4 x 48 Metalworking Sanding Belts, 6 PACK

Weld blending, plate-edge chamfering and heavy deburring on a 4" belt grinder call for a belt with enough backing and the right grain to take real pressure. These 4" x 48" metalworking belts are offered in four grains so you can match the belt to the metal: ceramic for stainless and hardened steel, zirconia for carbon steel, Zirconia+ with a grinding aid for stainless and aluminum that run hot, and cloth A/O for soft metals and every finishing grit from 150 to 600.

They come six to a pack, converted in Anaheim, California, on cloth backings that can be run wet or dry. If your grinder takes another 4" length, we make it to order in about 3 days.

• Four grains: ceramic, zirconia, Zirconia+ grinding aid and cloth A/O
• Y-weight poly-cotton backing under the metal grains for high-pressure grinding
• Grinding-aid option cuts heat on stainless and stops aluminum from loading
• 24 through 600 grit covers weld removal to pre-polish on one belt size
• 6-pack suits a fabrication shop that runs one or two grits hard
• Converted in Anaheim, California; free shipping on orders over $200

Which of the four grains belongs on your 4" x 48" grinder?

A 4" wide belt gives you a broad contact patch, which is good for blending and flat work but means the grinder has to supply more force per pass than a 1" or 2" machine. Pick the grain by both the metal and the horsepower behind it.

• Ceramic: stainless, hardened tool steel, titanium and nickel alloys on grinders with the power to keep it loaded, typically a 2 HP or larger industrial belt grinder or backstand. Its orange-red grain fractures continuously and keeps a near-constant cut rate through its life. On a light bench sander it glazes, so match it to the machine.
• Zirconia: mild and carbon steel, weld knockdown, plate edges and general fabrication. Green or blue grain that self-sharpens under moderate-to-heavy pressure and costs less than ceramic. Stocked in the 24–120 range where zirconia works.
• Zirconia+ (Grinding Aid): the same zirconia grain with a lubricating top coat over the resin bond. Use it on stainless where heat tint is the enemy, on aluminum and other metals that load a plain belt, and on any grinder that runs a little light on power, because the lower friction lets the grain keep fracturing.
• Cloth A/O: brown aluminum oxide on poly-cotton. The choice for aluminum, brass, bronze and copper, for forgiving work on light bench machines, and the only grain offered from 150 through 600 grit for finishing and pre-polish.

Grit guide for weld blending, deburring and finishing on a 4" belt

On aluminum start no coarser than 60 unless you are levelling a heavy casting, use Zirconia+ or cloth A/O with a grease stick, and finish at 120–220 before any surface conditioning belt. Do not skip more than one grit on parts that will be seen or coated.

What machines take a 4" x 48" belt?

• 4" bench and pedestal belt grinders used in fabrication, welding and machine shops for deburring, weld blending and plate edge work.
• 4" backstand and platen grinders in production deburring cells, the class of machine that has the power to run ceramic properly.
• 4" belt and disc combination sanders whose manual specifies a 48" belt. This is a different length from the common 4" x 36" hobby combo, so check the manual or the old belt before ordering.

Check the inside of the belt for a direction arrow and mount it accordingly. On a grinder with a platen and a contact wheel, do flat blending and chamfers on the platen and heavy removal on the contact wheel. Run a dedicated metal-rated dust collector or wet collection; never share a collector with wood dust. Wear a face shield; a 4" belt at speed throws a lot of sparks and swarf.

How to get the most out of it

1. Load the metal grains. Ceramic, zirconia and Zirconia+ only stay sharp when pressed hard enough to fracture. If the belt goes shiny and stops cutting, push harder or move to a fresh belt; another light pass just makes heat.
2. Keep the part moving. Sweep across the belt width so it wears evenly and so no spot on the part dwells long enough to blue. On stainless, quench in water between passes.
3. Run steel fast, aluminum slow. Use the grinder's higher belt speed for steel. Drop the speed for aluminum, use Zirconia+ or cloth A/O, and rub a grease stick on the running belt so chips do not weld into the coat.
4. Run wet when the machine allows. The Y-weight poly-cotton under the ceramic, zirconia and Zirconia+ belts and the poly-cotton under the cloth A/O both tolerate coolant, which is the simplest fix for heat tint and loading.
5. Blend welds in stages. Knock the bead down with 36 or 40, bring it flush with 60 or 80, and blend the surrounding area with 120 so the repair disappears rather than sitting in a dip.
6. Store belts hanging and dry. A folded 48" belt takes a set at the fold that shows up as a bump on every revolution.

Use it for / don't use it for

Use it for

• Grinding weld reinforcement flush on steel and stainless fabrications
• Chamfering and deburring flame-cut, plasma-cut and sheared plate edges
• Cleaning up castings, forgings and heat-treated parts
• Deburring and finishing aluminum extrusions and machined parts with Zirconia+ or A/O
• Prepping metal for paint, powder coat and polishing on the fine A/O grits

Don't use it for

• Ceramic on a low-power hobby sander; it will glaze and burn the part
• Zirconia or Zirconia+ above 120 grit when a finish is the goal; switch to cloth A/O
• Machines that call for a 4" x 36" or 4" x 24" belt; those will not tension a 48" belt
• Sharing a dust collector between wood and metal grinding

Specifications

Frequently asked questions

Related products and guides

• All sanding belts
• Narrow sanding belts collection
• 4" x 36" Metalworking Sanding Belts, 9 pack
• Grease stick for sanding belts and band saws
• Custom sanding belts made to order in about 3 days