I've been on a bit of a quest for a good belt grinder recently. I've got a multitool 2x36 unit attached to a Baldor 7307 1/2hp grinder that I restored, and it is good (https://www.garagejournal.com/forum...grinder-version-awesome.555837/#post-11612797).
I also restored a 10" Baldor Grinder and a vintage Atlas 5010 grinder and combined them together (https://www.garagejournal.com/forum...ration-and-modification.557217/#post-11613921). I tried a Grizzly G1276 belt disc combo, but I didn't like the large footprint or the belt tracking adjustment (relies on a spring for generating tension and it was not consistent, resulting in the belt chewing into the side covers).
I really liked the build quality and the belt tracking of the Atlas 5010, but the 3.25" diameter drive wheel makes it hard to get it up to the higher feed speeds of 5,000+ surface feet per minute (SFPM) optimal for metal grinding. So I thought a Rockwell Delta 6x48 belt sander might be the right tool to suite my needs given its larger drive wheel (5.5" diameter), positive belt tension and tracking adjustment like the Atlas, and solid cast iron build quality. I missed out on a Delta for $150 locally, but it was also missing the side and top covers and some other parts, which are available, but not cheap to replace. I put out feelers on a local metal worker list serve I'm on and found a complete one local to me for a fair price (I actually paid the seller more than he was asking). It was an ex Boeing tool (not uncommon in the Seattle area) with a 1979 build date going from the serial number.
My original plan was to try mounting it to a Baldor 10" buffer not unlike what I did with the Atlas. On a 3600 rpm buffer, the belt on the Delta 6x48 sander would be running just under 5,200 SFPM. Unfortunately the bigger Baldor buffers are less common than the grinders and cost more money. I was not able to find a good deal on a 10" buffer (1.5 hp and 3,600 rpm), so I considered using the sander as it was intended on a base with a motor and drive belt. I had a sheet metal stand with 1hp motor that my sander came with, but I was not a fan of the floor space it took up or the aesthetics of it.
I also restored a 10" Baldor Grinder and a vintage Atlas 5010 grinder and combined them together (https://www.garagejournal.com/forum...ration-and-modification.557217/#post-11613921). I tried a Grizzly G1276 belt disc combo, but I didn't like the large footprint or the belt tracking adjustment (relies on a spring for generating tension and it was not consistent, resulting in the belt chewing into the side covers).
I really liked the build quality and the belt tracking of the Atlas 5010, but the 3.25" diameter drive wheel makes it hard to get it up to the higher feed speeds of 5,000+ surface feet per minute (SFPM) optimal for metal grinding. So I thought a Rockwell Delta 6x48 belt sander might be the right tool to suite my needs given its larger drive wheel (5.5" diameter), positive belt tension and tracking adjustment like the Atlas, and solid cast iron build quality. I missed out on a Delta for $150 locally, but it was also missing the side and top covers and some other parts, which are available, but not cheap to replace. I put out feelers on a local metal worker list serve I'm on and found a complete one local to me for a fair price (I actually paid the seller more than he was asking). It was an ex Boeing tool (not uncommon in the Seattle area) with a 1979 build date going from the serial number.
My original plan was to try mounting it to a Baldor 10" buffer not unlike what I did with the Atlas. On a 3600 rpm buffer, the belt on the Delta 6x48 sander would be running just under 5,200 SFPM. Unfortunately the bigger Baldor buffers are less common than the grinders and cost more money. I was not able to find a good deal on a 10" buffer (1.5 hp and 3,600 rpm), so I considered using the sander as it was intended on a base with a motor and drive belt. I had a sheet metal stand with 1hp motor that my sander came with, but I was not a fan of the floor space it took up or the aesthetics of it.
