A few months ago I picked up a Rigid oscillating belt/spindle sander. I've been using the belt and spindles that came with it but now want to get some replacements. Any suggestions of what/where to get them? Should I stay with the lower grits?
This is a great question John. I too have one of these wonderful sanders and I've done the same. I've only used the ones that came with my used sander. I too would like to know what others recommend. Maybe Klingspor has some that will fit. I really like the K'por abrasives. Is the belt a standard size? Looking forward to some recommendations.
You can double the life of your belts and drums if you make a riser for your table. Most sanding is on stock < 1" thick so you usually throw away a lot of good grit. With a riser, you can get to the center of the drum/belt and flip them over when they are no longer effective.
4x24 and 3x21 sanding belts are on sale through the end of the month at Klingspor's Woodworking Shop. They also have plenty of sizes of sanding sleeves, but measure the sizes you need before you go to be sure.