How Do You Organize Your Belts?

Bühlmann

Bühlmann

North Lake Forge
Joined
Jan 6, 2022
Messages
475
Just curious as to the logic and practical application of your belt storage, organization, rotation, etc. How do you do it?
 
Organize? I just throw 'em on a hook and grab what I need.

Just kidding. I used dowels mounted to a board on the wall. Used belts that aren't quite dead yet get their own peg. I need to remount that system again as my new shop (aka Garage) is a bit unorganized at the moment.
 
New used belts hang on their individual pegs.
Once used they hang together until they get thrown away.
 
My used belt holder is a free standing coat rack that looks more like a giant Cousin It. I have a hard time throwing them out apparently. 😁

My new belts are on pegs, separate pegs for each grit with the grit number labelled above them.

Eric
 
3 bundles. Stainless, non SS and titanium. Each has a wall hook for hanging by grit. New in the back, used in front.
 
I have 17 hooks in my shop to hang belts from. I have 5 hook with the belts I am currently using (steel grinding) near the belt sander, 36/50, 80, 120 ceramic and 120/220 flexible ceramic and then Norax/Gators/Structured blade finishing belts. Behind me on the other side of the shop are the handle finishing AO belts on 7 different hooks going from 36 grit/80 grit, 120, 220, 320, 400, 600 and surface conditioning belts on the 7th hook. On the other side of the shop wall are another 5 hooks with newer belts/spare belts hung by grits/types (Coarse blade, flexible ceramic, coarse AO handle belts, flexible blade belts/structured abrasives, fine AO handle belts). New belts still rolled up go on a storage shelf.

Before, they were in piles on the floor
 
Get a BUNCH of #10 cans from a restaurant or cafeteria. Screw the bottom to the wall stud, leaving about 1" between the cans. Drape the belts over the cans and store rolled belts inside the can. Putting labels under or over the can helps a lot. If you worry about curling due to your climate, put a can at the bottom of each belt that will gently keep it from curling (not tight). Put the screw in this can near the top side and don't tighten it snug. Just turn the can upward, slide over the belt, and let go. It will gently keep the belt in shape.

You can put other cans near the buffers for storing wheels and polish compound. Others can hold those small wrenches and tools for adjusting jigs and stuff that you can never find. You can store small contact wheels in them too. Once you get started it isn't hard to use up 50 #10 cans. If you want a super neat shop, buy a 100 pack of #10 can plastic lids and write the contents on it in permanent Sharpie. This keeps dust from collection in the cans.
 
Awesome idea Stacy!! I may have to look for those for my j flex belts. Those things curl up like crazy!
 
Small barrel hoop with about 6 hooks, cross bar allows it to swivel and is suspended from ceiling near grinders. Hooks on wall for the ones I'm using on a knife. Any extras stay rolled in roll-around cabinet.
 
New ceramic, new j flex, new x weight, new gator, new 1", used 1", used gator, used ceramic, used on steel, used on wood, mostly dead (for stuff that i dont worry about ripping off grit). Thats the order hanging on the wall by my grinder
 
I echo what others have done with pegs, but condense a bit due to limited space. Ceramic 60 and 120 each have their own peg. Then one peg for gators with three different grits. Then another set of pegs for alum oxide belts - 60 grit, 120 grit, then 220 and 400 grit combined on a single peg. Then a single peg for medium and fine scotch bright belts, then another peg with 400 grit belts and the leather belt (these for final sharpening only). New unused belts are hung on a couple pegs off to the side of the main “working” row. Especially for the ceramics, i might have two of each grit hanging: one well used, the other barely used..

Ive always liked stacys can idea - in my new shop i will try to implement that.
 
Using cans keeps from making a crease in the belt at the peg. You can also store a lot of belts on one can. They come off and on easier, too. The additional storage is a bonus. I may take some photos today to show how it works.
 
hang em on a dowel by "new" "barely used" and "almost junk"

Lately, Tru grit has been wrapping my orders up in groups of two. This kind of allows me to only unpack one group at a time (think 10 ceramic 120s, 10 ceramic 60s, and 10 AO 240s in each group), so Im able to store a bunch of belts still sticky taped and in a usps box. This has really helped cut down on the enormous pile of belts taking up too much shop space.
 
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