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Disc / Belt Sander

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kooldino

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Jan 2, 2010
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South Jersey
I'd like to pick up one of those Disc / Belt sanders.

I'm told that a 6" disc is too small and not to waste my time.

I'm also told to find one that doesn't require tools to change sanding belts, so I don't have to fool around for an hour adjusting things.

I don't want to spend a ton, I just want something half decent.
 
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iandh

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Apr 23, 2010
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I snagged a Craftsman 6x48" belt and 9" disc unit at sears for half off a while back, for $125 from $250.

If you can snag a deal on it, it's a much more solid unit than the harbor freight version. Honestly I think it's probably worth full price.

It's a really nice unit, in fact I like it better than the $600 jet we had at my old work.
 
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atari

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Carroll, Ohio
I have the ryobi version. Its got it because you can set the belt angle were ever you want without tools. You cant do that with the c-man.
 
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rsanter

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Dec 22, 2007
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visalia ca
the size you need depends on what you are going to be doing
small stuff needs a smaller machine that medium stuff
you can do small stuff on a medium sized machine, but sometimes its a little more dangerious.

do you have a tablesaw?
if you do that make a disc sander disc that can be put into the tablesaw
I have one and it works great. got by that way for many years and the nice thing is that you will have a nice large table surface to work with.

for a belt sander (edge sander type) I have one of the RIGID oscillating spindle/belt sander.
this is a great machine for $200. I highly recommend it

I picked up a c-man belt disc unit for $50 off craigslist and other than being a bit dirty looked hardly used


bob

View media item 1435
 
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Abbott

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I'm not sure what your needs are but Ridgid makes an excellent oscillating combination edge belt/spindle sander. It's an incredibly useful and well built tool for $199.00.
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rigid-spindle-sander-small.jpg

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3208821262_671814c7d4.jpg


The belt and the spindles (several sizes of spindles) both oscillate up and down.
 
T

toymn6366

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Dec 19, 2007
Messages
1,096
Location
georgia
rsanter said:
the size you need depends on what you are going to be doing
small stuff needs a smaller machine that medium stuff
you can do small stuff on a medium sized machine, but sometimes its a little more dangerious.

do you have a tablesaw?
if you do that make a disc sander disc that can be put into the tablesaw
I have one and it works great. got by that way for many years and the nice thing is that you will have a nice large table surface to work with.

for a belt sander (edge sander type) I have one of the RIGID oscillating spindle/belt sander.
this is a great machine for $200. I highly recommend it

I picked up a c-man belt disc unit for $50 off craigslist and other than being a bit dirty looked hardly used


bob

View media item 1435
Click to expand...

been thinking about using a craftsman tablesaw for a sander what did you use for a disk
 
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wreckercologist

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May 17, 2009
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cyber-tool hell
I've got a Delta 1" x 42" belt / 9" disc combo. I've had it for years and it works well, but I use the belt sander mostly. The thing doesn't have enough HP to really push the disc sander well enough for my taste. It's one of the handiest tools to have in a machine shop or fab shop. I think it was about $100.00 bucks when I bought it. BTW, the Delta is "tool free" if you don't count adhesive remover.

If money is no object, get a Kalamazoo. Pricey, but stout and domestic made. Really nice heavy duty machines.

http://www.kalamazooind.com/products/belt-sanders/

:beer:
 
N

nate379

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Feb 2, 2009
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Palmer, AK
My Dad has the C Man unit, got it about 15-20 years ago and it still has the original sandpaper on it... that's how junk it is! I don't know why he didn't send it back, just collecting dust in the basement.
 
OP
K

kooldino

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Jan 2, 2010
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South Jersey
iandh said:
I snagged a Craftsman 6x48" belt and 9" disc unit at sears for half off a while back, for $125 from $250.

If you can snag a deal on it, it's a much more solid unit than the harbor freight version. Honestly I think it's probably worth full price.

It's a really nice unit, in fact I like it better than the $600 jet we had at my old work.
Click to expand...

Do you need tools to adjust it, change belts, etc?
 
D

DougB442

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May 19, 2010
Messages
87
Location
Newport, RI
kooldino said:
I'd like to pick up one of those Disc / Belt sanders.

I'm told that a 6" disc is too small and not to waste my time.

I'm also told to find one that doesn't require tools to change sanding belts, so I don't have to fool around for an hour adjusting things.

I don't want to spend a ton, I just want something half decent.
Click to expand...

first question is - What are you going to use it for? Metal? Wood? both?

Second question - who told you a 6" is too small and why?

none of the units should require any tool to change a belt, and all should use knobs of some type or another

no matter what you buy, make sure its at least 20 years old...thats when tools were made in the US not china, tiawan, etc.
 
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Keep

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Oshawa, Ontario
Depends on what you plan on using it for.

I have a 4x36 belt/8 inch disc sander. I bought it thinking I would use it for fab in the garage. It works good up to a point, the little ones are just not built for metal fab. Granted it did the job, but melted in the process. Any sort of pressure on the belt or disc would stall the motor.

