Grind with edge up or down?

SR_matt said:
sorry to get off topic but GibsonFan, have you found really coarse blets for your 4X36, preferably ones that last but the corsest one i can find here is like 80 ish
-matt
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The ONLY ones available locally are 100-grit. However, I found these people online: http://www.onlineindustrialsupply.com/sanding-belts-4-by-36-inches.html

"Aluminum Oxide Sanding Belts (4" by 36")
European made. Sold in packs of 10.
Length: 36 inch. Width: 4 inch.
Available grits: 36, 40, 50, 60, 80, 100, 120, 150, 180.
Best price anywhere. Guaranteed."

I haven't ordered form them yet, but it looks like they have what we need. Also, belts are around $4-5 in the store, theirs are $22 for 10!

mlovett, that is an interesting post, I had never thought of that. Keeping the grind line crisp is something I surely need to work on, right now I'm just trying to keep the dang bevel straight, lol.
 
Some of the answers are a surprise to me. I've always ground edge up...doesn't make it "right"...makes it how I learned.
I am "extremely left-handed" (remember Lefties are in their right mind).
but grind edge up...meaning one side or the other isn't controlled by dominant hand....do use a rest very close to the belt most of the time and a tool like E. Shadley indicates in his book if the rest isn't in place... and find that when I grind the side where the tang is to the right, I am more likely to hold the blade or use a small push stick from the left hand...so I guess my left hand is "usually in-charge" , but I need the rest or holding tool to allow that to happen...I am also using fairly slow runing variable speed grinders....
and because of experience, I like to see the cutting edge in view. I have tried grinding edge down, but it just isn't as comfortable for me.
 
Self taught, but right handed Dean way apparently. One side up, one side down. Main reason for me is I use a Grizzly (just starting out) and the motor sits on the left side of the belt and if I try to go edge up to the left, my hand hits it. Also, I get a hell of a zap off of it when the static builds up! I put rubber matting down on my shop floor which seemed to reduce it, but there's still a surprise for me once in a while!

Erik
 
Edge up with no tool rest. The left hand learns slow but will finally catch up to the right if its used enough.
 
I'm glad I read this thread, because I've been grinding blade down since the beginning, thinking that blade up would be dangerous. So I'll give blade up a try today!
 
I really appreciate everyone's response. It was much greater than I could have imagined.

One other question, I suffer from the same newbie affliction as others have mentioned, I am working with a 6" bench grinder, a 4x36" delta bench sander. I think for the Whanrcliffe styled blade I'm working on the 4x36" would work well if I could get a bit of a platen under the belt. Do you know of any thin material that would allow me to raise the belt ever so slightly off of the existing platen so that I can grind on it? What I'm thinking of is a thin piece of flat ceramic or other material that can handle the friction of the belt running over it, cut to the width of the belt, and mounted underneath to give me room for the plunge cut when grinding. Otherwise I believe I'm going to have to do it with a file, which I don't mind, just takes quite a while.

Thanks again,

Charles
 
im kind of confused how the people with the delta sanders are having a hard time getting the belts to the edge, i have a craftsman one that is basicaly looks like it is almost an exact copy excat the on/off switch is on the side that the belt moves toward so i work from that side. i can get teh belt right up to the edge to get a nice clean grind. maybe im missing parts that get in the way or something.

the only problem i can see with putting something under it is you might create to much tension on the belt.

-matt
 
Edge up free hand always for hollow, flat and chisel grinds. Still working on my convex grinds, not quite happy with them. ><
 
deker said:
Try Supergrit They have 4x36 in all the fancy ceramics, etc.
-d
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Thank you! Their ceramic belts are still cheaper than the aluminum oxide ones in the hardware store, and they have several gritsincluding coarser ones that were asked about.

'Nother dumb question, do the ceramics last longer, cut better, or both? Are the zirconia ones a good deal, or should I spring the extra $1 each for ceramic?

SR_matt said:
im kind of confused how the people with the delta sanders are having a hard time getting the belts to the edge...
-matt
Click to expand...

On my Delta, I can ease the belt right up to the edge of the platen on the right side (looking at it, belt turns away from you). I can make the ricasso as small as 1/8" if I'm careful. But the belt doesn't quite adjust that far to the left side, and even if it did I like to keep it in the same place rather than re-set it to grind the other side.

About putting a ceramic platen under the belt, I don't see why not as long as it's not ungodly thick. The Delta's belt tension can be adjusted a fair amount, to loosen it up a bit in that case. Not sure where to get my hands on a piece of ceramic like that, though...

Thanks again to all of you who've shared your experience for us newbies! :thumbup:
 
SR_matt said:
im kind of confused how the people with the delta sanders are having a hard time getting the belts to the edge, i have a craftsman one that is basicaly looks like it is almost an exact copy excat the on/off switch is on the side that the belt moves toward so i work from that side. i can get teh belt right up to the edge to get a nice clean grind. maybe im missing parts that get in the way or something.

the only problem i can see with putting something under it is you might create to much tension on the belt.

-matt
Click to expand...

Well now that you mention it, I guess I can slide it over to the left hand side without any major problems. I have just always left the belt centered on the guide wheels but it really doesn't need to be. And the platen is almost at the edge on that side. I'll have to try that tonight.

Thanks,

Charles
 
thats what i ended up doing with my sander, it made it a lot easier to get the edge i wanted.


hmmm just had an idea to help the angle of the bevel, im gona try to set the belt angle to what i want then keep the blade horozontal to the ground. hmm i need to go try that
-matt
 
Edge up. Recently Ive been toying with a new method where I simulate a jig using my hands. I hold the blade straight up and down always, and rotate my platen. I press my thumb on the blade where it crosses the belt, and pull the blade across my thumb. It feels weird but seems to give very nice grinds. All i worry about is keeping the blade perpindicular to the floor, which is easy from above, and then just rotate the platen a bit more to take more of the back or the edge as necessary....who knows if it will stick, but i find just moving the blade left/right is a lot less to worry about than pressure, left, right, and angle.
 
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