Disc/Belt Sander Recommendation……

[Annia PalmerParticipant @anniapalmer22032]

Hi Folks,

My friend Jon wants to start small size of the workshop. That's why he needs 6" disc/belt sander with suitable price. He wants 4.3 Amp motor, 4/36 inch belt and 6/6 inch disc and with dust bag collection.

Any suggestion???

Advance thanks for your reply.

[Annia PalmerParticipant @anniapalmer22032]

[mechman48Participant @mechman48]

I have one of these & it works well for me… does all the materials I have given it

https://www.machinemart.co.uk/p/clarke-cs4-6e-belt–disc-sander/

​or if you're not doing large areas…

https://www.machinemart.co.uk/p/cbs1-5-belt-disc-sander/

George.

[Richard MarksParticipant @richardmarks80868]

Machine mart 6" x 4" machine is very good but the dust extraction system is useless, now mine is out of warranty I shall rebuild it so that there is a separate outlet for the disc and another for the belt, I use a flexible hoover cleaner hose to connect to the outlet in use at the time, this system worked admirably on my previous machine until it died and I had to get a new one.

[David Standing 1Participant @davidstanding1]

Posted by Annia Palmer on 10/01/2018 10:17:20:

Hi Folks,

My friend Jon wants to start small size of the workshop. That's why he needs 6" disc/belt sander with suitable price. He wants 4.3 Amp motor, 4/36 inch belt and 6/6 inch disc and with dust bag collection.

Any suggestion???

Advance thanks for your reply.

What is his budget?

[Clive FosterParticipant @clivefoster55965]

Can't recommend the 4" belt & 6" disk type with the motor neatly enclosed in the base. As Richard says the dust extraction system isn't up to the job and eventually fine dust builds up sufficiently inside the motor to damage it. First sign is poor starting where the motor runs for a few moments then stops. Usually takes the RCD down at the same time. Will apparently run OK on second or third try but motor will already be damaged beyond repair. Progresses to the point of only running for a few minutes at time and, finally needs bit of help to get it going before it pops.

Went through 3 motors in maybe 15 years on my Draper version, same thing as Clarke but different badge and minor details, before giving up and getting a decent RHJ Morrisflex vertical 6" wide belt one on a proper vacuum base. Silly expensive even at the bargain price I got it for but lightyears better performance than the affordable imports. As is so often the case the affordable models are made a little too cheaply and simply don't work very well. Maybe £20 on the price to cover a bit more engineering would make for an adequate tool. In retrospect my lightly reworked Picador belt sander was three times the tool that the Draper belt and disk one was. The Picador was designed down to a dirt cheap price but solid, uber simple, basics left just enough room for improvement. But I thought I needed the disk. Yeah, like about 1 1/2 times a year.

If I were to get an import I'd go for one with an external sealed motor. Dust collection will be even more rubbish but the motor should survive. When you finally get fed up with lacklustre abrasive performance and the belt running off line at every opportunity, all the ones of that type I've seen are capable of being re-worked into something halfway decent.

Do get good belts and don't try the "12 for the price of 4" bargain multi pack offers unless you are going to go through lots of belts. Lower end ones don't seem to last more than a couple of years in store before becoming very prone to wear and easy tear.

Clive

[Clive FosterParticipant @clivefoster55965]

On overnight reflection my best guess estimate is that the sander motors were lasting between 500 and 1000 operating hours before failing. More towards low end than high methinks.

Obviously motor life is probably going to depend on what you are doing and what grade of belt you usually use. Mine got pretty much anything and everything plonked on it for cleaning up. Used more coarse and medium belts than fine ones. Something like 2 coarse and 2 medium to every fine although due allowance needs to be made for using what I had when the last preferred one snapped or tore before wearing out.

Realistically many folk would probably be happy with around 1,000 hours of motor life. Say 10 years at 2 hours a week. Ought to do somewhat better than that if you take the bottom off and give it a really good clean out every year, taking the motor out if necessary to attend to the bits other beers can't reach. Best done outside wearing a dust mask and a set of those cheap plasticy "DIY decorators" overalls. A truly miserable job with loads of 'orrible fine dust floating around.

Clive.

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

I'd suggest the type of belt sander/disc sander that fits on a standard bench grinder.

Ian S C

[OldironParticipant @oldiron]

I have had one similar to this **LINK** for 10 years and it still works great. It is use quite often and when doing my house renovations was invaluable. Other makes are available.

Edit  I fitted my own dust extraction to it.

 

regards

Edited By Oldiron on 12/01/2018 12:09:42

[egaParticipant @ega]

If you decide to go for the belt only type then I can recommend this one:

http://www.axminster.co.uk/axminster-trade-series-bs648-belt-sander-501212

I have had one for several years and am happy with it. A modest amount of re-working was needed to get it running to my satisfaction.

