Belt sander aluminum

Can I use the belt sander with its current belt with aluminum?

I would be inclined to say no, due to the potential thermite reaction, especially at the project scale you’re working with, and needing to use water to keep the aluminum cool to prevent clogging.

Would be a good reason to look for a lower grit belt, to prevent clogging. Not sure what’s in the locker though.

Hmm how would you suggest I sand/grind down the aluminum parts I just cut on the plasma cutter, I did buy a flap disc for the angle grinders that I’m only using on aluminum, but using the angle grinder for that many small parts would be a rather laborious process.

I think changing belts on the belt grinder, would be fine. Maybe we have other belts in the locker. I’m not too sure what you need to grind.

If trying to mainly de-slag and it’ll fit in Vaporhone - I’d go that route.

A small cutter on a Dremel is good for getting to a specific profile and won’t clog.

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Do you remember all of the aluminum discs I cut yesterday? It would be for those parts. Where would I be able to buy a replacement belt?

Last I checked the accessories for the Dremel in DMS is a bit lacking, and I don’t have a dremel myself. Dremeling the parts would also take a long time, the parts I’m de slagging are ~60x 4-5 in diameter aluminum circles with like 6 holes punched in them.

You can get a really inexpensive set of “Dremel” tools at HF or actual Dremel tools very reasonably - and they’ll probably last you many years. Sometimes it is smart to invest and have certain things in you own kit - like sharp cutters, a few consumables like specific grits of abrasives, tape, small bottle of glue, and of course your own 10mm socket.


There’s a teacher’s locker, and a public locker. You can grab a belt from the public locker.

If you wanted to buy a belt, then the dimensions should be written on the inside of the belt. Harbor fright should have replacements.

I can’t recall if you cut gears/sprockets as well. In that case, Dremel would be great as David mentions.

We have those die grinders that David mentioned. The metal tips are in the dewalt drawers in the metal shop. If not go buy a flap disc from harbor freight for $2

I talked to Burr King last year and they do not recommend mixing aluminum and ferrous dust in the grinder due to the fire hazard, I think the black smithing belt grinder may have a table attachment

Hmmm…Thermite in the making on a grinder belt. :astonished:

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If using blacksmith’s KMG-10 belt grinder, I highly recommend moving the thermite pre-mix out of the way :sweat_smile:

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Please don’t use the blacksmithing sander for aluminum. Everything we do is iron and we don’t want any aluminum dust or chips there. Furthermore, the grinder is for making knives primarily. No aluminum of any kind please. No cutting of aluminum either in the blacksmithing shop. There is A LOT OF IRON oxide in the shop so you’re just asking for themite trouble there.

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Absolutely DO NOT grind aluminum in the blacksmithing shop. We are not a metal shop per say but a blacksmithing shop. Can you say hot metal and thermite in the same breath?

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Thermite reaction sounds like fun​:rofl::rofl::skull:🫣:disguised_face: