We had a bench grinder that wasn't meeting our project needs (the stone discs weren't giving us the functionality we wanted), so we designed a custom attachment to turn it into a belt sander.
Design process
Using Fusion 360, we modeled an attachment compatible with a 2" x 42" sanding belt. Our approach:
- Printed design sketches to scale on standard 8.5" x 11" paper
- Used spray adhesive to affix the templates to 3/16" steel plate
- Cut the templates for easy fabrication
Free templates are available for download.
Materials used
2x42" sanding belt assortment, 2x72" pulley set, 5/8"–½" reducing bushing, extension spring, 3/16" steel plate, two-part epoxy.
Results
We're genuinely happy with how this came out. It's destined to become the most used tool in the shop, and we expect it to hold up for years of reliable service.