Belt Sander: When to Clean and Reapply Paste to Leather Belt?

[AFAustin]

For those of you who sharpen with a belt sander, and use a leather belt with diamond paste as your final step, a few questions, please.

Do you periodically reapply the paste to the leather belt? Do you clean it first with a belt cleaner stick (the eraser type)? How often do you do it?

Thanks for any info.

Andrew

 

[danefuller]

I've thought about it, but my guess is the paste will simply fly off and be useless. Not to mention at that grit the leather belt spinning on the sander will have too much movement back and forth to successfully utilize the paste abrasive.