Ceramic Belt Question

izafireman

izafireman

Well-Known Member
Are ceramic belts recommend for wood and plastics or are they only for steel? Reason I ask is I am sure I heard years ago they 'glaze' over with softer materials and its best to use other belts....is this correct as if it isn't ceramic might last longer??
 
They work fine on soft materials but it’s kind of a waste of money. AO belts are half the price (at least). But the ceramics work just fine. I use ceramic 60s to start my handle shaping and even 120s if that’s what I have on hand. Keep one of those big rubber belt cleaners around to unclog your belts. Wood doesn’t really dull the belts as much as it just clogs them up.
 
Ceramic granules will not fracture as designed on softer materials. Instead, the edges of the granules will wear to “dull” without breaking up and exposing sharp new edges. Fracturing abrasives granules is how belts stay “sharp” over their life span.

So, it will work but not as well as say a cheap AO belt.
 
What Boss says. Ceramics work really good on hard material running fast. If they don't have the pressure and speed to fracture they get dull and no amount of cleaning will make them sharp again. Got to press hard with fast speed (4,000 SFPM+) to make a ceramic stay sharp.
 
I have been using the 50grit VSM ceramic belts from Tru Grit. They are cheaper than most ceramic belts, but still more than AO belts. I use them for both steel and handle materials. I try to consolidate so i didn't have so many different belts. Not sure if they are the BEST ceramic belts but i think they are worth the money. they are definitely better than the hoggers.
 
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