple of them and leave a grinding belt on one just for the rough work.
 
Good suggestions. I think if I were starting over, I would still get the Grizzly 2x72 grinder and I would get the Kalamazoo 1x42 for sharpening or detail work.
 
ChapmanPreferred said:
Good suggestions. I think if I were starting over, I would still get the Grizzly 2x72 grinder and I would get the Kalamazoo 1x42 for sharpening or detail work.
Click to expand...

....but you must not be on "shoe string" budget......The HF $40 job will get him off and running in the "tinker" realm.....
 
rayban said:
....but you must not be on "shoe string" budget......The HF $40 job will get him off and running in the "tinker" realm.....
Click to expand...

That is the point... I'm a disabled guy (& Navy vet) who suffered major spinal trauma and took 3 years to learn to walk again. We have six kids ranging from 24 down to 7 year old twins. Add to that the exotic animal rescue we operate at our home, the book I'm writing, and our Great Danes and then you can understand why I have little cash for my little projects. :p I don't mind the chaos, but I like to un-wind with little things that are meaningless to everyone else in the family.

Ahh..! Life! You've got to love it! :D
 
I have special shoe laces, rayban. ;)

Actually, I was combining threads in my head when I responded, my apology to the OP for not reading carefully before posting.

Doug
 
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I have had the 1x30 HF sander for probably 10 ish years or so. It died just today. I got it on sale for like $30 or something. By far got my moneys worth out of it. I'll probably get another.
 
I can't say anything bad about the HF sander. Made my first knife on it, a full flat grind and 1" wide O1 steel. I can't say anything really good about it either. I'd get one on sale from a local store if possible. I went to replace mine after the bearings wore out and had 2 in a row with a motor that smoked just from the stress of turning the belts, no load on them. The tracking is also suspect, but if you get one that works, it's ok. I've had the old one for 7 or 8 years now, so it's kind of a crap shoot. I'd definitely say the additional warranty is worth it. Then again, it seems if it gonna go, it will be real early, so the extended warranty may not be worth it. On the leather belts, they will give an exceptional edge off the HF sander. However, mine doesn't track worth a flip, but its an old belt, at least 4 years, so it could just be mine.
 
last week i dug my old HF out from deep inside my garage and had a buddy add a new penn state variable speed motor and wolf scissors arm bracket to it.......now i need some new idlers. anyone make those?.......i can replace the bearing ok, but was hoping for new wheels also.
thanks
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