The little ones you see at HD, Lowes etc are made for wood. Wood that does not throw sparks and melt things.

If you can find an older one with a metal case, you should be okay.

Personally I just picked up a Grizzly 1x42 belt/ 8 inch disc sander. I have not used it yet but I am looking forward to it.
 
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DougB442

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Newport, RI
disc sanders are made for wood, especially the little ones. As 'Keep' posted, the little ones are all plastic, and using them on metals will cause meltdowns..

Find a combination 6x48" belt and 12" disc unit made by Delta, Powermatic, etc with a steel housing and at least a 1 HP motor...the older the better

a nice Syracuse / Porter belt grinder is what you need...
 
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kooldino

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aczr2k

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NW Minnesota
Here is the one I picked up about a month ago, made in USA right here in St. Cloud Mn. Kinda pricey at $409 but it's worth it. 2-1/2" x 48" belt, 1/2hp motor. No tools needed for belt change or tracking.

sander.jpg
 
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Vinko

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Jul 7, 2008
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Los Angeles
If you can find on CL or otherwise used, you might check for the Rockwell and/or Delta belt sanders.

The AFM 1400, I think: Abrasive Finishing Machine.

I've got one. Great stuff. Built like a tank.

Sometimes to be found cheap.

owwm.org I think for more info.
 
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Keep

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Oshawa, Ontario
**EDIT** See my post 2 down for a further review**

Okay so I set up my Grizzly 1x42/8inch belt disc sander.

First impressions:

- Mostly constructed of metal - Belt cover/rear of disc cover are the only plastic pieces
- 1/3 HP motor stalled pretty easily on 1/4 steel, using the disc and 80grit
- setup will allow use of a different motor (I have a 1hp I will probably try out later)
- Belt setup is nice, made shaping easy and did not stall the motor with moderate pressure on the belt
- sanding tables are kind of small but pretty sturdy

Overall impression:
I am happy with this sander, I would recommend for light fabrication use, anything thicker than 1/4 and it seemed to struggle.

Once I play with it some more and maybe upgrade to the 1hp motor I will report back.
 
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kooldino

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South Jersey
@ Keep - Thanks for the update. I rarely work on anything over 1/4" thick, so I may go this route. However, I'm going to give it a little more time so I can have you be the test dummy for this a little longer. :)
 
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Keep

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Oshawa, Ontario
kooldino said:
@ Keep - Thanks for the update. I rarely work on anything over 1/4" thick, so I may go this route. However, I'm going to give it a little more time so I can have you be the test dummy for this a little longer. :)
Click to expand...

Its good that you did.

I want to re-evaluate my findings. I was making some steering arms yesterday that are 3/8 steel. The 1/3hp motor is grossly underpowered when working on anything that size. Very little pressure would stall the motor on either the belt or the disc.

Luckily I had a 1 HP motor on hand, so I swapped it out. Much Much better. I could not get the disc to stall with moderate to heavy pressure. Though the aluminum disc would flex and hit the rear guard.

On the belt side, I could not stall the motor, BUT the drive wheels on the belt are a hard plastic, so instead of the motor stalling, the belt would start slipping on the wheels if you put to much pressure on it.

So for heavier metal work, I cannot recommend it anymore. It does do well on thinner steel under 1/4 inch, plastics and aluminum.

I will play with it some more, for the price of the sander $165 and additional 1HP motor $180 if I did not have it on hand. I could have bought a much bigger machine or a decent grinder belt attachment.
 
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IndyGarage

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Apr 29, 2010
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Indy
I have a 6x48 belt plus 9 inch disc that I've had for 21 years. I'm pretty sure made in China. The thing has rattled like it was going to come apart from day 1, but it never has. I use it all the time, and would replace it with a better one if it ever blows up.

Unlike others, I use the disc part almost exclusively - mostly on metal. It's fantastic for sharpening mower blades or rounding off a corner, or taking off mill scale before welding.

I have to change the belt or disc so rarely that I don't even remember how hard it is to do.

I agree with the OP that anything smaller than 9 inch disc would not be useful to me. I would go for at least a 12 inch disc on my next one. I once had a chance to use a 20 inch disc sander in a shop - wow, what a machine. I've looked at them, but rarely see them used and they run something like $2000 new.
 
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MatthewM

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Dec 20, 2009
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67
Location
Phoenix Valley (Peoria), AZ
I have a 12" direct drive disc sander (Harbor Freight) I use for steel and it works extremely well for my needs. Does anyone have a reccommended source for 12" Adhesive backed, Alminum Zirconia discs. The Harbor Freight ones do not hold their grit well with steel.

edited for clarity
 
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lilredex

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Apr 29, 2006
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5,956
Location
Toronto
Here is my 8 1/2" Homecraft disc sander. It is used for both wood and metal work. I prefer a belt drive as you can adjust the speed to suit, I find most of those disc sanders rotate too fast and easily burn things.

Originally this model was part of a (Delta) table saw package, it mounted on top and was pulley driven from below, from where the saw blade would normally be.

I have often thought of making a 12" version, but as you can see, it is still on that "to do" list.



 
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