43" x 75" Metalworking Sanding Belts, 2 PACK

Metal fabrication houses that run a Powermatic WB-43, an SCM wide belt sander or a Safety Speed 4375 on plate and sheet need a belt built for that machine class, not a wood belt pressed into service. These 43" x 75" metalworking belts are made with those shops in mind: zirconia with a grinding aid for mild steel and general fabrication, ceramic for stainless and hardened steel, and cloth aluminum oxide for aluminum and for every finishing grit from 150 through 600.

All three grains are coated on a premium polyester-cotton cloth that runs in both wet and dry applications, so the same belt works on a coolant-fed deburring head or a dry machine with a metal-rated collector. We convert them in Anaheim, California and pack them two to a box.

• Fits Powermatic WB-43, SCM and Safety Speed 4375 class 43-inch wide belt sanders
• Zirconia, ceramic and cloth AO on one 43" x 75" size, 24 through 600 grit
• Premium polyester-cotton backing runs wet or dry and holds length under drum pressure
• Grinding aid in and on the zirconia keeps steel and stainless cooler under load
• Ceramic holds a constant cut on 304/316 and hardened plate until it is spent
• 2-pack format; case pricing and custom lengths on request

Which grain should a fab shop run on a 43-inch wide belt sander?

A 43-inch class machine has the horsepower to load any of these grains, so the decision comes down to the metal, the heat it can tolerate and the finish the part leaves with.

• Zirconia (green or blue belt): the general fabrication grain for mild steel plate, A36, tube and weldments. It micro-fractures under drum pressure and keeps cutting through the coarse and medium range. Ours carries a grinding aid in the resin bond and a second one coated on the grain, which cools the part and slows loading, so it also handles stainless when ceramic is more than the job needs. Stocked 24, 36, 40, 60, 80, 100 and 120 grit on this size.
• Ceramic (orange-red belt): for 304 and 316 stainless, hardened and tool steel, and heavy plate where tint or warping is unacceptable. Ceramic renews its cutting points continuously and removes stock cooler and faster than zirconia as long as the machine keeps it under load. Stocked 24, 36, 40, 60, 80 and 120 grit.
• Cloth A/O (brown belt): heat-treated aluminum oxide on the same polyester-cotton cloth. The grain for aluminum plate and sheet, brass and copper, and the only grain in this listing at 150, 180, 220, 320, 400 and 600. Stocked 36, 40, 60, 80, 120, 150, 180, 220, 320, 400 and 600 grit.

Above 120 grit, every belt is cloth AO whatever the metal. Note that this size has no 50 grit in any grain, so step 40 to 60 and keep the passes light.

Grit guide for plate, sheet and laser parts on a 43" x 75" belt

Do not skip more than one grade between belts. On aluminum plate, start at 60, keep belt speed down and finish at 120–220 before a surface conditioning belt or anodizing.

What machines take a 43" x 75" belt?

Common 43" x 75" wide belt sanders named on our original listing for this belt:

• Powermatic WB-43 wide belt sander
• SCM wide belt sanders that specify a 43 x 75 inch belt
• Safety Speed 4375 wide belt sander
• Other 43-inch industrial wide belt sanders of the Timesaver 43 class, and deburring and graining machines for parts up to 43 inches wide

On any of these, run metal only with a metal-rated dust collector fitted with a spark arrestor, or wet collection. Width must match exactly; length on most machines tolerates about plus or minus a quarter inch and the tracking oscillation centres the belt in that window. If your machine calls for a different length, we make 43-inch wide belts to order in about three days. Check the inside of the belt for a direction arrow before mounting and run it that way if one is printed.

How to get the most out of them

1. Separate metal from wood dust. Many 43-inch machines started life on wood. Steel sparks or fine aluminum in a collector that still holds wood dust are a fire risk; use a dedicated metal-rated collector or wet collection before the first metal part goes through.
2. Load the grain. Zirconia and ceramic self-sharpen only under pressure. Set a real depth of cut and keep the feed steady; a shiny belt and a warm part mean the cut is too light or the belt is spent.
3. Take welds down in passes. Two or three passes at 24–40 remove a crown without heating one face of the plate and bowing it.
4. No dwell. Stopping the conveyor under the head blues stainless and leaves a low spot in any metal.
5. Drum for removal, platen for finish. Coarse grits on the contact drum, 150 and finer on the platen for a flat, uniform scratch.
6. Aluminum runs slower. Lower belt speed, cloth AO or grinding-aid zirconia, and a grease stick on the running belt when it loads. Clean with a crepe eraser rather than pressing harder.
7. Run wet where the machine allows, and store spare belts hanging on a wide peg away from humidity and sunlight; let cold belts warm before mounting.

Use it for / don't use it for

Use it for

• Deburring laser, plasma and waterjet parts up to 43 inches wide
• Weld knockdown and levelling on mild steel plate and weldments
• Removing mill scale and heat tint from stainless sheet before graining
• Directional graining on stainless and aluminum with cloth AO
• Finishing aluminum plate and pre-polish to 600 grit

Don't use it for

• Metal on a machine whose collector still holds wood dust
• A finish from zirconia or ceramic above 120 grit; switch to cloth AO
• Ceramic at light pressure; it glazes and heats the part
• Running with a lifted joint or against a direction arrow

Specifications

Frequently asked questions

Related products and guides

• 43" x 75" Sanding Belts for wood, 2 pack (aluminum oxide and zirconia)
• 43" x 75" Surface Conditioning Belts for the final brushed pass
• 44" x 75" Metalworking Sanding Belts, 2 pack
• Grease stick for sanding aluminum and non-ferrous metals
• Custom sanding belts made to order in about 3 days