# New to me 4” x 36” belt sander



## Chicken lights (May 26, 2019)

Picked that up yesterday off Kijiji. 7 or 8 belts and owners manual for a 4” x 36” King belt sander. 

$100, I thought it was a fair price.


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## Chicken lights (May 26, 2019)

The belt part flips up to be vertical, but I don’t see a way to lock it like that.

Is that normal?


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## Janger (May 26, 2019)

I have a similar sander - it has a bolt to tighten and lock it vertical which is how I use it.


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## Chicken lights (May 26, 2019)

Janger said:


> I have a similar sander - it has a bolt to tighten and lock it vertical which is how I use it.


I’ll have to look for that. Thanks!


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## YYCHM (May 26, 2019)

My band saw doesn't appear to have a vertical lock..... Is that normal?


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## Janger (May 26, 2019)

mine does not either but when it's vertical the weight of the motor and casting holds it in place. The hydraulic down feed also keeps it from moving. I have to open the valve lots to put the arm back down and pull pretty hard - so hard I have to put my foot in front of the wheel to keep the whole machine from rolling.


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## CalgaryPT (May 26, 2019)

Something nice I learned about King Canada is that they are the only offshore manufacturer that has replacement parts for everything they make in Canada. The warehouse is in Quebec. I called them when I was researching my 7x12 swivel bandsaw a few years back. They were very nice to deal with.


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## Chicken lights (May 27, 2019)

First job is to make these two stainless brackets the same length/width. Length more important than width, then I need to drill a couple holes. 

I think all the belts are 50 grit. That seems pretty coarse, what do you guys recommend for belt grits?


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## Janger (May 27, 2019)

I’d use the grinder and then the sander. I tend to have finer grit typically. One of those giant erasers cleans out the grit and makes the belt clean too.


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## CalgaryPT (May 27, 2019)

I use 50 grit disks on my disc sander. 60's on my belt sander.

I go years now without using my grinder.


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## Tom Kitta (May 27, 2019)

Why didn't you buy mine? I listed it for 100 and was willing to sell for 90. So far after 10 offers no one gave me my 90.

Granted no extra belts - mine still has original belt - you can see how much it was used.


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## trlvn (May 28, 2019)

Tom Kitta said:


> Why didn't you buy mine? I listed it for 100 and was willing to sell for 90. So far after 10 offers no one gave me my 90.
> 
> Granted no extra belts - mine still has original belt - you can see how much it was used.


I don't think the $10 savings was going to offset the 64 hour roundtrip drive!  

Craig
@Chicken lights is in Kitchener, ON.


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## Chicken lights (May 28, 2019)

I picked this up off kijiji for $40. Probably could’ve paid $25 or $30 but it (in my eyes) was still a deal at $40.

41” tall, as it sits. 36” x 16” top.

Ideally I want to have bench grinder, belt sander, drill press and a vise all together as a “station” so to speak. All in one wall section, not necessarily all as part of the same base unit

I’m not crazy how the legs stick out. They could get cut off, the casters moved, it could get bolted to the floor, I’ve got options.

I’d prefer to leave it on casters for now, we’ll see what we come up with. The angle brackets were “welded” to the top....pair of pliers snapped them all off easily


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## Dr.Fiero (May 30, 2019)

Be (very) wary of the bearings used in it.  Especially the top roller. They're all made of fine chinesium.
I used to run the service center at KMS tools, and we were a King (amongst others) warranty depot.
Saw....many.... of those roll through.

Far easier and cheaper (due to collateral damage) to replace them before they're totally dead!


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## Janger (May 30, 2019)

trlvn said:


> I don't think the $10 savings was going to offset the 64 hour roundtrip drive!
> 
> Craig
> @Chicken lights is in Kitchener, ON.


I drove to Ontario to get an anvil!


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## historicalarms (May 30, 2019)

I would re-think that leg shortening on the table if it were me, it will add stability and resist tip-over when pushing a bit on the work piece you are to be grinding. I've seen a # of grinding pedestals attached to a small base and then another piece had to be welded on for the operator to stand on so the grinder wouldn't tip away when being used.

     Another suggestion if you plan on using this sander for wood & metal de-burring ... place it where it can be vacuum cleaned easily. Our local volunteer fire dept. has had to attend 3 shop fires in the past 5 years from wood dust igniting from metal sparks ( 2 of them at the same shop, the old guy didn't much learn from the first time!!!).


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## CalgaryPT (May 30, 2019)

Dr.Fiero said:


> chinesium.
> !


