6 x 48" sanding belt source

[toolmiser]

I have an old Rockwell stationary 6 x 48" belt sander that I need to get a couple belts for.  What grit(s) do you suggest (I was thinking about 120), and where is a good source?  I see a lot of "no name" ones available, but think something better might work out in the long run.  Don't get me wrong, I am at least as cheap as the next person, but I know quality is worth something.  I will use it for general woodworking.

Thanks!

[Admiral]

Klingspor. Excellent products.

https://www.woodworkingshop.com/abrasive...0X%2048%22

[KyleD]

120 grit is a little fine for my use on the 6x48 sander. it starts out nice but tends to load and burn after it has been used for a while and the grit has settled down. 80 grit is my choice. It is a little aggressive at first but then settles down. I use it for initial shaping and sanding on bandsaw boxes and joint adjustments in general woodworking. 80 grit is a little coarse and leaves scratches when used across the wood grain but I can usually figure a way to finish the sanding going with the grain. On bandsaw boxes I actually revert to 60 grit on the random orbit sander after the 6x48 but only on the end grain. After that I work up the grits fairly quickly.

[Kudzu]

Quite a few companies out there will make you a few belts. Lots of options there.

I have tried a few and I stick with an 80 grit.  It is not a finishing tool but does leave a reasonable surface that I can finish sand.

[Kansas City Fireslayer]

Depends on your uses but 80 grit for heavy work and 120 for light work suits me well but I don’t do a lot of work on the belt/disc sander. That said, Harbor Freight belts are cheap, readily available and good enough for my limited uses.

[KyleD]

That said, Harbor Freight belts are cheap, readily available and good enough for my limited uses.

I bought some 6x48 belts from HF a number of years ago. That is where I found out there is more than one way to join the sanding belt loops. They were overlapped. This created a bump every time the belt rotated by the seam and made it hard to do fine work on the sander.

[Timberwolf]

I bought some 6x48 belts from HF a number of years ago. That is where I found out there is more than one way to join the sanding belt loops. They were overlapped. This created a bump every time the belt rotated by the seam and made it hard to do fine work on the sander.

..................
Once upon a time, all belts were joined that way.

[Bob Vaughan]

..................
Once upon a time, all belts were joined that way.

LOL. 
Aint that the truth!
But that was back in the day when no belt maker would ever produce a bumpybelt like they do today.  Those taped joints have a short shelf life, too. When sanding heat overcomes the adhesion of that tape, POW!  A rather startling surprise.
Good abrasives are expensive compared to the cheap stuff, but the good abrasives last so much longer.
What good belt makers I knew back in the day are no longer around.

[BC in CT]

I primarily use 120 grit, 80 once in a while.

Plus 2 on Klingspor, very good products!

[iclark]

The last time that I needed to replace that size belt immediately, I got a Shopsmith-branded belt at Lowes. There was a fairly premium cost for the convenience, but I have been happy with how that belt has held up. I use it on a SS 6" belt sander on a SS Power Stand. That is one of the most-used tools in my shop. Almost everything that I spindle-turn has its end cleaned up on that sander when I am done turning.

At an estate sale last year, I picked up a Jet combo belt/disk sander with that same-sized belt. The SS sander is still working so well that I have not taken the time to re-arrange the shop to put the Jet sander into use.

It probably goes without saying, but, just in case...
The art-gum erasers that they sell to clean/maintain sanding belts really do work great. It was truly mind-boggling the first time that I used one and saw how well it did refreshing the sanding surface.