Belt or disc

[Dabbler]

The MultiTool that came on my 6” Jet bench grinder has belt and disk sander. I don’t leave the belt on it as 99% of the time the wire brush or the disk sander does the jobs I need. I have a new HD cast iron rest on the disk with a nice miter gauge and it even more handy. I use high end disks and the first one has lasted me for over a year now.

HA! I did the exact opposite! My 6X48 I bought in around '85 has never had the disc on it. Partly the disk was very small, and then there's finding and adhering disks to it... Belt changes on it are a pain, as it as no quick release, so there's that. I have a second 6X48 that has no provision for a disc...

I have been buying Klingspor belts.

I'd suggest anyone ehre to check out Red Label abrasives. They use quality belting from 3M and others, and they take care to make their belt joins right. I've had badly joined belts from 3M and Norton, but never Red Label.

I cannot remember which comment above talked about rounding because of the belt not touching the platen. This is not usually the case. On both my 6X48 sanders, and on my 1X40 the belt is always in intimate contact with the backing plate (platen).

 

[RaisedByWolves]

I have a Sears 6 x 48 sander with a buggered upper drum. I would love to see what you did to reengineer the drum and bearings if you wouldn't mind?

I’ve had a few of these and IMO it’s not worth fixing. The belt tracking on them is absolute crap and difficult to adjust and keep adjusted.

I kept buying as I would always see them for cheap and figured I would find a “Good one” someday, then I realized why they were always so cheap.

 

[woodchucker]

I cannot remember which comment above talked about rounding because of the belt not touching the platen. This is not usually the case. On both my 6X48 sanders, and on my 1X40 the belt is always in intimate contact with the backing plate (platen).

That would be me, and it's more of an issue with wood, than metal. With a disc you get a flatter cut, with a belt, there may be slight rounding.

 

[woodchucker]

I’ve had a few of these and IMO it’s not worth fixing. The belt tracking on them is absolute crap and difficult to adjust and keep adjusted.

I kept buying as I would always see them for cheap and figured I would find a “Good one” someday, then I realized why they were always so cheap.

I don't know, mine is a dunlap, And works great. It was pure junk , a rusted piece of metal, with just parts.. The rest is fantastic, not like many with a rod.

 

[Larry$]

I have a Sears 6 x 48 sander with a buggered upper drum.

I made a visit to the local junk yard & found a chunk of steel large enough. Bought replacement inch bearings from Motion Industries local outlet. At the time I didn't have any metal working equipment so... made a drawing of what I wanted and took it to an old guy with a lathe. The weight?? of the steel smoothed out the running. The bearings in the original Sears one were placed close to the center because it was a die cast part. I put the bearings at the outside ends where they made more sense. I just copied the taper on the original and added a bit more. It tracks better.
Both of my Craftsman sanders track just fine! But both have had their, end, rollers replaced by steel and better tapers. The belts run tight to the platten.

 

[MrWhoopee]

I also have a Craftsman. The tracking adjustment is truly crap. I finally have it tracking straight. Not on center, but straight. It likely won't stay that way. Tried increasing the crown with electrical tape, made no difference.

 

[C-Bag]

HA! I did the exact opposite! My 6X48 I bought in around '85 has never had the disc on it. Partly the disk was very small, and then there's finding and adhering disks to it... Belt changes on it are a pain, as it as no quick release, so there's that. I have a second 6X48 that has no provision for a disc...

This is why I love these discussions here on H-M. Everybody has their way of working and totally different machines and needs. It’s one of the few times you can see what somebody else uses without it being inferred their way is better. And see the popular “in” thing isn’t really that great.

Until I got the deal on the Jet/MultiTool I’d never used a disk. Most of the belt sanders at work were trashed because of roaming idiots and the disks were always in tatters. So it was a revelation to have something that worked. The disk is I guess proprietary as it’s 9” and the belt is 3x36. The cheap first belts and disk were meh. The MultiTool belt is/was super easy to change and track. But that’s because it had this awful little rest that was useless for precision work. For years all I used was the wire wheel as that was part of my process. Then I got the zirconium belts ,disk and the polishing kit and that was a game changer. Recently I stumbled onto a cast iron tool rest with nice sized guide slot and now I’m really in business . I have to remove the rest to install the belts but its no biggie.

 

[woodchucker]

Mine are straight wheels, no crown.
Tracks excellently. Can be vertical or horizontal.
Sears (Dunlap)

 

[RaisedByWolves]

I don't know, mine is a dunlap, And works great. It was pure junk , a rusted piece of metal, with just parts.. The rest is fantastic, not like many with a rod.

Pic?

Could be a different animal.


EDIT: looks like this version is revamped to improve the tracking adjustments.

 

[woodchucker]

Pic?

Could be a different animal.

Look at the post 1 up above.