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Thread: Is a ceramic belt the best for metal finishing?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Location
    Highland, Maryland
    Posts
    163

    Is a ceramic belt the best for metal finishing?

    Hey folks, I'm making infill planes and I need some more sanding belts. I thought I had book marked a site that claims expertise but it seems to have disappeared with one computer crash. Anyway, some sites claim ceramic belts are best but seem to be twice as expensive as aluminum oxide, zirconium, etc. Is ceramic the best? Worth the extra Money? My limited research is not giving me good answers. TIA...

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Location
    Highland, Maryland
    Posts
    163
    Likely not good form to reply to my own post, but I went ahead and ordered ceramic belts for my current project. I'm surprised no one had experience or even offered conjecture on the value of these, but we will see....

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Sep 2016
    Location
    Modesto, CA, USA
    Posts
    9,811
    It depends on if you use coolant for sanding. I have some diamond belts I got cheap but no wet sander.
    Bill D.

  4. #4
    Where did you get your diamond belts? Do you know if they come in 2" x 72"? I'm trying to find a belt to grind carbide.

  5. #5
    Have used them both metabo makes the best ones I have found they even have a convex disc for inside corners that works great the ceramic does also seem to last longer for your money

  6. #6
    aside from woodworking I have a hobby (obsession?) of knifeworking.
    Absolutely they make many zirconium or ceramic 2x72 belts, that's sort of the prime knifemaker's belt size.
    What grit are you looking for?
    Here's some places to look:
    https://www.mscdirect.com/browse/tn/...741+4288239687
    many knifemakers swear by red label:
    https://www.amazon.com/Metal-Grindin.../dp/B00H8YWTG4
    "combat abrasives" is good
    https://www.combatabrasives.com/prod...15338600366146
    https://www.abrasiveresource.com/2-x...lts-s/1880.htm

    Tru-grit is a great source for that size:
    https://trugrit.com/product-category...-by-size/2x72/

    I've heard and use the recommendation: norton blaze for lower grits, then norax for higher. super high and ultra high grits are really polishing, either jewelers rouge and buffing wheels, or aluminum oxide. Trizact (3m) belts get pretty high up there if you're going for a mirror polish. If you like brushed, Scotch-brite pads are very popular (grinding wheel or drill)

    Carbide is Very hard, i'd try both silicon carbide and ceramic, SC is hard and re-reveals sharp edges as you push into it.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Apr 2017
    Location
    Michigan
    Posts
    2,754
    Jerry
    You offer some very good info here. You should repost it to the meander forum.

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