What kind of sander to flatten flanges?
 

I hear all this stuff about flattening potentially warped flanges after the use of a welder. What should I get to do such a thing?


Would this work?

- Harbor Freight Tools - Quality Tools at the Lowest Prices

I used an orbital...but I'm ghetto.

If you can't mill it flat, then the only other thing I would use is a belt sander that was big enough for the entire piece, like the one you linked, but probably a 48" version.

--Ferdi

I used a belt sander as well. Just needs to have a large enough plate under the belt to cover the entire area sanding.

I attempted to sand head flanges at work using the bigass 6" x huge belt sander. It didn't work well.

I have a similar 4 x 36 belt sander as the one you linked to at home, I haven't tried it because you'd want something the entire flange can fit on.

Flap discs on angle grinder.
***Nevermind - He He...wrong application here. Jumped in the river before looking upstream.

Use a Miller. Minus the -er

Hustler brought his over and we attempted the same thing with about the same results I'm sure. Did not go well and would have taken forever.

Yep SS 3/8 flanges blow. I gotta be even more careful with current next time around.

If no mill is used, a 16" disc sander might work. Still would not be perfectly even though.
Stephanie

Even with a belt sander you have to be careful to put equal pressure on all sides or it will give you an uneven sand. Its not as crutial on SS, however I have had this problem with aluminum jet ski heads.

Still a baller piece of work there though. ;)

wait... 4"x36" wouldn't be enough? I was mainly thinking flanges for downpipes, exhaust, manifolds...etc. That should fit right?

I wanted something more like the one I used at school...same dimensions I think - but it was a wet sander...and from this, I also know the importance/suckiness of applying equal pressure... heck, if it's not "equal" it'll be tilted...but if you do it long enough, it'll get flat.

Can I use the one in the OP with metal? Or would it get too hot at one point...or would I be changing out belts every time?

With a 36" belt, the 'table' is only about 12". So, not long enough for head flanges. I've used them on aluminum. Like when I made my intake manifold, I used it to straighten the runners so they mated up nicely to the plenum. Other than that, I've used it to debur edges on alu/steel. But, nothing that involved lots of material removal.

--Ferdi

Also, if you have much warp, it will take a week to cut it down with a sander. I'd bet you could find a small couple man old school machine shop and they would mill it for $30. Every town/city has them. You just have to look. Look in the yellow pages for "general machining", no ad, just the phone listing. If they can afford an ad, you don't want them.

This is what you need:

- Harbor Freight Tools - Quality Tools at the Lowest Prices

So with this... (that thing you just posted)... would I essentially be flipping the piece over...sliding it back and forth?

Or better yet, pull off that "stopper" at the one side of the "table" and essentially slide the piece back and forth if it's bigger than the disk?

mill it off or a belt sander longer than the peice

Pay to have it milled,normal sanding is going to give an uneven surface that will have problems sealing.Get to know a machinist and buy him lunch or beer,that should help keep costs low.I have acccess to asander big enough,and i milled mine.
(G)

I'm gonna agree on the milling. Beer helps... Trust me.