What are the SMOOTHEST running belts you use?

i4Marc

i4Marc

Joined
Oct 19, 2011
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I'm interested in which belts you use that have the least (or none) seam jump. I'm particularly curious about the lighter weight belts in grits above 120X or so.
 
Hermes J-Flex (the blue ones) ... BEWARE--they will stretch out and wobble like crazy if you leave them tensioned on your grinder for an extended period of time. Always hang them up when you're finished grinding.
 
Norton Blaze so far, but just starting to get into higher end belts.

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Don Hanson III said:
Yellow Klinspors. Gators are smoother but don't cut aggressive enough for me.
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Are you talking about the Klingspor 312 J flex? Yellow with blue backing? I use 2-3 dozen of those a week, they're one of my favorite belts. But I find the splice bump on them to be pretty horrendous.


EDIT: To the OP: I think the blue Hermes J-Flex belts have the least splice bump for a flexible fine grit belt. The Klingspor does a better job overall (better abrasive), but if you're looking for a smooth grinding belt you might give them a look. I don't like them as well because they don't stay flat, don't last very long, and have less consistent grading with their grit, but their backing is relatively low bump. :thumbup:
 
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Nathan the Machinist said:
Are you talking about the Klingspor 312 J flex? Yellow with blue backing? I use 2-3 dozen of those a week, they're one of my favorite belts. But I find the splice bump on them to be pretty horrendous.
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Yes, the splice bump don't bother me much because the belts get-er-done quick enough. :cool:
 
Don Nguyen said:
The Trizact Gators for me are incredibly smooth, but they're not exactly the thin, light ones.
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Same here..I tried that coin test on our grinder with the gators running just for fun. I could lay as many on edge as I wanted and not a one would fall over..
 
Don Hanson III said:
Yes, the splice bump don't bother me much because the belts get-er-done quick enough. :cool:
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That they do :thumbup:

You're the one who turned me on to them years ago. They're an integral part of my process now.
 
In 120 the Cubitron II 947a
Gator A160 (100grit) A65 (240g) A45 (400 grit)

Cork with and without compound 220, 400, 800 grits

I have a lot of the Hermes blue in 220 and 400 but now mainly use them for handle work.
 
Thanks fellas. I wanted to ask about longest lasting, most aggressive cutting and stays flat but didn't want to limit the responses. I need to order some belts and your responses will give me a good starting point. Usually the descriptions on the websites will mention how they cut and how long they last but they rarely mention the seam bump.
 
Just to narrow it down a bit, I'm talking about belts between 220x and 600X. They don't need to be J flex.
 
Are there any stiff belts in that grit range? They seem to all be J above 220, unless they're different backing like the mylar belts.
 
I also like the Hermes j flex and use them in 150,220,400. They also work well for handles. They aren't the longest lasting but at around $3 they are hard to beat. Like previously stated don't leave them under tension or they will wobble like crazy.
 
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