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Old 06-04-2017, 07:08 PM
jimmontg jimmontg is offline
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Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Now live in Las Cruces NM.
Posts: 1,345
Well You want to start with 50 grit or 60 for taking the steel down. Do Not mix steel and wood belts btw unless you want steel chips in your wood. Then you want some 100 grit to clean up the deep grooves made by the 60 grit. Don't go cheap on the belts, use ceramic for metal and zircon and AO for handles . I have belts all the way up to 15 micron which is like 1200 grit, it clogs up fast, but I don't recommend it to you as its really just a polishing belt. Buy a belt cleaner and buy belt lube for your ceramics, they will run cooler. Some belts already have the lube in them.

But you want belts to at least 400 grit and you also want a fine scotch brite belt for satin finishes. Don't worry about the price as SB belts last practically forever almost unless you put the edge up and cut the belt. Do not put the edge up with a scotch brite belt, it will catch and possibly hurt you, edge down. Other guys here can tell you what they like. I use AO belts, but only for wood or brass, they just don't last long. Remember the finer the grit the faster it clogs up, so use your belt cleaner.

My 1x42 I can wet grind with so I buy silicone carbide belts and 8" discs. You probably know it as wet-dry sandpaper. Don't mess around with rock grinding unless you have a background in lapidary. The dust will kill you if grind dry. That reminds me, get a good respirator with good particle filters at the least. I use HEPA filters which block all dust particles. As I said I have my grinders on a cart and take them outside, the dust will make a mess out of your garage if you don't stay on top of it. So a good wet dry vac is in order as well.


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