1x30 Sander Platen

colu41

colu41

Joined
Dec 24, 2014
Messages
1,598
Any tips or mods out there for my 1x30 platen for cleaner plunge lines? I try adjusting the belt to be as centered as possible be it still seems to slip when Im establishing the plunge. Making it choppy and the blade endeds up touching the platen. Is this something I just just need to deal with, with a 1x30? Or is there something I can do.
 
Get a file guide and learn how to do your plunges by hand with some files. I'm using round files and chainsaw files mostly, and then using the grinder, flat file or sandpaper on a flat to blend the plunge with the blade, if that makes sense.
 
Ive briefly tried using a file once to fix up the plunge but the roughness left by the files is hard for me to get out by hand afterwards. Unless Im using the wrong files?
 
You can try chainsaw files, but if I'm honest, I think the "briefly" might be the problem. This is a pretty recent revelation for me, it took a lot of back and forth between grinder, round files, flat files, and sanding blocks to figure out what worked for me. I think it had to take me 5 or 6 hours total. The next two knives after that were a breeze.

Basically what I'm doing is grind the flats and roughing in the plunge against the file guide. I'm just trying to get the definition of the plunge, nothing deep. After that I put the knife and guide in a vise, and basically draw file the plunge, getting it just very slightly deeper than the flats. Then back to the grinder to even that out, sort of letting the edge of the belt walk up the plunge to clean it out, and repeat on every finer grit. You can do the same with sandpaper and files, but it will take a little longer, however, less chance to make a fatal mistake.
 
I made a file guide for my 1x30 and got good plunges with it on the belt. Built a 2x72 now but still using the file guide. With the 1x30, in the end I found the best way to adjust the belt to run off the platen was actually to just move the large bottom wheel in and out. Simple hex screw holds it on and there is quite a bit of room to move right and left on the motor shaft. If you keep your belt tight and just use the wheel moving method it seems to eliminate the belt move under contact.
Stuart
 
Ill have to give it another try. I just bought a smaller fine file kit the other day so. Ill start with those
Thanks
 
Hi its easy :) hope you can understand my not so good english, but when you should grind the right side of the knife, you simlpy screw the belt all the way to right, on the belt ajust screw.

dont waste time with a file and its hard to get it so nice with a file.

I have i pic of one of my nice here http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1234491-Little-back-up-knife
or you can serch me op on instagram, PoulsenKniven_DanishKnifemaker and ask me if you have more qustions or i failed to explain it properly :)

Here is a pic of a knife i have grinded today

23u64o8.jpg
 
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Jakob, I'm guessing you weren't using a Harbor Freight 1x30 for that blade. Nice blade by the way. I don't know the equivalent over there, but its a little hobby grinder with a floppy platen. Its sort of popular here because it is cheap, often $40 when discounted. There are no fine adjustments, and no large adjustments that you can trust.
 
I tried to file a plunge on my first knife but failed miserably, spent many hours with a fine file then many hours with sandpaper cleaning up the mess I made of it. :o

I had much better success on the cheapo 1x30. This is my 2nd knife and first time using the grinder. No mods, no file guide, 120grit belt, edge up, light touches and lots of marker pen to see where you're grinding.

The 1x30 has a lot of short comings. The whole machine lacks rigidity, any real pressure causes it to flex. The lack of power causes the belt to slow and squirrel about. The cheap belts are overlapped at the seam causing it bump the blade away from the platen. I found the work around is to go really slow. Using light pressure means the belt doesn't bog or move about which makes for much cleaner lines.
 
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aarongb said:
Jakob, I'm guessing you weren't using a Harbor Freight 1x30 for that blade. Nice blade by the way. I don't know the equivalent over there, but its a little hobby grinder with a floppy platen. Its sort of popular here because it is cheap, often $40 when discounted. There are no fine adjustments, and no large adjustments that you can trust.
Click to expand...

Hey it is a 1 x 30 i have used, the model name im not sure about, but it was cheap :) it looks a lot like this mine https://www.google.dk/search?q=Harb...%2Farchive%2Findex.php%3Ft-69663.html;500;500


My grinder is also not so precise, but if you use the right knife grinder fixture (hope its the right word) it will make it decent, my belt is very bouncy beacuse of all the bearings and contact wheels sucks. but I desided I wont let it be a excuses for a poor job, if my knives looks crapy i just try harder, but I sure look forward to get a real knife grinder some day, but its good learning with this mashine, and if you can make it with this you can make it even better with a good knife grinder.

But if there is no adjustment screw on the mashine i would grind the contact plate behind the belt to fit better if that's the problem.
But i can take a picture if you want to see my setup :)
 
Thanks. Yea I ended up taking the platen off and narrowing it up a bit so it sits just inside the belts edges. I also built a nice plunge guide that is working very well. My plans for this summer is to build a nice 2x72 grinder but, we'll see.
 
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