LOL. Laugh of the day


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## Tom Kitta (May 30, 2019)

I don't think the problem is so much the actual bearing but the fact that the bearings may not be well protected against wood/ grinding dust particle ingestion and thus die quickly. If you want to get EU bearings these are cheap - actually cheaper then princess auto stuff @ eBay. I think the seller name is something similar to Bohemian Seal - they ship fast and it comes from Chechia aka Czech Republic. You can get actual Czechia made bearings which are about the same quality as Germany.


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## Chicken lights (May 30, 2019)

Janger said:


> I drove to Ontario to get an anvil!


Ok, there has to be a story there....


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## CalgaryPT (May 30, 2019)

Chicken lights said:


> Ok, there has to be a story there....


Man walks into a bar carrying an anvil....


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## Chicken lights (May 30, 2019)

historicalarms said:


> I would re-think that leg shortening on the table if it were me, it will add stability and resist tip-over when pushing a bit on the work piece you are to be grinding.
> 
> Another suggestion if you plan on using this sander for wood & metal de-burring ... place it where it can be vacuum cleaned easily.


That was the exact same thing said by a friend of mine, about shortening the legs. 

Also, I’m thinking of implementing a no torches/grinding/cutting for an hour before going home rule. I agree, shop safety should come first 

I like that it’s on wheels, but having it tapconned into the concrete floor would give it lots of rigidity, too. I guess it’s always a compromise


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## CalgaryPT (May 30, 2019)

Chicken lights said:


> That was the exact same thing said by a friend of mine, about shortening the legs.
> 
> Also, I’m thinking of implementing a no torches/grinding/cutting for an hour before going home rule. I agree, shop safety should come first
> 
> I like that it’s on wheels, but having it tapconned into the concrete floor would give it lots of rigidity, too. I guess it’s always a compromise



I'm sure yo know this, but "Hot Work" on job sites follow this rule. You stop hot work 1 hour before shutting down, and one person stays for 1 hour afterwards. It's an insurance requirement.


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## Chicken lights (May 30, 2019)

CalgaryPT said:


> I'm sure yo know this, but "Hot Work" on job sites follow this rule. You stop hot work 1 hour before shutting down, and one person stays for 1 hour afterwards. It's an insurance requirement.


I would’ve filed that under common sense, but I see and agree with your point. 

I was thinking of having a largish sign made up, to put near the shop door. Along the lines of:

Going home?

Torches off?
Heat off?
Compressor off?
Lights off?
Door locked? 
Torches and grinders done one hour before leaving. 

I’m sure I could add to that, and others may chime in. I run through it all now mentally before leaving but a sign may make it into more of a habit? Either that or the sign will get ignored like so many signs do.


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## CalgaryPT (May 30, 2019)

Chicken lights said:


> I would’ve filed that under common sense, but I see and agree with your point.
> 
> I was thinking of having a largish sign made up, to put near the shop door. Along the lines of:
> 
> ...


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## Tom Kitta (May 30, 2019)

Common sense is not as common as many people think it is


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## CalgaryPT (May 30, 2019)

Great idea. Here's a thought...

On the compressor topic--I like to always have my 60 gal tank ready to go, and for years left it charged and heard it cycle at night because ALL compressor lines leak. Mine are hard plumbed 1/2" black pipe, but still drain down (as all do). The solution for me was a 1/2" ball valve next to the tank (between the whip line and the downloop) that I shut off when not using the compressor.

This means my compressor pressure switch is left on AUTO, and I always have 60 gals at 95-130 PSI ready. But the pressure switch only cycles about once a week (or even less) now. 

When needed, I just cock the ball valve open and use the air. I close it off when done. The tank recharges normally, but I don't have any air loss through the distribution lines. The only air loss is through the minimal couplings before the downloop. Thus, the tank stays charged until needed, and the compressor cycles minimally. The closer your ball valve to the tank, the less air loss due to distribution lines and couplings, and thus the fewer times your compressor cycles. Compressor manufacturers tell you to put a value as close as possible to your tank, but they don't tell you why. This is why.

If you look closely at my setup you see a paper maintenance tag hanging from the tank where I record all oil changes. If I had figured this trick out years ago, I could have reduced the wear and tear on the motor and compressor probably 85%.

Works like a charm. Cursing myself for all that power consumption of 220V @ 11 Amps for 20 years. I also stress out less about another fire hazard at night. Duhhh.


