Vintage Belt grinder "backing plate" ?

[mawrick]

Anyone know if the "backing plates" (the metal thing the belt slides over) is something that is "avalable" in different sizes, or if this is a custom piece?.

Also what type of metal would this normally be made out of:

 

[lilredex]

Probably mild steel. Take it out and have a good look at it....you can maybe bend up a new one if needed. Hard to see exactly what you have from those pictures.

Usually, belt sander platens are are faced with replaceable graphite cloth to lubricate and absorb the wear.

http://stockroomsupply.ca/shop/graphite-cloth-2644.html

 

[catalytic]

What you're calling a 'backing plate' is called a platen. They are almost always made out of mild steel. The exception is that, if you plan to use your sander for knifemaking and you plan to use it a lot, you may want to put a different wear surface on it like lilredex suggests above.

However, pretty much every single metalworking and woodworking sander comes with a platen that's made of mild steel (everything from Burr King to Delta) with no extra wear surface. Personally, I own a lot of sanders and belt grinders, and I don't bother with extra wear surfaces -- mild steel has never let me down, as I don't spend 5 hours a day grinding.

That's good news for you... get a suitable piece of *cold rolled* 1018 mild steel (or pretty much any steel will work fine) and make your own replacement.

 

[mawrick]

Thnx will have a look at that

 

[2oolhound]

That does look like a skin bolted on top of the platen. My cheap 42" belt grinders always have a thin metal platen, nothing like what you have with a thin strip right on top of a heavy plate. From what I can see it looks like you can adjust the angle of the front AND back of the heavy main platen (2 pieces?) which would make the top skin arc in different degrees. Can you post a photo of the whole machine? Is there a name on it.

 

[mawrick]

That does look like a skin bolted on top of the platen. My cheap 42" belt grinders always have a thin metal platen, nothing like what you have with a thin strip right on top of a heavy plate. From what I can see it looks like you can adjust the angle of the front AND back of the heavy main platen (2 pieces?) which would make the top skin arc in different degrees. Can you post a photo of the whole machine? Is there a name on it.

I'l see if I can get a whole picture of it, sadly I don't think there is any name/markings on it, but according to someone on the net it might be an older model "Scantool" from what I'v been able to find out.