1-1/8" x 21" Surface Conditioning Belts (Non-Woven), 10 PACK
1-1/8" x 21" Surface Conditioning Belts (Non-Woven), 10 PACK
Available in stock (49991)
The Makita 9031 electric belt file is the tool fabricators, railing installers and boat builders carry to the job, and this is the belt that finishes the weld after the coated belt has knocked it down. A 1-1/8" x 21" non-woven belt cleans the heat tint off a stainless handrail joint, blends a ground weld into the tube, deburrs a cut end and leaves a directional satin, all one-handed and on site. It also fits the 3M 33575 file belt sander named on our original listing.
We convert these in Anaheim, California and pack 10 of one grade per box. Grades are colour-coded so you can pick one out of the tool bag without reading: Coarse is brown, Medium is maroon, Very Fine is blue and Ultra Fine is grey.
- Fits the Makita 9031 belt file and the 3M 33575 file belt sander
- Nylon web with aluminum oxide grain cleans and blends welds without gouging the tube
- Coarse, Medium, Very Fine and Ultra Fine, 40-60 through 320-400 grit finishes
- Reinforced scrim backing survives the small contact wheel on a belt file arm
- Runs cool and resists loading on stainless, aluminum and painted steel
- 10 belts per pack; free shipping on orders over $200
Which grade should you carry for a Makita 9031?
All four grades share the same construction; the grain size sets the finish. On site, two grades cover most work.
- Coarse (brown, 40-60 grit equivalent): weld spatter, scale and rust on steel railings, gates and frames, old paint around a repair. It is the only grade that removes real material, so on stainless tube keep it moving or leave it in the bag.
- Medium (maroon, 80-120 grit equivalent): the first belt to reach for. It takes the heat tint off a TIG or MIG weld on stainless, blends the 80-120 grit scratch from a coated file belt into the tube, and evens the surface of a steel weldment before paint.
- Very Fine (blue, 180-240 grit equivalent): the #4-style satin that matches mill-finish stainless handrail, marine fittings and architectural tube. Run it along the tube after Medium and the repair disappears into the factory finish.
- Ultra Fine (grey, 320-400 grit equivalent): a finer satin for polished-look stainless and aluminum, and the last step before buffing. Few converters offer this grade as a file belt.
A typical stainless handrail sequence: coated 120 grit to level the weld, Medium to clean the heat-affected zone, Very Fine along the tube to blend. Carry Coarse only if you are working on steel with scale or spatter.
Grit guide: grade, colour and equivalent finish
| Grade / colour | Use it for | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Coarse / brown | Spatter, scale, rust, old paint | Roughly 40-60 grit; removes some material |
| Medium / maroon | Heat tint, blending, pre-paint | Roughly 80-120 grit |
| Very Fine / blue | #4-style satin on handrail and tube | Roughly 180-240 grit |
| Ultra Fine / grey | Fine satin, pre-buff | Roughly 320-400 grit |
Read the numbers as the scratch the web leaves, not as a removal rate. A brown belt removes far less than a 60 grit coated belt, which is what lets it clean around a weld without flattening the tube profile.
Which machines take a 1-1/8" x 21" belt?
- Makita 9031 electric belt file, the tool this size is best known for.
- 3M 33575 file belt sander, named on our original listing for this belt.
- Other 1-1/8" x 21" belt files and file sanders. If your tool takes a 1-1/8" x 21" coated belt, this belt fits it.
Mounting on a belt file: pull the arm release lever, slide the belt over the drive and contact wheels with any direction arrow on the inside pointing the way the belt runs, release the lever and run the tool briefly while adjusting the tracking knob until the belt sits centred. The web is thicker than a coated belt, so a tracking adjustment is normal when you change types. The slack run between the wheels is what makes a belt file useful on tube: the belt wraps the joint instead of flattening it.
How to get the most out of it on a belt file
- Use the speed dial. The Makita 9031 has variable speed; run non-woven belts in the lower half of the range. On a single-speed tool, compensate with lighter pressure and short passes.
- Light pressure. A belt file is easy to lean on because it is one-handed. Do not. The web works by contact; pressure folds it, heats the tube and tears the belt in minutes.
