Belt Sander

[markfitz]

Belt Sander:
- Belt size - 6" x 48"
- Belt speed - 1260 ft/min
- Motor size - 3/4 hp
- Motor speed - 3460 rpm
- Roller spacing - 20" nominal





Sanding Belt tension and tracking adjustment


I made this belt sander from an 8" bench-top grinder from Harbor Freight. With a 20% off coupon, it only cost me $40, which is a lot less than I would have paid for just a 3/4 hp motor on its own. The first parameter that must be established is the belt speed that you want. I settled on something around 1200 to 1300 feet per minute. The motor speed of 3450 rpm dictated a reduction between the motor and the Drive Roller in order to have a practical roller diameter. I reduced the Drive Roller speed by 1.9:1 down to 1816 rpm. A roller diameter of 66 mm (2.6") gave me a belt speed of 1260 ft/min. Belt rollers were made from 9 layers of Baltic birch plywood. I crowned the rollers in the middle by .060" to help the belt tracking. I tried to keep everything simple with the sanding belt tension and tracking adjustment, as shown in the picture.