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## Chicken lights (May 30, 2019)

I ran 3/4” rubber line, from the compressor, to 3/4” copper line. Down one wall about 25 feet, then to an air dryer. Tee’d off a couple air line fittings, one small one large. Then rubber line three feet up the wall to 3/4” black pipe. Ran that about forty feet down the next wall, one air line fitting drop then about another twenty feet by the door for a final air line drop. The farthest two drops went down to 1/2” pipe on the down legs, then went to 3/8 for the air line coupler. 

Other than the air drier and the last length of 1/2” pipe, I’m almost 100 feet from my compressor to the last drop but it’s pretty much 3/4” pipe the whole way. 

I would have to look and see if I left the ball valve on the compressor outlet, it came from the factory plumbed with one right there


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## CalgaryPT (May 30, 2019)

If you're getting no drain with that length of setup you are a God.


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## Chicken lights (May 30, 2019)

I wouldn’t say no drain, but it is minimal. 

We really need a shop sub-forum for talking about, well, shops


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## Dr.Fiero (May 30, 2019)

CalgaryPT said:


> Man walks into a bar carrying an anvil....



Oh man....  this story is about to get heavy.


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## Chicken lights (May 31, 2019)

I did leave the ball valve on the compressor. 

I don’t remember if it was Sunday or Monday I last used the compressor. It still had air in the tank, I only shut the power off when I leave. So if that’s how much it leaks in a few days, I’ll take it happily


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## CalgaryPT (May 31, 2019)

I never really thought about the purpose of the value, but once I started shutting it off when not needed I really saw the difference. I'm an insomniac so up most of the night and often read in a room directly above the compressor. Prior to discovering this trick I would hear it at least once a night. After shutting the value off when not using it I estimate it kicks in once a week or less (not including when I am using it). Based on a 15 min cycle time that's less than 1% of the time. From what I have read rubber and nylon lines still leak marginally through the walls. Hard pipe doesn't, but the couplings are more prone to drainage. Rubber and composite aren't recommended for other than the whip hose connection from the tank to the hard pipe system (to address vibration issues), or for distribution to tools after the dryer/oil catch. I looked for an article on the reasons to avoid flex hose on longer runs but couldn't find it; I do recall for plasma systems it is a no-no. I think it promotes moisture. With pipe and a hard downloop system (see pic) you shouldn't have any problem in Calgary if using even a cheap water catch system. The guy who helped me has built shop air for plasma systems for 20 years. The downloop is key apparently--and more effective than even desiccants in a low humidity city like Calgary. In dry climates like Calgary I understand desiccant filters can actually harm consumables. 

I suppose I could put a gauge on it like inspectors do with gas and measure loss over time. I'm sure my setup of 20' has leaks that could be improved upon. Over the years I have used rubber, nylon and composite hose, IPEX (bad idea), copper (expensive), galvanized (bad idea), proprietary air kits and black pipe. I've used everything on joints including Teflon dope, tape and pipe dope. Everything leaks except copper in my experience, and even soft copper with fittings can still drain. For me, black pipe is the best because it is affordable, and readily available. I used to thread my own with a Ridgid Type 300 machine (or rather its predecessor in the 1980s). But now I just buy pre-threaded lengths.

I guess what I am saying is that it's possible to have a better setup that mine with less drainage just by being more anal with your connections and testing everything. Hats off to people who achieve no loss, or less loss than me. I wish I could do this. But the cheapest and most effective solution I have discovered that allows my marginal pipefitting skills to meet my needs without a lot of hassle or expense at this point in my life is black pipe and a ball valve. If I ever forget to shut it off I am reminded when I hear the compressor kick in at 3 AM. I open the door to the garage and cock the ball valve and I don't hear it again for a week.

Not bad for a $15 valve.

There...I've tapped out my knowledge of compressor cycling tricks.


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## Tom O (Jun 1, 2019)

I've been using the desiccant filter type from princess auto but am switching to a Drystream air system from KSM for my spindle. I haven't had any problems with a desiccant but it is not as good as a air dryer.


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## Chicken lights (Jun 2, 2019)

I’ve had good luck using Masters orange pipe tape. It’s designed for pipe fitting. 

I do use the liquid pipe dope or liquid thread sealant too, when it calls for it. 

I’m happy with how it turned out, although if I did it over again I’d run all the piping at eight feet or higher, and just run the drops where I want air line couplings. As it is now the first 20’ is at 4’ high, the other 60’-70’ feet is at 8’ high


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