Thoughts on 4x36 belt grinder?

[AllenV]

I have had a 1-inch Delta belt sander for 20 years. It gets a lot of use but my projects have out grown it.

Specifically I am planning to build a stainless steel exhaust system for my F100 and need to true-up band-saw-cut miter joints prior to TIG welding. I want nice tight seams. Seems to me a 4-inch belt grinder would work well on a 2 to 3-inch 14g 304SS pipe. I also have a lathe stand to build out of 2" square mild steel tube with mitered and welded joints.

I have been hunting around and this Jet unit seems a good compromise of what is needed to be my belt grinder for the next 2 decades and the need to control cost.

Jet Combination 8 in. Industrial Grinder and 4 in. x 36 in. Belt Sander 1 HP 115-Volt, IBGB-436 578436 - The Home Depot

The IBGB-436 Combination 8 in. Grinder and Belt Sander is engineered with industrial strength construction, sealed bearings, and a powerful enclosed 1 horsepower motor meant for heavy usage. The combination

www.homedepot.com

It has a 1 HP motor and a fixed belt speed of 3769 SFPM. A variable speed version is available for $250 more. Is variable speed worth that?

So what are the pros and cons? Other tools out there? Grizzley has some interesting stuff but the shipping makes them much more expensive than the Jet.

Of course I COULD build one but that just becomes one more project in the way of getting to what I want to do. I already have projects stacked up to my time horizon.

Another alternative that costs nothing is to square up all the miter joints on my mill, using a 4-inch long cutter. That seems doable but is likely to be unwieldy for longer pipes and not-straight sections that need trimming. (EDIT: Also could get dicey for very short pieces and pie-cuts.)

I turn the floor over to you. Thoughts??

 

[C-Bag]

FWIW, Jet is overpriced and $800 for a combo grinder that doesn’t have a disk grinder is useless for me. I use the disk more than the belt personally. Especially for squaring up stock. YMMV.

 

[MrWhoopee]

I put a belt grinder in the list of 5 Essentials. I prefer a 6x48 with a 9" disc, but a 4" would actually suffice for almost all of what I do. Mine is an old Craftsman that is difficult to get tracking properly, but for $125 it has been worth every penny and gets used a lot. I made a combo 90/45 guide and I keep the table carefully squared in the vertical. I use a 60 grit belt and 80 grit disc. Lots of things get the ends ground and chamfered on it instead of milling. It's also a fast way to radius the ends/corners on non-critical parts.

I don't see the value in variable speed, but then I've never had it.
Trying to use a long cutter to square the ends of thin wall tube sounds like pain, if not a recipe for trouble. Truing miters involves rotating the vise, then indicating back in after. Grinding will be much faster for both square and miters.

If I find myself looking to replace the Craftsman, I will look for a Delta, Powermatic or similar old iron floor standing unit.

 

[Eddyde]

I have a 6x48 it is the most used abrasive machine in my shop. The 3x36 would probably just be enough for 3" tubing. A little more width is nice so you can move the part around to avoid over heating and clogging the belt.

 

[bill70j]

Grizzly has a nice 3450 belt/disk grinder, but it's pretty pricey.

If you're in no hurry and want a fun project, you can build the belt side of the Grizzly referenced above. You could find a 2 speed motor -- which would give you capability to work metal as well as wood -- and get whatever parts you need from Grizzly for that machine.

Those are my thoughts, FWIW.

 

[GeneT45]

I don't see the value in variable speed, but then I've never had it.
Trying to use a long cutter to square the ends of thin wall tube sounds like pain, if not a recipe for trouble. Truing miters involves rotating the vise, then indicating back in after. Grinding will be much faster for both square and miters.

I have a variable-speed bi-directional Burr-King and the utility of both of those features elude me to this day.

GsT

 

[RaisedByWolves]

The price on that unit is insane.

Find a $40 one off of FBMP and call it a day.

 

[MrWhoopee]

I have a variable-speed bi-directional Burr-King and the utility of both of those features elude me to this day.

GsT

Doesn't it resharpen the abrasive by running it backwards?

 

[AllenV]

FWIW, Jet is overpriced and $800 for a combo grinder that doesn’t have a disk grinder is useless for me. I use the disk more than the belt personally. Especially for squaring up stock. YMMV.

Jet has a twin model with the disk grinder instead of wheel. But I've had a disk grinder on the little Delta for ages and never use it.

 

[AllenV]

The price on that unit is insane.

Find a $40 one off of FBMP and call it a day.

I'd love to buy used. Been looking off and on on C-List for a while with no luck. I'd have to put on my big-boy pants and log on to FB to try FBMP.

New Mexico is not a hot bed for re-homing tools