3" x 24" Glass Fabrication Sanding Belt, 12 PACK

The Makita 9924DB and the CR Laurence LD324 are the portable belt sanders glass shops set up for edge work, and both take a 3 x 24 belt. These are the silicon carbide belts for those machines: sharp enough to seam, bevel and flat-finish glass without the grain rounding over, on a cloth backing that tolerates a water drip and holds up on a hand-held sander. Twelve belts of one grit per pack, in twelve grits from 50 through 800.

A 3 x 24 sander gives you three more inches of belt than a 3 x 21, which means a longer platen contact and a little more grain per revolution, so the belt runs cooler on long straight edges such as shelves, table tops and shower door stiles. We convert these in Anaheim, California and can make other lengths to order.

• Silicon carbide grain cuts glass, mirror, stone and plastics cleanly, wet or dry
• Sized for the Makita 9924DB and CR Laurence LD324 portable glass sanders
• Twelve grits, 50 through 800: seaming, satin edges and pre-polish from one listing
• Cloth backing handles a water drip and hand-held sander tension without tearing
• 12 belts of one grit per pack; bulk and case pricing on request
• Converted in Anaheim, California; 30-day returns on unused packs

Which grit should you choose for glass edge work on a 3 x 24 sander?

Every variant is silicon carbide; the decision is the grit, and it follows the edge from raw cut to polish-ready.

• 50 and 60 grit: seaming a rough score-break, taking chips out of a corner, roughing a bevel or shaping a radius on thick glass. Coarse, so keep the sander moving.
• 80 and 100 grit: the standard hidden-edge seam and the grit that clears the coarse scratch on a bevel.
• 120 and 150 grit: refining an exposed edge or a flat face before the finishing grits.
• 180 and 220 grit: satin or seamed finish on shelves, mirrors and table tops that will stay matte.
• 320 and 400 grit: smooth matte, and the minimum before a cork belt.
• 600 and 800 grit: pre-polish for edges that will be brought to clear with cerium oxide.

For stone and quartz, 60 to 80 to shape and 220 to 400 before your polishing pads. For acrylic, 120, 220 and 400 then flame polish or buff. For fiberglass and gelcoat, 50 to 80 to fair and 120 to 220 to finish.

Grit guide for glass on a 3 x 24 portable belt sander

Which sanders take a 3 x 24 belt?

• Makita 9924DB portable belt sander with dust bag, the machine most often paired with these belts in glass shops (CRL sells it as the CRL Makita 9924DB).
• CR Laurence LD324 portable belt sander with dust bag, named on our original listing for this size.
• Other 3 x 24 portable belt sanders and wet-capable glass belt sanders built for this size. Confirm the length in the manual; a 3 x 21 or 3 x 18 machine will not tension a 3 x 24 belt.

Mounting: release the tension lever, slide the belt on, check the inside of the belt for a direction arrow and run it that way, re-tension, then start the sander off the work and dial the tracking knob until the belt runs centred on the front roller without drifting into the housing. Re-check tracking after the first minute of use, when a new belt has settled.

How to get the most out of it

1. Keep water on the glass where you can. A drip at the contact point stops the edge heating, prevents micro-chips and keeps silica dust down. Only use water with a machine rated for wet operation; on a standard corded sander run dry with dust extraction and a fitted respirator.
2. Bring the belt to the glass moving. Start the sander clear of the work and set it down in motion; never start it resting on the edge.
3. Long strokes, light pressure. The 24 inch belt gives a long flat platen; use it with steady overlapping strokes along the edge and let the machine's weight do the cutting. Pressure chips glass and glazes the grain.
4. Bevels and arrises. Tilt the platen to the angle you want and hold it steady the full length of the stroke; a wandering angle shows up as a wavy bevel line.
5. Step one grit at a time and rinse the glass between grits so coarse swarf never gets under the finer belt.
6. Empty the dust bag often when dry sanding, and store spare belts hanging or loosely coiled, out of sunlight and away from damp.

Use it for / don't use it for

Use it for

• Seaming and satin-finishing cut edges on float glass, mirror, shelves and shower door lites
• Hand bevels and arrises on thick glass
• Flat surface finishing on etched, sandblasted or laminated panels
• Granite, marble, quartz, tile and solid surface edge work
• Fiberglass, gelcoat, acrylic and polycarbonate
• Fine finishing on hardwood where a cleaner scratch than aluminum oxide is wanted

Don't use it for

• Steel or weld grinding; silicon carbide dulls fast on ferrous metal
• Dry glass work without dust extraction and a respirator
• Polishing to clear; that is the job of the 3 x 24 cork belt with cerium oxide
• 3 x 21 or 3 x 18 sanders; the length must match

How does this belt pair with the 3 x 24 cork belt?

This listing is the silicon carbide grinding and finishing belt; the cork belt is a separate product in the same 3 x 24 size, and buyers sometimes confuse the two. The two work as a pair. Take the edge through the silicon carbide grits to 400 or 800, rinse the glass, then mount the 3 x 24 cork belt, charge it with cerium oxide slurry and run it wet at moderate speed with light pressure. Cork carries no grain of its own; it will not clear a scratch coarser than about 400 grit, and it must never run dry against glass.

Specifications

Frequently asked questions

Related products and guides

• 3" x 24" Cork Sanding Belt, 12 pack, for cerium polishing
• All glass fabrication abrasives (belts, cork belts and discs)
• 3" x 21" Glass Fabrication Sanding Belts, 12 pack
• 4" x 24" Glass Fabrication Sanding Belts for Makita 9403
• Custom sanding belts made to order in about 3 days