Which belt grits?

[Diane Allen]

I have a belt sander on the way and need to order some belt.
Any suggestions on what grits I need to have?

[Marty]

Like so many issues here on WG, it depends. What will you be doing with the WBS? Rough work, finishing? Occasional use or production?
Belts are cheap enough to keep a range on hand- I have 60, 120, 220, 400 (I don't go any further than that in my shop) and order 5 of each at a time from HIS.

[Diane Allen]

Ah, so you use silicon carbide?
I was thinking I had to get diamond.
I think a full range of silicon carbide to start is a good idea, then if I feel I need diamond, I can always upgrade the grits I find I go through most.

Cheers

[jim burchett]

I use silicon carbide for sanding and have a cork belt to polish

[misteroldhouse]

Like others have said, it depends what you're doing and how you work.

I have a large 104" Somaca WBS and use 180 & 220 for almost everything. I can fire polish anything out from 220 grit. Occasionally I'll use a 120.

That said, when I was using a much smaller Covington, it seems like I needed heavier belts...i.e. 80 grit - 220 grit and they'd not last as long....so, again, depends on what you have and how you work.

I definitely would not get diamond belts (have you seen the prices on diamond?) until you're absolutely certain what you use the most of. I use CRL silicone carbide belts and pay around $30 for 5 of them and they last a long time...

Good luck! Larry

[Morganica]

I typically use diamond only for rough-in--it cuts fast and leaves a lot of scratches. I generally get about 100-120 grit depending on what's available. That lets me remove a lot of material quickly, then I switch over to softer abrasives like SiC as I get closer to the final size.

[Marian]

HIS Glass has the nicest 3M belts. I agree, 120-220 will fire polish on the slump cycle.

[Haydo]

Belts, I thought you all told me to use a hammer and chisel. That must be where I'm going wrong. peace, haydo