2" x 42" Surface Conditioning Belts (Non-Woven), 2 PACK

A 2" x 42" belt grinder is where a lot of people make their first knives, and this two-pack is the finishing belt for that machine: the Jet J-41002 our original listing named, the Palmgren 2" x 42" and the other bench grinders built for this size. After the coated belts have ground the bevels, a non-woven belt evens the flats into a clean satin, cleans scale and heat colour off a blank, and softens the corners on guards and handle hardware without changing a dimension.

We sell this size two belts to a pack so you can try a grade without committing to a box. The grades are colour-coded: Coarse is brown, Medium is maroon, Very Fine is blue and Ultra Fine is grey. Converted in Anaheim, California.

• Fits the Jet J-41002, Palmgren 2" x 42" and other 2" x 42" belt grinders
• Two belts per pack: an inexpensive way to add a finishing grade to your grinder
• Coarse, Medium, Very Fine and Ultra Fine cover 40-60 through 320-400 grit finishes
• Aluminum oxide grain in a nylon web: blends and cleans, removes almost no stock
• 2" width covers a blade flat in one pass for an even satin line
• Converted in Anaheim, California; free shipping on orders over $200

Which grade should you buy first for a 2" x 42" grinder?

Because this is a two-pack, most people buy one grade at a time. Here is how to pick.

• Coarse (brown, 40-60 grit equivalent): forge scale and heat colour on blanks, rust on salvaged steel, stripping an old finish from a tool. It is the only grade that removes noticeable material, so on a ground blade use it sparingly or skip it.
• Medium (maroon, 80-120 grit equivalent): the first pack to buy. It blends the scratch from a 120 grit coated belt into an even matte, cleans heat tint from a tempered blank and breaks corners on guards, bolsters and pins.
• Very Fine (blue, 180-240 grit equivalent): the second pack to buy and the classic working-knife satin. Take the blade to 220 grit with coated belts, then run the blue belt lengthwise for a uniform directional finish that hides handling marks.
• Ultra Fine (grey, 320-400 grit equivalent): the finest satin and the step before a buffing wheel. For stainless blades headed to a hand-rubbed or mirror finish, and for aluminum and titanium handle parts.

For handle materials, Medium then Very Fine gives a clean matte on G10, micarta and other fiberglass laminates without the fuzzing a coated belt can leave. On brass and copper fittings use Very Fine or Ultra Fine only.

Grit guide: grade, colour and equivalent finish

The grit numbers describe the scratch the web leaves, not how fast it cuts. A non-woven belt of any grade removes far less than a coated belt of the same number, which is why it can refine a ground blade without washing out a crisp plunge line if you keep the pressure light.

Which machines take a 2" x 42" belt?

• Jet J-41002 2" x 42" bench belt and disc grinder, named on our original listing.
• Palmgren 2" x 42" belt and disc grinders.
• Other 2" x 42" belt grinders and belt/disc combination machines sold for knife making, metalworking and general shop use.

This is not a 2" x 72" belt; if you have a dedicated knife grinder, see our 2" x 72" surface conditioning belts. To mount, release the tension, slip the belt over the wheels with any direction arrow on the inside pointing the way the belt runs, re-tension and adjust tracking until the belt sits centred on the platen. The web is thicker than cloth, so a small tracking correction is normal when switching from a coated belt. Other sizes can be made to order in about three days.

How to get the most out of it on a bench grinder

1. Slow down where you can. Most 2" x 42" machines are single speed, so compensate with light pressure and short, steady passes. Non-woven belts finish best below coated-belt speed.
2. Let the belt float. Present the work with light pressure and keep it moving. Heavy pressure folds the web against the platen, heats the steel and shortens belt life dramatically.
3. Platen for flats, slack for curves. Flats and bevels ride the platen for an even satin; the unsupported belt above it wraps spines, choils and curved handle parts.
4. Run the satin lengthwise. Draw the blade along its length so the grain runs tip to ricasso. Cross strokes show immediately on a satin blade.
5. Come in from 120-220 grit. Non-woven refines the last coated scratch; it does not remove 36-60 grit grinding marks.
6. Keep the edge off the belt. Finish the flats before the final edge, or protect the apex; the web rounds a sharpened edge.
7. Store belts hung or loosely rolled, away from solvent and damp air.

Use it for / don't use it for

Use it for

• Satin finishing blade flats and bevels on carbon and stainless steel after 220 grit
• Cleaning forge scale, heat tint and light rust from blanks and small steel parts
• Breaking corners and blending guards, bolsters, pins and pommels
• Matte finishing G10, micarta, fiberglass laminates and plastics without loading
• Deburring and blending small stainless, aluminum and titanium parts

Don't use it for

• Grinding bevels or removing stock; that is the job of your coated belts
• Sharpening or deburring a finished cutting edge; it rounds the apex
• Producing a mirror on its own; go from Ultra Fine to a buffing wheel and compound
• Heavy pressure, which tears the web and burns the blade

Specifications

Frequently asked questions

Related products and guides

• All surface conditioning belts, discs and flap discs
• Knife making belts and supplies
• 2" x 42" coated sanding belts, 12 pack
• 2" x 72" Surface Conditioning Belts for knife grinders
• Custom sanding belts made to order in about 3 days