4" x 148" Sanding Belts, 3 PACK

Over twelve feet of 4" belt is a stroke sander and long-bed edge sander length, the machines where an operator works a pad or a platen against a continuously running belt to flatten and finish long parts. Metal shops use them on aluminum extrusions, stainless panels and steel plate, which is why this 4" x 148" is a metalworking listing: Ceramic, Zirconia, Zirconia+ (Grinding Aid) and Cloth A/O, on Y-weight polyester and poly-cotton cloth that runs wet or dry.

Woodshops running a 4" stroke sander on tabletops and cabinet doors use the aluminum oxide belts at 80 through 150. We convert these in Anaheim, California, three to a pack, 24 through 600 grit.

• Stroke sander and long-bed edge sander length; a 148" loop runs cool and lasts
• Ceramic and zirconia for steel and stainless; Zirconia+ for heat-sensitive stainless and aluminum
• Cloth A/O for wood, non-ferrous metal and every grit from 150 to 600
• Y-weight polyester and poly-cotton backings resist the flexing a long belt sees on every revolution
• Three belts per pack; wet or dry on every grain
• Converted in Anaheim, California; free shipping on orders over $200

Which 4" x 148" belt should you choose?

On a stroke sander the operator controls pressure with a hand pad, so the grain has to match both the material and how hard you will press.

• Zirconia: steel plate, weld seams, heavy flattening on hardwood. It needs moderate-to-heavy pad pressure to keep fracturing and self-sharpening; run it light and it dulls. Stocked 24 through 120 on a Y-weight polyester-cotton backing, wet or dry.
• Zirconia+ (Grinding Aid): zirconia with a topical grinding aid over the one in the resin. On a long belt working a stainless panel or an aluminum extrusion it keeps the contact area cool and stops loading, so the finish stays even along the whole length. Y-weight polyester, wet or dry.
• Ceramic (Shredder): the orange-red belt for stainless, hardened steel and high-alloy plate. Continuous renewal of the cutting edges gives the fastest, coolest stock removal and the longest working life on hard metal, provided you press hard enough to make it fracture.
• Cloth A/O: the wood belt and the finishing belt. Aluminum oxide cuts hardwood, veneer, MDF, aluminum and brass cleanly at light pad pressure and gives the most uniform scratch, and it is the only grain we carry above 120 grit, so the 150 through 600 belts are aluminum oxide. Poly-cotton cloth, wet or dry.

Grits vary by grain; the selector shows what is stocked. For a woodworking stroke sander, aluminum oxide 80, 120 and 150 covers almost every job.

Grit guide for stroke sanding metal and wood

What machines take a 4" x 148" belt?

We have not verified individual models against the 4" x 148" size, so confirm the belt size in your manual before ordering. This length belongs to:

• Horizontal stroke sanders with a 4" belt running between two drums over a long table, where the operator presses a felt or graphite pad onto the back of the belt.
• Long-bed oscillating edge sanders built around a 4" belt for cabinet doors, panels and long extrusions.
• Long belt grinders and deburring machines in metal shops that specify a 4" x 148" belt.

Mounting: back off the tension, carry the belt to the machine coiled (a twelve-foot belt dragged across the floor picks up grit and creases), slide it over both drums grain side out, check the inside of the belt for a direction arrow before mounting and run it that way, re-tension, then turn it by hand and set tracking centered. Re-check tracking after the first minute under load. Other 4" lengths are made to order in about 3 days.

How to get the most out of it

1. Keep the pad moving. On a stroke sander the belt runs continuously and the pad decides where it cuts. Parking the pad dishes wood and blues stainless in seconds.
2. Use light pressure and let the length work. A long belt cools between passes; you do not need to lean on it the way you would on a short bench belt, except with zirconia and ceramic on steel, which still need enough pressure to fracture.
3. Overlap strokes along the part and across it so the scratch pattern is even and no ridge forms at the pad edges.
4. Step grits in order. On wood: 80, 120, 150 or 180 and stop before stain. On steel: 36 or 60, 80 to 120, then 180 to 320 in aluminum oxide for graining.
5. Lubricate aluminum with a grease stick on the running belt or use the Zirconia+ belt; loading on a long belt is expensive.
6. Keep dust extraction strong and clean aluminum oxide belts with a crepe belt eraser while running at low pressure.
7. Never share a collector between wood and steel; sparks in fine wood dust are a fire risk.
8. Store belts hanging in their coil, away from humidity, and let a cold belt warm up before mounting.

Use it for / don't use it for

Use it for

• Flattening and finishing tabletops, cabinet doors and glued-up panels with Cloth A/O
• Graining and blending stainless panels and long trim with Zirconia+ or ceramic
• Finishing aluminum extrusions and sheet without loading
• Weld seam and mill scale removal on steel plate
• Long edges on doors, counters and solid surface

Don't use it for

• Zirconia or ceramic on wood; it tears the grain and burns, use Cloth A/O
• Grits finer than 220 on wood before stain
• Ceramic on a machine where you cannot apply firm pad pressure
• Dragging or folding the belt; a creased long belt never tracks properly again
• Running against the direction arrow or with a lifted joint

Specifications

Frequently asked questions

Related products and guides

• All sanding belts
• 4" x 168" Sanding Belts, 3 pack for longer stroke sanders
• 4" x 132" Metalworking Sanding Belts, 6 pack
• Belt eraser for clearing loaded belts
• Custom sanding belts made to order in about 3 days