$30 Belt Sander

B

Buster_NW

Joined
Jan 5, 2011
Messages
32
Hi All:

I just picked up a 1"x30" table top belt sander from Harbor Freight for $30. Make no mistake - this tool is no Milwaukee, but so far, so good! With all the questions and feedback requests out there regarding sharpening systems, I thought I would pass this along.

The technique is not as foolproof as a Sharpmaker-type system, but it's not difficult to master. For anyone interested in applying their own convex edge, this is a great starter setup.

P.S. If the motor goes out, I will update. Harbor Freight does offer a 90-day warranty though.
 
Not a bad sander for the money. I have been using one for some time. Lee Valley has a nice selection of belts.
 
I agree. I bought this same Central Machine 1x30 about a week ago. When it arrived I noticed the spring for the tensioner wheel wasn't seated right. I called Harbor Freight and told them about it. They sent me another machine and told me to keep the original one because it would cost more to ship back to them then it was worth. So after I took the first one apart and seated the spring properly, I now have two belt sanders. It is the only way I'll sharpen knives now. Its take a couple hours to get the hang of it. But its outstanding.
 
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I have one of these too. Not a bad little machine for the price. I have had a few of the parts break but nothing major. In fact it works better for me stripped down anyhow. Brandonsc, that's pretty cool to hear that about HF, I guess I just figured that their customer service would be as low as their prices. Good to hear it is not.
 
I've sharpened over 200 knives with mine; other than an initial learning re: making sure I remember to change the belts eventually (it's just not worth it to try to squeeze a few more sharpenings through on a worn out belt!) it's been a great investment. I presently start most of my knives on paper wheels (8") and finish with Chromium Oxide on a felt belt, then 1x30 leather belt with 6 micron diamond paste (DMT), before moving to hand stropping to .25 micron. Most of the time gets hair popping sharp. I've found that 8cr13mov seems to be sharper if I stop at 6 microns vs. stropping all the way down (sharper as in a more usable edge).

Congrats on the new tool :) the top pulley on mine sounds like the bearing's shot, but I've been looking to upgrade to something a little larger with a slightly slower speed.
 
Yep, awesome tool for the money. I've had mine for about 8 months now, still going strong. I have used it mostly for sharpening and re-profiling, but I have also done some major material removal on hardened steel as well.
Not the best tool for that sort of heavy duty work, but it gets the job done.
 
I have one, and while the first one had a problem of the main pulley working loose upon startup, the one I got as a replacement has held up great. That and a bunch of Klingspor and 3M belts and I can get some seriously beautiful edges on my machetes. :D:thumbup:
 
RandomAyes said:
These days Milwaukee is no Milwaukee :confused:

Also DeWalt, Makita, Ryobi, and Bosch... made in China, it seems.
Click to expand...

Occasionally you can find a DeWalt made in Mexico...I have a Hitachi belt sander that I'm seriously thinking about using for sharpening, so be prepared for lotsa questions :D
 
I also have one. I love it. Saves me a LOT of time & can now bring a badly damaged blade back to life in about 20 min tops.
 
I have had fairly good success with Supergrit and LeeValley, more so with Supergrit. I did receive an order once from LeeValley, where every single belt was a bout a half inch too big. But I don't know if it was a problem with the belts or the HF grinder; though I haven't had the same problem with supergrit. I ended up wrapping electrical tape very carefully around the top wheel to take up the slack.

I actually have an order on the way from Supergrit again, they seem to have better pricing. I also love their cork polishing belts. I use the cork with no grit, and I load it up with rouge before I go to a leather hand strop.
 
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