3" x 168" Metalworking Sanding Belts, 4 PACK

Long-bed edge sanders, stroke sanders and long belt grinders run a 3" x 168" loop for one reason: the length lets the belt cool between passes and gives a long, flat platen for long parts. Put a metal grain on that loop and you have a machine for deburring flat bar, blending weld seams on rails and frames, and straightening the edges of aluminum extrusions and sheet-metal blanks. These 3" x 168" metalworking belts come in ceramic, zirconia, Zirconia+ with a grinding aid and cloth A/O, from 24 to 600 grit.

Sold as a 4-pack and converted in Anaheim, California, on cloth backings that can run wet or dry. If your machine uses another 3" length, we make it to order in about 3 days.

• Ceramic, zirconia, Zirconia+ grinding aid and cloth A/O on a 168" loop
• Long belt path runs cooler and lasts longer per belt than short loops of the same grain
• Y-weight poly-cotton backing under the metal grains holds tension over 14 feet of belt
• 24 through 600 grit: weld seams, edge deburring and pre-finish on one machine
• 4-pack keeps a coarse and a finish grit on hand for a long-bed machine
• Converted in Anaheim, California; free shipping on orders over $200

Which grain should you run on a 3" x 168" edge or stroke sander?

Edge and stroke sanders were designed for wood, and many shops put metal parts on them. The grain that works depends on how much pressure the operator can apply through the platen or pad and on the metal.

• Ceramic: orange-red grain for stainless flat bar, hardened steel and heat-sensitive alloys on a machine with enough motor to keep the grain fracturing. On a long platen you can lean into it, and the long loop keeps the heat manageable. If the belt glazes, the pressure is too light for ceramic; step to Zirconia+.
• Zirconia: green or blue grain for mild and carbon steel bar, tube, frames and weld seams. It self-sharpens at moderate pressure and costs less than ceramic. Stocked from 24 to 120 grit, the band where zirconia belongs.
• Zirconia+ (Grinding Aid): zirconia with a lubricating top coat over the resin bond. The right coarse grain for stainless on a wood-class edge sander, for aluminum extrusions that load a plain belt, and for any machine that runs a little light on power.
• Cloth A/O: brown aluminum oxide on poly-cotton. The grain for aluminum, brass and bronze at every grit, and the only grain we offer from 150 through 600 for pre-finish and graining passes along a long edge.

A common pairing on a long-bed machine is Zirconia+ 60 or 80 to deburr and straighten the edge, then cloth A/O 150 or 220 to leave a uniform grain line ready for anodizing, paint or powder coat.

Grit guide for long edges, seams and extrusions

On aluminum start no coarser than 60, dress the running belt with a grease stick and finish at 120–220. Never skip more than one grit on visible edges; a long edge shows every scratch that the next grit failed to remove.

What machines take a 3" x 168" belt?

• Long-bed oscillating edge sanders with a 3" belt and a 168" belt path, used in cabinet and millwork shops and, with these grains, for metal edge work.
• Horizontal stroke sanders where the belt runs continuously and the operator presses a pad down onto the moving belt over a long table.
• Long belt grinders and backstand machines built for finishing bar stock, tube and long fabricated parts.

Confirm 3" width and 168" length in your machine manual; we make other lengths in this width to order. Check the inside of the belt for a direction arrow before mounting. A 168" belt is long enough to twist while you thread it, so hang it and let it relax before tensioning, and track it carefully so the edge rides just inside the platen. Use a dedicated metal-rated dust collector or wet collection; steel or aluminum dust in a wood-dust collector is a fire risk, and a wood edge sander normally has exactly that kind of collector attached.

How to get the most out of it

1. Load the coarse grains. Ceramic, zirconia and Zirconia+ only stay sharp under pressure. On an edge sander that means pressing the part into the platen with intent; on a stroke sander it means real pressure on the pad.
2. Keep the part moving along the belt. Slide long parts steadily across the platen so no section dwells. Dwell is what blues stainless and leaves a dip in an aluminum edge.
3. Slow down for aluminum. Use a lower belt speed if the machine has one, run Zirconia+ or cloth A/O, and rub a grease stick on the running belt so extrusions do not pack the grain.
4. Use the whole face. Oscillation spreads wear on an edge sander; on a stroke sander move the pad so the same 3" strip is not doing all the work.
5. Run wet where the machine allows. The Y-weight poly-cotton under the metal grains and the poly-cotton under the cloth A/O tolerate coolant.
6. Clear the collector before switching materials. Empty wood dust before grinding metal on the same machine, and never let sparks reach a bag of sawdust.

Use it for / don't use it for

Use it for

• Deburring and straightening the edges of steel, stainless and aluminum flat bar and sheet blanks
• Blending weld seams on long frames, rails, railings and tube assemblies
• Finishing aluminum extrusions before anodizing or powder coat
• Putting a linear grain along long stainless trim and panels
• Long-part deburring in shops that already own an edge or stroke sander

Don't use it for

• Wood, plywood or MDF; our 3" x 132" and other wood edge-sander belts are the right product
• Zirconia or Zirconia+ above 120 grit when a finish is the goal; switch to cloth A/O
• Grinding metal into a wood-dust collector
• Ceramic at light pressure on an underpowered machine

Specifications

Frequently asked questions

Related products and guides

• All sanding belts
• Narrow sanding belts collection
• 2" x 168" Metalworking Sanding Belts, 6 pack
• 3" x 132" Sanding Belts for wood edge sanders, 4 pack
• Custom sanding belts made to order in about 3 days