Best Place To Buy 2x72" Belts -- Best Price?

G

Greebe

Joined
Aug 2, 2009
Messages
525
Hello all,

I am building a belt grinder and need to get some 2x72" belts for it. I live in a small town and they are not sold locally, so I will need to order them on the net.

What would be the best place to buy belts on the internet? Best service and best prices are what I am looking for.

Also recommendations for brand, type, and grits to get started would be much appreciated as well. I don't have much to spend right now on them though as most of my funds have gone towards building the grinder. I would like to be able to get a variety but not spend much more than $50 to start which I know will drastically limit what I can buy.

Thanks
Greebe
 
www.popsknifesupplies.com has a good selection, he's pretty close to you (GA) so shipping will be kept to a minimum, and Pop is good people. He is also a wealth of info. and can answer many questions about belts. Everybody has their own thoughts on belts but I believe it is better to spend a little extra money on a good belt than spend it on "bargain" belts. A good place to start would be a few 3M ceramic belts in 50X or 60X and a few in 120X. In the finer grits I love the 3M Trizact CF or "Gator" belts. I would get a few of these in A65 & A45. You may want to get a Scotchbrite belt in Blue or Gray, they give a nice satin belt finish. Hope this helps.

Darrin
 
Yeah, Pop's has good prices on belts, especially the Gators. I like trugrit as well, they carry Gators and Blaze, my main two belts. Their prices there are a bit higher, though.

I'm totally with Darrin on buying quality belts. Sticker shock be damned, I still use the first Gator belts I bought. And they have good life left. I can easily wear out a J-flex in one metal finishing session.
 
Pop's is sure good.

USA Knifemakers is good too.

Those two are the only places I get belts these days.
 
Edit; why are all these old ass posts bring brought up?
 
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USAKnifemaker.com and Supergrit.com

I'll usually go with Supergrit if I need some discs or 6x48 belts. USAKnifemaker.com has great prices and service for the 2x72, as well as grinder parts/accessories, and just about any kind of knife making supplies you might need.
 
darrin sanders said:
A good place to start would be a few 3M ceramic belts in 50X or 60X and a few in 120X. In the finer grits I love the 3M Trizact CF or "Gator" belts. I would get a few of these in A65 & A45.
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I agree 100%. Those 3-4 belt types will get you through every step of grinding a blade. :thumbup:

I haven't tried a 3M ScotchBrite belt yet but I intend to. Incidentally, Norton makes a very similar product called "BearTex"; haven't tried that in a belt but the pads are every bit as good as 3M ones.

All the suppliers listed so far are great, it's just a matter of shopping around a bit, comparing prices and shipping.
 
Thanks everyone. I looked at the sites you recommended.

As I am just getting started I want to get the best bang for the buck since most of my funds are being spent on the belt grinder. However, I do know that you get what you pay for, as I have learned the hard way by buying cheap bandsaws blades in the past and having it cost more in the long run as they fall apart quickly.

How long are we talking as far as belt life with the $7-10 belts you guys suggest, vs a less expensive belt like a Kingspor or those from Supergrit?

javand-- How do you think the Supergrit belts compare to others you have tried? Do they hold up well? Do you know who are they actually made by?

Also it was suggested to get the Trizact CF "Gator" in the finer grits. What grits do you suggest? Should I use all Gators?

Thanks again,
Greebe
 
Greebe said:
Also it was suggested to get the Trizact CF "Gator" in the finer grits. What grits do you suggest? Should I use all Gators?
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I use Gators in 160 grit and A45 - which I believe is about 320-400 grit. I love 'em, both for the even clean results they give and how long they last. Haven't had a chance to try other Gators yet.
 
I just switched to the 3M 967's and the Gator's. The difference they make in the long run is amazing. Aluminum Oxide belts are good for handles and sheath edges but suck for long term steel grinding. 967's last and last....They are a great belt...And as Salem said, the Trizact belts seem to last forever. With the extra dollar or two you spend on the belts will reward you in the long run.
 
javand said:
Well, my opinion may be useless, but I sort of agree and disagree with what everyone else is saying here.

On the one hand, I definitely recommend the Trizact Gator belts, and buy them wherever I can get the best price, however, as far as Zirconia or Ceramic belts go, I just buy the ones that supergrit sells, which tend to be cheaper than the alternative. I like the zirconia belts because they seem to work well once they get a bit dull for doing wood shaping, unlike the ceramics (even though the ceramics last logger for steel). Although I guess once I've got enough of those saved up, I'll just get ceramics.

Structured abrasives like the gators are always going to be expensive, but they last forever, but they don't eliminate the need for some course grit ceramic or zirc belts for rougher shaping work. Although I've heard tell some people being happy with the course AO belts (which can be had for like $20 per 10), for rough grinding on annealed steel.

I always hear people say "time is money, so I buy the best belts", which may be true depending on your situation, but I find it's easy to setup everything I've been working on during a day or evening to anneal over night. Time is only money if you're actually using that time to make money IMHO. Sleeping ain't money.. although it sure is nice. Of course, if you're doing spheroid anneals in a high amp drawing HT oven, then I guess it's different. I let vermiculite do the work for me though and save the electricity.
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javand,
I like supergrit for lots of products and I order from them all the time, but their prices on 2x72 zirc belts aren't that great. You can get Norton Norzon zirc belts from USA knife Maker for less than the generics at supergrit. Look into it.
 
jonnymac44 said:
javand,
I like supergrit for lots of products and I order from them all the time, but their prices on 2x72 zirc belts aren't that great. You can get Norton Norzon zirc belts from USA knife Maker for less than the generics at supergrit. Look into it.
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How are the Supergrit ceramic belts? Are they better than the zirc's?
 
I guess that I should have stated in the OP that I will be using these belt on 4140 hawks and 1084 blades. I noticed that the only 3M ceramic belt that specified carbon blades was the 963G which is being phased out I guess. For my application, would the zirc belts be better or should I still stay with ceramic? Also I will need the belt grinder to finish hickory tomahawk handles. Should I have dedicated A/O belts for this?

Thanks again
Greebe
 
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