Hoping someone has figured out how to make these belts last more than a minute, I haven’t. Trying to do the last bit of cleaning up some welds and no matter how lightly I apply the belt to the metal the belt keeps snapping.

I am applying the belt to the metal on the return loop, or in other words the belt surface is being pulled over that metal rather than pushed.

The manual is of zero help.

Anyone knowledgeable in this dark art?

Thanks!

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I don't have the best luck with the HF abrasives. No help today but get 3M stuff. SOOOOOO much better and they last longer enough that they work out to be no more $$.

As far as today: check the belt path on the sander to be sure there's nothing snagging. Check the pulleys, too.

EDIT: Also check the tension is correct and the slider area isn't bound up.

Next, I'd check a fresh belt to see if you got a bad batch. Sometimes the belt comes apart where it's (supposed to be) joined.
Finally, consider the direction you're sanding. I get more snags when the belt is contacting the material and trying to push back vs pull away.
Hope this helps.

I agree, ordered 3m and no more problems with belts breaking so quickly.

Thanks guys - will order the 3M belts and check everything mentioned.

This thing is so nice and how it helps finish the metal that it makes it breaking so quickly extra frustrating is the potential is there and have it be really useful.

Hope you are having a good weekend.

Old belts can break because the can get brittle. I believe the belts are directioal. Is there an arrow on the inside of the belt?

I use a pneumatic file Dynafile 2. they are money but are really nice to use nad do not have as much wandering as cheaper (inc Dynafile 1).

Might want to try scotch bright belts too. Red will take metal but not much.

3M always. Paper, belts, cubitron cutting/grinding wheels. They know their abrasives. I have zero affiliation.

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The belts are directional make sure that they are mounted/installed so that the seam in the belt is mounted so the raw edge of the belt (where they are glued together) is not hiting the work piece first. In otherwords the belt can be looked at like a shingled roof where the overlap section of the belt moves so that it will not tend to peel up the splice of the belt. take a look at it and it should become clear.

+1 on 3M belts. I could never get the HF belts to last more than a minute After switching to 3M Cubitron belts it was a completely different story even with the same belt sander and doofus running it.