- Wrap the tube with the slack. Angle the arm so the unsupported belt conforms to the joint. Rotate around the tube in overlapping passes rather than parking on one spot.
- Finish with the grain. For the final Very Fine pass, stroke along the length of the tube or rail so the satin lines up with the mill finish.
- Come in from 120-220 grit. Non-woven refines a coated scratch; it will not remove a raw weld bead or 36-60 grit gouges.
- Keep the belt off the neighbouring finish. Mask or shield adjacent glass, painted surfaces and polished trim; the web throws fine debris.
- Store spare belts in the pack, flat and dry, in the tool case.
Use it for / don't use it for
Use it for
- Cleaning heat tint and discolouration from stainless handrail, gate, marine and food-service welds
- Blending ground welds and grinder marks into tube, bar and sheet on site
- Deburring cut ends and drilled holes on stainless, steel and aluminum
- Removing spatter, light scale and rust from steel fabrications before paint
- Restoring a directional satin on scratched stainless fittings
Don't use it for
- Knocking down a raw weld bead; use a zirconia or ceramic coated file belt first
- Removing deep scratches from coarse belts or grinding discs
- Producing a mirror on its own; follow Ultra Fine with a buffing wheel and compound
- Full speed with heavy pressure, which destroys the belt and blues the stainless
Specifications
| Size | 1-1/8" x 21" |
|---|---|
| Type | Non-woven surface conditioning belt |
| Abrasive grain | Aluminum oxide in resin-bonded nylon web |
| Backing | Reinforced scrim |
| Grades offered | Coarse (40-60), Medium (80-120), Very Fine (180-240), Ultra Fine (320-400) grit equivalents |
| Colour code | Brown, maroon, blue, grey |
| Pack quantity | 10 belts of one grade |
| Wet or dry | Dry; light lubricant acceptable on aluminum |
| Verified fit | Makita 9031; 3M 33575 per original listing |
| Converted in | Anaheim, California |
| Custom sizes | Made to order in about 3 days |
Frequently asked questions
Does a 1-1/8" x 21" surface conditioning belt fit the Makita 9031?
Yes. The Makita 9031 belt file runs a 1-1/8" x 21" belt and this non-woven belt mounts exactly like the coated belts made for it. Our original listing also named the 3M 33575 file belt sander. Because the web is thicker than cloth, plan on a small tracking adjustment after you fit it.
Which grade removes heat tint from a stainless handrail weld?
Medium (maroon). Run it around the joint at reduced speed with light pressure until the straw-to-blue band is gone, then switch to Very Fine (blue) and stroke along the tube to blend the cleaned area into the mill satin. If the weld was ground first, the coated belt should have taken the surface to 120 grit before you start.
Can I use it one-handed on site without damaging the tube?
That is what the belt file is for. A 1-1/8" x 21" non-woven belt removes almost no stock, so it will not flatten a tube profile or thin a wall the way a coated belt can if you dwell. Keep the pressure light and the tool moving around the joint, and use the slack of the belt to wrap the tube.
What speed should I run the Makita 9031 with a non-woven belt?
Use the lower half of the speed dial. Non-woven belts finish better and last longer below coated-belt speed, and a slower belt puts less heat into thin-wall stainless, which is what causes fresh heat tint while you are trying to remove the old. Increase speed only if the belt is not cutting the tint at all.
Will it work on aluminum railings and boat fittings?
Yes. The nylon web does not load with aluminum the way a coated belt does. Use Medium to blend and deburr, then Very Fine or Ultra Fine for a satin that matches anodized or brushed aluminum. A light wipe of oil or wax on the belt keeps soft alloys from smearing. Stainless and steel run dry.
How is this different from your coated 1-1/8" x 21" belts?
Coated belts carry grain on cloth and are made to remove metal: grinding a weld flush, shaping a cut end, taking out the previous scratch. This non-woven belt carries the grain in a nylon web and removes almost nothing; it cleans, blends and finishes what the coated belt left. Most field kits carry both.
How many belts come in a pack and what are the shipping terms?
Each pack has 10 belts of one grade. Orders over $200 ship free and unused belts in original packaging can be returned within 30 days. For crews running several belt files, case pricing and mixed-grade orders are available by calling 714-646-3299 or emailing sales@maverickabrasives.com.
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