Ordered Sears 2x42, belts? (sorry, can't search)

PIndelicato

PIndelicato

Joined
Sep 16, 2002
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Sorry guys, I know this has probably been covered thousands of times but I can't search and I didn't find a lot of specific info scanning through the tutorial links...

Last night I ordered the Sears 2x42 belt/disc sander, and I'm wondering what to order from TruGrit. How many, and of which grits, would be a good start?

Here are some that I'm thinking about:

Norton Ceramic 60

Norton Ceramic 120

3M Gator 240

3M Gator 400

There are also some Aluminum Oxide and Zirconia belts available, so I'm not sure what materials and grit sizes to go for. Also, do you burn faster through certain grits?
 
The thing is to match belts to the job .
The harder the abrasive ,the harder the material it can grind.
The tougher the abrasive, the faster it can grind.
Sharp cornered abrasives ( usually cubic structure) and ceramic abrasives are super tough and very hard, so they are used to hog off steel, as in the Blaze belt, Cubitron, and similar belts by other manufacturers. Most popular in the 36-80 grits. Often orange, tan, or speckled colored, occasionally red.
Zirconia belts are very hard, and cut a fairly smooth path, so they are popular for medium grinding and preparing the surface for final sanding. They are most popular in the 120-220 grit ranges.They cut fairly fast. Usually blue color, sometimes green.
Fine structured abrasives like the gator belts and the Tri-zac belts come in grits from 100-1200 and make a very smooth finish, but cut slower. They shear off as they cut ,exposing new abrasive surfaces.Used properly, they last a long time and leave a great finish.
Silicon carbide is used for soft and hardened steel. The abrasive is hard, but not very tough. It comes in grits from 100-800 and is used in lower priced belts. The trade-off is they don't last long. Usually black colored.Great for slow speed final edge grinding.
Aluminum Oxide is moderately hard, and cuts softer metal well. It cuts slower on hardened steel. It is lower in cost and is usually a red/rust color. Usually resin impregnated.Available in 100-800 grit.
Garnet, sand, and such abrasives are only used on wood and plastic, and are generally not used by knifemakers at all.
The backing of the belt is important too.Paper is easily torn, and wears fast. Cloth is tougher and comes in light weight (flexible) and heavy weight (more rigid).There are belts with polyester, plastic, and other backings for specific jobs. (The edges on the micron belts , which have plastic film backings ,will cut you like a spinning razor)
The workhorse of belts is the j-flex belt. They are usually yellow, and have a soft, very flexible backing. Excellent for contours and slack belt sanding.
Stacy
 
Stacy,

Thanks for your very detailed tutorial, it helps a great deal! Based upon your info above and what I see available from TruGrit, how does this sound (from their site):

02x042:242-060-965 2x42-60 SY965 Ceramic $2.40 NORTON

02x042:242-120-411 2x42-120 CS411X Zirconia $2.50 KLINGSPOR

02x042:242-240-A65CF 2x42-240 A65CF Gator Structured Abrasive $3.35 3M

02x042:242-400-A45CF 2x42-400 A45CF Gator Structured Abrasive $3.35 3M


Also, keeping in mind I'm a newbie and casual hobbyist, would say 5 of each make sense to start with?

I appreciate the input!
 
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