Belt Sander or Belt Grinder

Y

YourNoob

Joined
Aug 4, 2007
Messages
165
There are many advantages to the bigger belt grinders, but you can grind blades on a belt sander. Your going to want to get some good zirconium or ceramic belts and take your time. If you get hooked on knife making your going to want to upgrade to a knife grinder soon, but the belt sander Will still get used for handles and such.
For sanding belts.
http://www.supergrit.com/products/products_belts.asp
 
I am using the $100 Delta 4x36 belt sander. It is slow, but Norton makes Zirconia belts in coarse grits, so for the worst of the grinding tasks you can use proper belts...so yeah, a cheap belt sander can get it done. It has to be taken slowly because the motor is weak and easily stalled, but slow is good when you (and I) are learning...

I end up doing a lot of work by hand with files too, simply because the higher grit belts are all aluminum oxide (to the best of my ability to find anyway) and don't last when used on bladesteel.

It'll be the first thing I upgrade when I am able though... Yet again the old adage hold true: Buy the best tools you can afford.
 
would a 2.3 amp, 1/3-hp motor be alright for grinding blades? and what grit should i usually start out with to take off a majority of the metal?
 
I used a 4X36 grinder for over a year till I got hooked and had to buy the big guys. It worked great and made blades up to 15 inches long. Check out supergrit.com they have ceramic, zerconia, and silicon carbide belts in all grits for the 4X36 at a good price and I usually got my order in 3 days. I did have to do some modification though, the tool rest is way to weak and will flex letting your blade slide through, I made a new on out of 3/16 plate. Also I put a piece of 1/8 stainless on the platen 4" wide so you can get a good clean cut at the choil. The steel gets hot very fast so dip in water alot. I used 36, 80, 120 in ceramic then 220 silicon and finished by hand. Hope this helps. Have lots of fun.
 
hey thanks for the advice joesouth, but my question was would my cheap ass belt sander in the url work for grinding blades?

No disrespect intended.
 
Yes it will work. I have a friend who uses a similar machine. 50 grit seams to be about all the machine will handle. It will be slow going. Get the zerconia or ceramic belts or it will take a very long time.
 
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