13" x 32" Sanding Belt, 4 PACK

Short, 13-inch-wide belts like this one run on compact wide belt sanders, the machines small cabinet shops, guitar builders and school shops use to thickness-sand panels without a full-size industrial sander. These are closed-coat aluminum oxide belts on poly-cotton cloth, cut to 13" x 32" and packed four to a box in one grit.

Aluminum oxide is the material we recommend for wood on a machine this size: it cuts cleanly at the modest pressure a small sander can apply, and it is offered here from 36 grit for calibrating rough stock to 320 grit for a final pass on veneer and figured hardwood. Cloth backing means the belt can also be used dry on aluminum, mild steel and composites. We convert these in Anaheim, California.

• Closed-coat aluminum oxide: about 25 percent more grain on the cloth than open coat, so longer life on hardwood and MDF
• Poly-cotton cloth backing tracks true on short-belt machines and does not tear at the joint
• Nine grits, 36 through 320, so one listing covers calibrating, surfacing and final finishing
• 4-pack in one grit keeps a spare on the shelf for the grit you change most
• Same cloth runs wood, aluminum, mild steel and composites
• Converted in Anaheim, California; free shipping on orders over $200

Which grit should you choose for a 13-inch wide belt sander?

Every belt in this listing is A/O - Aluminum Oxide, closed coat. The old version of this page also described zirconia, but zirconia is not stocked in 13" x 32"; if you need it for steel plate we can run it as a custom order. For wood, aluminum oxide is the better grain anyway. Choose the grit by what the machine is being asked to do.

• 36 grit: calibrating rough-sawn boards and glued-up panels to thickness. Short belts heat up faster than long ones, so keep passes shallow.
• 60 grit: dimensioning, flattening glue lines and planer tear-out.
• 80 and 100 grit: general surfacing once the panel is flat. 80 is the first belt on most work that arrives planed.
• 120 and 150 grit: pre-finish. 120 is the usual stopping point for paint-grade MDF and plywood.
• 180 and 220 grit: final pass before stain or clear coat on solid hardwood. Do not go finer than 220 on wood that will be stained.
• 320 grit: final pass on veneer, guitar tops, figured maple and work that will be clear-coated or oiled, and a light finishing belt for aluminum and brass.

Grit guide for wood on a small wide belt sander

What machines take a 13" x 32" belt?

• Compact 13-inch wide belt sanders, the benchtop and small floor-standing machines sold for hobby and small-shop panel sanding. The 32-inch belt length is what most of these machines call for; check your manual, since length tolerance on most wide belt machines is about plus or minus 1/4 inch.
• Small shop and school wide belt machines that were originally supplied with 13-inch belts. The old page called these "timesaver machines"; in the trade that name covers wide belt sanders in general, not one brand.

Mounting notes: slide the belt on with the abrasive out, tension it, and set tracking with the oscillation running so the belt swings evenly either side of centre. Look inside the belt for a direction arrow before mounting; if there is one, run it that way. A belt that runs to one edge on a short machine will fray at that edge quickly. If your machine needs a different length, we make custom sizes in about 3 days.

How to get the most out of it

1. Take light passes. On a small machine, 1/64 inch per pass at 36 to 60 grit and less as the grit gets finer. A 13-inch sander does not have the horsepower to bury a coarse belt in the wood.
2. Keep feed speed up. A slow feed gives the belt more time on each spot and that is what burns. If the finish is burning, speed the feed up before you drop the table.
3. Never skip more than one grit. 36 to 60 to 80 to 120 to 180 to 220. Missing a step leaves deep scratches under a surface that looks finished until the stain goes on.
4. Run strong dust collection. Loading is what kills wide belts. If the belt looks glazed and brown, it is packed with dust, not worn out.
5. Clean the belt on the machine. Hold a crepe-rubber belt eraser lightly against the running belt to pull dust and resin out of the grain, especially after pine, cherry or MDF.
6. Feed panels at a slight angle when the machine allows it, so the belt wears across its full width instead of in a track the width of your work.
7. Store belts hanging or loosely rolled, off the floor, out of sunlight. Short belts that sit folded develop a flat spot that thumps against the drum.

Two guides from our blog cover the most common trouble calls we get on this size: why wide sanding belts break and chatter marks and finish problems on wood.

Use it for / don't use it for

Use it for

• Thickness-sanding glued-up panels, cutting boards, drawer fronts and guitar bodies
• Flattening and surfacing solid hardwood, plywood, MDF and veneered panels
• Removing planer marks, snipe and glue lines
• Light finishing of aluminum, brass and composites at 120 grit and up
• Mild steel at 36 to 80 grit where a zirconia belt is not on hand

Don't use it for

• Heavy weld knockdown or steel plate as a daily job; that is zirconia work, available as a custom size
• Wet sanding; these are dry-use belts
• Running a belt with a lifted joint or frayed edge
• Finishing finer than 220 on wood that will be stained
• Deep passes on a small machine; the belt will burn and the motor will bog

Specifications

Frequently asked questions

Related products and guides

• All wide sanding belts
• 16" x 48" Sanding Belts, 3 pack
• 9" x 48" Sanding Belts, 4 pack (aluminum oxide and zirconia)
• Belt Eraser for cleaning loaded belts
• Custom sanding belts, any size, made in about 3 days