Pictorial Guide to DIY 2×72 Belt Grinders

Are you a DIY'er? Are you comfortable fabricating simple machinery? If so, you NEED a decent belt grinder, preferably in the 2"x72" belt size. You'll find a thousand and one uses for it once you put one together, and it's very easy to put one together. This page is all about the resources and ideas you'll need to plan your own belt grinder project.

Belt Grinders are great for blending smoothly flowing shapes, deburring, and generally improving the look of parts. For the latter, you also want to make sure the surface finish of your other machining processes is all that it can be. Check out our guide to Milling Machine Surface Finish Tips for some ideas.

Bill Pace grinder has been made by several on the HSM boards.

Shows tracking mechanism at the top very well...

Shop bench-top belt sander with black metal frame and adjustable arm.

Platen inspired by Lane added to Bill Pace's grinder...

Belt sander assembly components in detailed illustration.

More on the tracking mechanism by George Barnes...

A metal bench grinder sits atop a painted metal table with a weathered brick wall backdrop.

Lane over on HSM built one along the same design...

A person in a blue shirt adjusts a tool on a horizontal grinder in a cluttered workshop.

Andrew McLurkin's Bader III is mounted on its side to make it easier for him to do fine work. Note the very small wheels and wrap around tool rest so he can get inside tight areas.

Dozier makes some of the best grinders there are. This series shows off the different accessory configurations they have available:

Here is the grinder. Note the pneumatic tensioner.

3 Configurations, left to right: the basic wheel, slack belt grinding, and a platen grinding setup...

Beaumont Metalworks offer the excellent KMG grinder:

Small metalworking tool with rotating wheel and long handle on a light gray background.

It would be nice to turn this grinder horizontally like McLurkin shows at the top of this page and then use this attachment with a rest that fit nicely. You could really get into some tight spots with it!

Stainless steel machine with silver cylinder and blue stripe. Tooling arm rack is a clever accessory that makes changing the configuration fast and easy.

A KMG PL-5 manual milling machine with a robust metal frame, gears, and levers.

Here is the grinder sporting a platen attachment, and a rest on the lhs photo. Note the solid CNC construction. Minimal welding. Picture on far right is the slack belt attachment.

Mechanical device with yellow band and circular components on a white background.

Or, how about a rotary platen?

Seems like it could take the place of several of the other accessories. The actual "platen" is a rotary belt under tension with rollers.

Here is a variable speed JL grinder:

A green belt sander with black motor and red cord on a wooden table in a workshop setting.

The venerable Bader III grinder is well respected:

Heavy-duty Bader III Grinder on wooden platform in an industrial setting.

Big Belt Grinder Links Page Best of Links:

Industrial belt-driven machine with blue belt, metal pulley, and black stand.

Mike Alexander's Belt Grinder: Easy to construct 3-wheeler

Heavy-duty grinder with ruggedized design.

Emerald Isle's KMG Copy...

** Green metal device with yellow wheels and black cord on red brick floor.

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Great looking kit by Simplatic. Looks like a good plasma cutting job...

Fogg's PDF Plans for a KMG Clone...

Talented Frenchman builds a nice knife grinder. Plans are in English.

The Dream KMG Attachment:

Check out the "Dream" KMG attachment, pretty cool!

A metalworking belt grinder on an industrial workbench with green dust collector and gray hose.

Industrial belt grinder with vacuum system on metal table against beige cinder block wall.

Metalworking lathe with large wheel and various tools.

A belt grinder with metal frame, silver components, red wires, and a gray hose sits against a cinderblock wall.

Metal device with cross-shaped cutout in machine shop setting.

A metal belt sander attached to a machine with a black base plate and blue-edged serrated blade.

Wilmont's Cool 3 Attachment Grinder

The rest is slightly reminiscent of the "Dream" KMG rest shown above. The Wilmont is a nice variation on the KMG and the site includes plans for a home shop model you can build.

A large black metal Wilmont Ginders grinder with red accents and silver bolts sits on a table in an industrial setting.