Belt type/grit for thinning

[drebs]

Hey guys I have a craftsman 2x42 and Griz 1x30, I use them for thinning my blades. I recently did a 440c fillet on my 2x42 with the stock belt that came on there, it was a 80 grit.

Took me 30 mins to get .010 off the blade behind edge to stock. Given I was busting the calipers out every 3 passes to check being this was my first knife thinning and dipping it in ice water.

Do you guys have a recommendation you could give on belt grit and type, there are zirconia, ceramics, silicone carbides, aluminum oxides that I'm looking at mainly working with m4's ,s110v's, s90v, d2, 440c.

Thanks for the words!

 

[Jason B.]

Norton Blaze

 

[pjwoolw]

Its really a question of what works best with the equipment at hand. How fast a motor, belts available at the time and such. I'm assuming your thinning on the platen. That creates more heat and cuts faster. I'm pretty conservative on grit choice depending on the steel and item. You can always go coarser if need be. The backing is also an important consideration. Thinner backings can create more heat too.

Ceramics are going cut cooler opposed to aluminum oxide. Zirconium in between those two. Once you get above 220 grit the silicon carbide belts are OK but don't last long. I like the Klingspor yellow belts if your looking to convex. That leaves you with the Trizact offerings and the like which work quite well for the task but are pricey.

Check with Supergrit and see what they have. I get most of my belts from them. Don't worry to much about the manufacturer and find why works for you with your tools.