Steel disc vs. aluminum

[MeDoctor]

I found a 9" steel sanding disc for the same money it would cost me to buy a good aluminum one. Is there an advantage in either material over the other? It seems to me that a steel disc is less likely to get dinged, dented, or otherwise damaged. Otherwise, one looks as good as the other as far as I can see.

The aluminum disc that I made has just enough wobble in it that I've decided to mount it on my gearmotor for low-speed work. The new one will go on the mandrel I set up to run off of my VS KMG.

 

[richard j]

i dont think it will hurt a thing. being made of steel it will hold up a lot better for sure. if i had steel plate instead of aluminum i would have used it when i made mine.

 

[Steven Penner]

Is there an advantage in either material over the other?

If you used a magnetic blade holder to hold onto the blade while grinding - the aluminum plate wouldn't try to stick to your blade

 

[richard j]

i use a magnetic holder and i'm not sure if a steel disc would be a problem. i know there would be a pull but i'm not sure if it would be enough to cause a problem. i notice somewhat of a pull from the screws holding my plate to the hub but it doesnt bother me.

 

[MeDoctor]

i use a magnetic holder and i'm not sure if a steel disc would be a problem.

Thanks Richard and Steven. I hadn't considered that. I suppose if I were trying to take off a fair amount of thickness I'd use my magnetic holder. That's what I do when thinning material on the platen of my grinder, and even though it's got a ceramic liner the blade gets sucked against it enough that I notice it. It can even be a bit of an advantage at times -- as long as I'm anticipating it. The effect would be much stronger on a disc (unless I had a backing pad on it).