I must say that at its present price it seems expensive, however.

[JourneymanParticipant @journeyman]

I have the Warco BDS 460 belt and disc sander, very similar to many other available brands. As others have said open frame motor in the base not ideal and dust extaction not the best. Definitely needs extraction otherwise the workshop is covered in dust very quickly. Belts as supplied are a bit lumpy as the join goes under the work but I believe there are better belts with a smoother join. Did a bit of a *** REVIEW *** on the website with plenty of pictures.

John

[Clive FosterParticipant @clivefoster55965]

Interesting to hear that other folk have had reliable long term results from the motor in an enclosed base type. Pity there is no way of finding out how my usage, which seriously impacted motor life, differed from theirs. I'm known for not abusing my tools but do expect them to do what it says on the tin.

Always felt that these are primarily designed as woodworkers machines so regular clean out when used with metal is probably a good idea. The spring loaded roller tensioner is great for rapid belt changes but I don't think it gives sufficient belt tension control for metalwork. The shading belt on my Morrisflex runs consistently flat over the platen, presumably due to the rigid screw adjustment system, whilst that on the Draper was prone to hump and lift under load. Especially with an ageing belt.

Clive.

[Clive FosterParticipant @clivefoster55965]

I'm not surprised that ega is happy with his Axminster bandfacer. Its the same style and basic engineering as my Morrisflex RJH Antelope :- **LINK** . Mine cost around £450 used albeit in "It doesn't run mate" condition, easily fixed with a new fuse deep inside. A bit less than the list price of that Axminster. Objectively expensive perhaps but nothing like the cough, cough, splutter "How Much!" near £3,700 price, including VAT, of a brand new one. OK the dust extraction system is very, very good. Probably good enough to get away with using it in the house without being executed by SWIMBO. But even so …

Morrisflex RJH brand the same thing on a simple bench mount, equivalent to the Axminster one ega has, as the Deer :- **LINK** . Around £2,100 including VAT. So maybe £652 for the Axminster version isn't so bad.

Worth keeping an eye on E-Bay for this sort of thing. One up now.

Getting back to the more usually affordable end of the market the SIP 01946 :- **LINK** gets decent reviews. Looks neat and with the motor in the middle, belt one side, disk the other, ought to be better sealed than the underneath type.

This style :- **LINK** with belt drive and, apparently, sealed motor underneath look as if they might be little better at keeping the dust out of the works. But probably unbelievably messy as the dust collection provision seems sketchy. Another one made a bit too far down to a price methinks.

Clive

[EmgeeParticipant @emgee]

Posted by Journeyman on 12/01/2018 12:15:31:

I have the Warco BDS 460 belt and disc sander, very similar to many other available brands. As others have said open frame motor in the base not ideal and dust extaction not the best. Definitely needs extraction otherwise the workshop is covered in dust very quickly. Belts as supplied are a bit lumpy as the join goes under the work but I believe there are better belts with a smoother join. Did a bit of a *** REVIEW *** on the website with plenty of pictures.

John

Hi John, congratulations on a very well written and illustrated report on the Warco BDS460 belt and disc sander, well worth reading for anyone contemplating a purchase of such machine.

Emgee

[Rod AshtonParticipant @rodashton53132]

Hope I do not hijack the thread, but if any of you guys have a dead machine? I would dearly like to purchase the table from one.

[Annia PalmerParticipant @anniapalmer22032]

What is his budget?

Approximately $100-150. Please mention the brand and model number. 

Thanks for your reply…

Edited By Annia Palmer on 14/01/2018 09:46:20

[Richard MarksParticipant @richardmarks80868]

Posted by Rod Ashton on 12/01/2018 15:28:57:

Hope I do not hijack the thread, but if any of you guys have a dead machine? I would dearly like to purchase the table from one.

I took my old one to our local "Men in Sheds" where they thought they may find a use for it if they could put it back together, however it might be worth trying your local MiS as they have loads of tools given to them for recycling, you never know your luck.

[VicParticipant @vic]

I don’t think I’ve seen any well designed belt and disc sanders. I’ve got the Record BDS250 (10” disc, 6” belt) and I’ve had to replace a number of parts that broke due to poor material choice by Record. It’s working fine now though and it’s been heavily modified for tool sharpening. They had a similar sized Axminster belt and disc sander where I used to work and changing belts on it was a nightmare with over a dozen bolts needing to be removed.

The best belts to use on these machines are the butt joined ones, they don’t “jump” like the scarfed joint ones.

I also found out by accident (eBay purchase) that the best discs to use are the plastic backed ones. These are much easier to remove and leave little or no residue like the paper backed ones.

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