Belt life

Ivan Campos

Ivan Campos

Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
Joined
Apr 4, 1999
Messages
2,509
Just out of curisity, for how long can you use your 80 grit belt? I can grind 3 10" long, 2" wide 5160 blades with one but after that it gets kind of dull for grinding, even though it will stll be usefull for profiling and other stuff and everybody says they are wearing away too fast.
I can´t compare this with my earlier experiences as they tended to last much more when I made chisel ground blades only, but of course there was much less steel to be removed.
 
Thanks, Delbert. Yes, I am using A/O belts (Klingspor), so I better get used to changing belts more often.
And before IG says something about it, I admit that I am cheap!
 
Seems pretty reasonable for AlOx grain. I prefer it myself because of the cost and I don't feel too bad about putting a new belt on when one starts to get dull. The really expensive belts don't give me the same cost per unit as the AlOxide
 
What speed does your grinder run at?
I'm pretty sure my crapsmen runs WAY too fast and as a result I can barely use belts.
I usually can barely grind a 5" blade from ATS before it's too dull. Is that way out of proportion? They are also A/O belts. (2x42)
Thanks!
~Brian
 
I run my grinder at 5450 fpm, and can get 2-3 blades out of a/o belts in the courser grits, and at that speed, I can grind 3 blades as fast as I could one on a slower machine
 
are you "flat grinding"? or useing an 8" or 10" wheel?? I flat grind exclusively and use the Klingspor 310's and find that about two blades is all I can get out of a belt. I admit though, that I have learned the hard way not to use ANY belt at any price that has stopped cutting. I do however have a few tricks for extended belt life starting with my use of an angle grinder, a small one, to get ALL the scale off of my forgings before I start to grind. I also use an old belt to get to some bright steel color (after I've hardended the blade) before I temper, as useing a good belt on a hardened blade takes about two passes to ruin it!


regards, mitch
 
Jaegar and Ysforge: I think mine is going pretty fast with a 3hp high speed (3745 rpm) motor. The belts under 180/220 go very quickly on it.
Mitch: I don´t do hollow, only flats and chisels, and don´t forge too but also clean the blade with older belts before tempering and remove the gunk that comes with the steel bars with them.
 
your belt is moving at 5228 fpm if the wheel size is right, great for roughing, but I really ought to hook up the variable speed unit to mine for the fine work. I wish my grinder ran at 7500 fpm for most stuff :)
 
The finer grit belts really do burn up quick at high speeds, so I use the 3m trizact belts exclusivly at the higher grits, and get good life out of them, the speed doesn't seem to bother them as much
 
I always spend the extra couple of bucks for the ceramic belts and have three different hangers for them. For heavy grinding I use 50 grit belts. When the belt is new I use it for handles. When it's a little dull for that I move it to the next hanger and use it to grind bevels, when it's too dull for that it goes to the last hanger. The last hanger is for belts to grind profiles. When it's too dull for profiles it goes in the trash.

I sometimes spray my belts with silicone spray. It keeps them cooler and makes them last longer. Especially the J-wieght handle material belts. For slack belt work I also spray the back of the belt and it keeps the fingers alot cooler. I always wear a respirator. I don't know what the silicone can do to your lungs.

I can usually get 7 to 10 knives out of a 50 grit belt. The finer belts last a whole lot longer. I use specific belts for each operation. Ceramics pre heat treat, gators post, then 3M structured, J-weights for the handle after initial shaping, etc.
 
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