Belt question

S

Sharpe5097

Joined
Mar 2, 2017
Messages
316
Everyone keeps saying dont use a new 36 grit belt for profiling. What do u use a new 36 grit belt for then?
 
I use a new 36 grit belt for tapered tangs. When it starts to loose it's cut I then use it to bevel the blade. When it finally looses it's cut for that I use it to profile blades. I find Blaze in 36 grit lasts a long, long time.
 
I basically don't use them for anything, because I hate the grit shower, and I typically work with thin stock where a 50 grit eats it super fast anyway. I keep them on hand simply for doing spears and axes and stuff where I'm bevelling super thick blades, but those are very rare. As soon as they lose their bite I just use them for stripping forge scale or grinding the ends off billets where I have welded on rods to hold them.
 
Funny, I was grinding yesterday evening and I was working with a 40 and a 60 cubitron, and I realized I hate grinding with a 40. I gave up on 36 couple of years ago.
60 gives me much better control. Maybe it's the grinds I do. But that's how it works for me. I'm considering dropping the 40's now.
 
Kevin McGovern said:
I've been messing with starting at 60 myself. Haven't decided yet. I may just start at 60 for 1/8" and thinner.
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I was wondering if others have had similar experiences. It is the thin kitchen knives eh? You just need great control at all times except when just starting to rough it out.
The long thin counter of that blade is a real challenge. 50 might be that sweet spot, but I don't' see a cubitron 50. :\
 
I use to start with 36 then I switched to 50 or 60. After a few years back to 36. Almost everything I grind is 1/8 or thinner.
 
Yeah years ago I struggled with getting all the 36 scratches out as I progressed. Now I don't. Maybe better with the mid grits??
 
Just wanted to add that often people advise against the 36grit belts (especially for profiling) because the grit on it protrudes quite far. When you go to put a piece of steel against it perpendicularly, it just rips the grit right off the belt, essentially ruining it. As others have mentioned, I use it for tapering tangs, flattening stock, large and thick items, and hollow grinding the tang before tapering. Once they lose the bite, I use them for an all purpose beater (removing scale, profiling, etc).
 
Belt speed ? Nobody mentioned belt speed ? My experience with belt grinder is very modest , but I quickly realized that 40 grit ceramic belt like speed .On 10m/s I can feel that coarse grit , but on 50m/s feeling is like I use 400 grit ?
This blank is 5mm 1.2519 steel , finish is from 40 ceramic belt , grind on 50m/s .Not to mention that all ended in several passages for one side . . .Even profiling is easy on that speed ,I still do not have enough worn ceramic belt to do that :)
And I have filing that in high speed ceramic belt last longer ?
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