What you Need to Know About Sanding Belt

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The sanding belt is the most important part of the belt sander since its the part that is in contact with the wood. It scraps off layers and layers of unwanted materials off the wood leaving it smooth. There is a variety of sanding belts so don't just assume that they are all the same and pick a random one for the project you want to do. They vary in size and the most popular sizes are 1"by 30",2" by 72",4" by 36" and the largest and most efficient which is 6" by 48".There are four abrasive grains and these are:

Aluminum oxide sanding belts. This is the most popular 6 x 48 sanding belt today. It has a  characteristic red/brown color. It gained it's popularity due  to its affordability, its high efficiency and durability. It can be used with any kind of belt sander and produce really great and professional work with aside variety of materials. 

Zirconia Alumina sanding belts. These are blue in color and are used in high pressure machining and grinding applications. They are also really tough and have an advantage of self sharpening which saves you your precious time. 

Ceramic grit sanding belt. These belts are uniform in structure and break down surfaces in a controlled manner. They are also self sharpening. They work well on heat sensitive materials since they carry it the coolest grinding. They last for a really long time too. 

Silicone carbide sanding belt. Natural silicone carbide is long, thin and really sharp. The sanding belt is therefore covered in tiny blades which get the job done quickly. They are good in making a bright cut and polishing stone but cannot carry out high pressure applications. This is because they are brittle and can break easily. 

You need to choose the right size of grit if you want the job to be completed perfectly. The heavier the job, the courser the sanding belt to be used. For the heaviest of work use 40-60 grit. When smoothing surfaces and removing small blemishes use 80-120 grit. For finishing work and polishing use 350-600 grit. 

Now that you have known all these it's essential to know how to use the sanding belt well. 

Always keep the sanding belt clean. When you don't clean the sanding belt regularly, material loads onto it making it less efficient in carrying out its job. 

Protect yourself. When using the sanding belt and lot of materials are suspended in the air and may affect your eyes or cause respiratory problems. Wear glasses ,a face shield and even a respirator to protect yourself  

Inspect your sander. Ensure that the rollers to ensure that there are no divots or bumps to avoid uneven sanding across the belt. 

When using a power hand sander, ensure that the thing you are working on is firmly clamped and unable to move to avoid any non linear pattern and having to redo the process. 

Use a pencil to make guidelines on the surface to give you visual clues in the sanding process. 

Knowing all the above information about a sanding belt, go ahead and look for a company with experience ,quality service and high quality sanding belts for you.