Belt Grinder vs Belt Sanders
In the metalworking industry, you'll need tools to work with, and these tools need to be sharpened and maintained regularly to remain working. Belt sanders and belt grinders are two of the most used sharpening tools. They are similar in appearance to their names, yet they differ in ways that separate them.
Belt Grinder
A Belt grinder is also known as a bench grinder. A Belt grinder is used to shape and grind metal. It is used by attaching a grinder to a workbench. Belt grinding is the final and most essential step in the metal grinding process. It has abrasive metal-coated straps. The belt grinder is made up of two stone wheels on each side of the engine and a metal belt. Belt grinders can be used to polish the surfaces and give the metal a concave finish.
The belt grinder has a powerful motor and easily works with hard material.
Belt Sander
A belt sander or strip sander is a sanding tool used to remove scratches, trim, shape, and finish wood. A belt sander also helps in removing paint from the surface. Belt sanders feature a continuous loop sand belt cycling between two spinning drums. Their primary function is to rapidly remove or minimize a large number of materials from a workpiece.
Difference Between Belt Grinder And Belt Sander
BASIS OF DIFFERENCE |
BELT GRINDER |
BELT SANDER |
|
USES |
Grinding and shaping |
Remove scratches and paint, shaping and finishing |
|
SUITABLE FOR |
Mostly Metal and other materials |
Mostly Wood and other materials |
|
CONSISTS OF |
Rotating sander belt made up of sandpaper |
Abrasive metal belt |
|
END RESULT |
Smooth surface |
Sharper surface |
|
ACCESSIBILITY |
Attachable to workspace |
Hand-held or stationery |
|
PROJECTS |
Smaller projects such as belt grinder attached to the workspace or a table |
Larger projects such as belt sander are movable or hand-held |
CONCLUSION
Belt grinders are ideal for metal whereas belt sanders are suitable for wood. Both have a rotating abrasive. Belt grinders grind and sharpen the surface while belt sanders scrape and smooth the surface of larger material.
When deciding between a bench grinder and a belt sander, think about the kind of jobs you'll be undertaking. I hope that this article has given you some insight into the tools and their applications.