Bees Wax and grinding belts

Ed Fowler

Ed Fowler

Joined
Jul 21, 2001
Messages
2,869
I buy my favorite 36 grit belts from Industrial Abrasives Phone# 1 800-428-2222. I purchase Paco Material Y-246. I use a lot of them and the last shipment of 4 dozen belts $82.00 I mention the supplier by name as this is the only soruce I know for these belts.

Today I tried extending the life of my belts by applying some bees wax (just a light touch) to the belt before grinding any steel.

Usually a the new belts have a lot of drag and wear out pretty fast when leveling large blades.
The first two belts lasted over three times as long, cut better from the first and there was much less tension on my back and arms. I think it works, Invite some others to give it a try and voice their results.
 
Thanks for the tip Ed! I need all the help I can get, especially if I keep making those smatchettes!
 
i have a belt lube, waxy, vasoline type stuff in a big tube. with S/C or A/O there is a improvement working on steel.this does not help on handle woods or micarta it just plugs up the belt. this is a good point Mr fowler. i will give it a try on the norton ceramic hogger belts that i like.
 
I have some tallow like material in my shop that is designed for that type of application. It works fine on coarse belts up to 80 grit on metal but tends to clog the pores on finer grits.

I recieved notice this week that there is a new line of belts available through Lee Valley that have a stearate coating for woodworking that is supposed to prevent buildup on the belt when sanding wood, I wonder if it will work for cocobolo?
 
i knew there was a reason we have a bee hive on this property.
continuous supply of free wax.
:D

someone i was speaking to said that putting pavement chalk on belts makes them better for grinding woods ??? .. anyone smarter than i happen to know if this is true?

D.
 
ED

May I ask why you like the Y-246
say over Norton Hoggers or 3M 967 ?.

$82.00 for 4doz. belts thats a darn
good price.

Also may I ask what brand of finer grt.
do you use.

Thanks
 
I watched George Herron flat grind a big bowie blade and he put beeswax on the backside of the belt. He said that the wax kept the belt moving over the platen easier which reduced heat build up in both the platen and the belt. The reduced heat build-up made for longer belt life.

I haven't tried it myself but I just may have to.
 
I use the Paco belts, Y 246 because on my steel, my way of grinding they last longer than any other 36 grit belt I have tried. I have tried other belts, many costing much more and they did not match the performance of the Paco Belts. Should you order some, specify Paco belts only and I think you will be pleased. I just ordered another 4 dozen and they had more in stock.

The rest of the belts I use are all 3M products, 60, 110 and 220 ceramics, then the trisac belts, A 125, A 16, A 6, then a scotch bright neutral belt loaded with Brownells 555 grey, then a loose musilen wheel again with 555 grey.
 
Sylvester: I have to correct the information I gave on the belts I use, I do not use an A 125, I use an A-30. Sorry for the error.
 
Have not done a side by side comparison but I favor WD40 for belt lube. Bought in bulk, used in a pump sprayer for this and tapping.

Found the belt lube stick, accumulate metal dust on the exposed lube over the long term, unless special care is taken to keep them covered/out of the way.

Maybe only a problem if used with finer grits also.
 
Anyone use the rubber belt cleaners? I use them on up to 220 grit and it seems to help quite a bit. Higher grits it melts and clogs, though.
 
Please advise the bees wax product that was used and part#.
I have an end customer that wants to try this please......

Thank you!!!
Evonne
 
Dang, mine came from the hive without a stock number, and the bees forgot to give me an invoice! What were they thinking?
 
Well that far back I did try the belt grease. Boy could it make a mess. Hey, I can't even remember if it helped or not -- well it did on cork belts since if you don't use something they plug up and reduce the cutting to near nothing. Yea, I've been around here that long. Frank
 
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