WBS Belts

[Craig Parker]

The I need to buy some belts for my WBS (North State opened-ended 16") which I bought two years ago. I haven't using it too much so I am just finishing the last belts I bought with the sander. I am a WBS newbie so I need some advice about:

1. Where can I buy WBS belts (17" x 54")? I am a hobbyist and don't use too many belts a year.
2. Is it better to buy better belts with the idea that they will last longer or can I get away with cheaper belts?
3. Is it better for me to buy cloth or paper?
4. Which brands are consider good belts?


Thanks!

[Scott T Smith]

Many commercial plants use Klingspor cloth backed belts. It doesn't cost much more to buy high quality belts. Usually they recommend not buying more belts than you will use in a year, as the glue on the taped seams can break down.

Having said that, I'm on year 3 with my Klingspor belts w/o a problem.

[Carl Beckett]

I just replaced a conveyor belt, and after posting here received this recommendation:


http://www.industrialabrasives.com/

They custom made the belts to the dimensions I wanted, and it was $10 (vs almost $80 for a replacement belt on Amazon). Amazing. There was a minimum order of $20 so I bought two......

[Erik Loza]

Klingspor or 3M is what we reccommend for our widebelts. Hope this helps.

Erik Loza
Minimax USA

[David Kumm]

Klingspor or 3M is what we reccommend for our widebelts. Hope this helps.

Erik Loza
Minimax USA

Do you recommend the blue or regular belts? Dave

[Erik Loza]

I'm not enough of an expert with widebelts to give any sort of an answer on that. Kind of like glue pellets for edgebanders: A chemist I am not but there are a couple of different brands of pellet that are pretty much "the standard". I just know that when it comes to abrasive belts, they always use Klingspor or 3M and also (this may not be germane to an open-ended sander like the gentleman's), the lighter color the belt, the better, since it is easier for the IR eye to calibrate the belt with. At least with our WB's.

LOL, not sure if that was any kind of answer but it's what I know!

Erik Loza
Minimax USA

[David Kumm]

Erik, still good info. Another question to ask that I would not have thought about. Dave

[Cary Falk]

I just replaced a conveyor belt, and after posting here received this recommendation:


http://www.industrialabrasives.com/

They custom made the belts to the dimensions I wanted, and it was $10 (vs almost $80 for a replacement belt on Amazon). Amazing. There was a minimum order of $20 so I bought two......

I use them for my drum and 6x89 belt sander. I am very happy with the quality and prices.

[Rick Lizek]

I've been purchasing for commercial shops for over 25 years and theres's many good brands. Most places DO NOT buy from just Klingspor and 3M. There's Hermes, Carborundum and many more large players in the field.

As others have suggested industrialabrasives.com is your best bet. They have the lowest minimum on custom belts and they have a year Warranty on their belts. Many others won't do less than a dozen custom belts at a time,
Don't buy too far ahead as the glue joint on belts tend to weaken over time. They have good belts and great prices overall. It's a smallfamily company and when you call ypu will be talking to one of the owners. They can pretty beat prices of all the other guys, Anyone who says Klingspor is better and cheaper really hasn't done the research. Fresh off the turnip truck would be the expression and don't confuse it with the clearance dumping of seconds in the Klinspor store. Prices are always good on 1st quality products at Industrial Abrasives!!!!!

[Jim Andrew]

I bought some 3M belt sander belts for my handheld belt sander, and the tape wore out before the abrasive did. Haven't had any of my wbs belts break though. The ones I got from Grizzly were all taped. Does anybody still make the belts where the backing is overlapped and glued? Never broke those things.

[Rick Lizek]

Bidirectional belts are fine and actually better as you can reverse them for more life and if Bubba puts one on backwards there is no premature breakage . You don't know how old they were and are confusing cause and effect. We just bought a new used edge sander and had the same thing happen. New belts worked fine the belts that came with the machine were old and the joint was weak from age...

[Craig Parker]

Rick, another newbie question - which is the correct way to put on a belt? Clockwise or counter-clockwise? I not sure from the arrow on the belt, which looks like it could be put on either way.

[Rick Fisher]

I have been using Fuji Star belts and they are good.. I would love to find a supplier of 3M belts in my area..

The belts are made when you order.. So they are fresh.. I have a buddy in town with the same size machine, we split boxes of 150 .. 4 or 5 belts each ..

[Rick Lizek]

Observing and common sense. Overlapping splice requires you use the arrow to be in the direction of rotation. Taped joint is bidirectional and can go either way. I don't follow your thought process?!?! How you can interpret the arrow to go either and make no mention of the splice defies logic...

[Jim Andrew]

Taped joints have arrows going both directions. Bidirectional.

[Rick Lizek]

Usually belts have arrows going one direction. Manufacturers sell to different distributors who may use a directional splice or bidirectional tape splice.

[Jeff Duncan]

So nobody's tried belts from Hafele yet? I switched my ROS discs to them a couple years ago as they were cheaper and better quality than some of the other discs I was using. Their prices on belts were really good too! I'm still using the belts that came with my machine so haven't tried them out yet. Klingspor seems much more geared towards hobbyists....I haven't seen any commercial shops around my way using them!

FWIW belts are usually good for a few years....at least all the ones I've been using! I know some of the belts I got with the machine have to be over 5 years old and haven't broke one yet.....oops.....now I've done it:eek:

JeffD