Harbour Freight 1" x 30" belt sander: initial impressions and questions

Oh yea... this is a real unique way to keep kitchen knives and all sharp. I have been chastised by some on the shaving forums for putting a straight razor on the 1000 grit,but you know what?? That 1000 grit doesn't even mildly heat the blade, nor does it remove temper. I have shaved with my straight razors after getting them on the 1K belt, and then worked 4K, and 8K on the stones. It cuts hair easily on 1K but the stones polish off the edges just a tad bit more. I've taken a straight razor from totally dull, meaning I purposedly dulled the edge, and then using the 1K belt put an edge on it that shaves arm hair. From there, go through the stones and maybe even a balsa wood strop I made and put Chromium Oxide on it.

Another use, is I took up wood lathe work, and it can really put an edge on the wood cutting tool, and I do mean fast. I don't go up to 1000 grit with them, but stick with the coarser grits and really cause the wood chips to fly!!

I polished the body on the leather belt of the 1X30 belt sander.
 
AKsarben said:
Oh yea... this is a real unique way to keep kitchen knives and all sharp. I have been chastised by some on the shaving forums for putting a straight razor on the 1000 grit,but you know what?? That 1000 grit doesn't even mildly heat the blade, nor does it remove temper. I have shaved with my straight razors after getting them on the 1K belt, and then worked 4K, and 8K on the stones. It cuts hair easily on 1K but the stones polish off the edges just a tad bit more. I've taken a straight razor from totally dull, meaning I purposedly dulled the edge, and then using the 1K belt put an edge on it that shaves arm hair. From there, go through the stones and maybe even a balsa wood strop I made and put Chromium Oxide on it.

Another use, is I took up wood lathe work, and it can really put an edge on the wood cutting tool, and I do mean fast. I don't go up to 1000 grit with them, but stick with the coarser grits and really cause the wood chips to fly!!

I polished the body on the leather belt of the 1X30 belt sander.
Click to expand...

Even wit the concave???

Impressive!
 
This has to be one of the oldest threads I've posted in, but, hey- I think I read it when it first came out.

Anyway, since that time, the Worksharp has come out and made quite a stir. One thing got mentioned repeatedly about the Worksharp was how easy it was to ruin the tip of a knife with it. I don't recall seeing this being mentioned about the HF, anybody know why there would be a difference?

Thanks, Mike
 
I polished the body of the holder with the leather belt, not the blade. For the blade I used a Dremel and various small sanding wheels then buffing wheel.
 
I've never ruined the point of a knife, and I've done a lot of expensive knives. My General Manager at work gave me his Mother-in-law's kitchen knives to sharpen. 12 all total. Most Thiers-Issard, and some Bokers and some Dovo knives. All turned out excellent. I have even sharpened my Puma Solignen hunting knife and the point was still as it was. Perhaps it is more in the technique than the machine. I have payed for the HF sander 5 times over already. It is no longer an expense I purchased to keep my own knives sharp, as it has brought me in business from others that want sharp knives. Now I can even sharpen my mini lathe tools with it.
 
MVF said:
This has to be one of the oldest threads I've posted in, but, hey- I think I read it when it first came out.

Anyway, since that time, the Worksharp has come out and made quite a stir. One thing got mentioned repeatedly about the Worksharp was how easy it was to ruin the tip of a knife with it. I don't recall seeing this being mentioned about the HF, anybody know why there would be a difference?

Thanks, Mike
Click to expand...

There was a learning curve with the HF, you have to kinda learn to follow the shape of the blade or you certainly can remove the tip of a blade. I always recommend hitting up garage sales and flea markets and buying every cheap knife you can find and practice on them before you tear into the good knives!
 
I've had a viel 1x42 grinder with a 1725 rpm motor for about 3 days. I've tried other systems but this is by far the best. Thanks to mr Hossoms advice I got the 5 Mylar belts from lee valley and the leather with the veritas green compound. I have a few question. Jerry says to finish on the Sic 15u belt but that's courser than the 1200. How much use before it gets finer than 1200? Also I was expecting to develop a solid wire edge you could catch a finger nail on like I do with my lansky that removes when you hit the other side. With the grinder I get a very soft kind of floating wire that just easily flops around and the belts don't seem to remove it. So once I work up a wire on one side I have to remove it with a towel before I start on the other side so I know when that side as well has produced a wire. And the leather belt doesn't remove it either. Shines the hell out of the edge but doesn't remove burr. I just run the edge 90o through a towel a couple times and it peels it off. Is this normal? Thanks. Also are the 3m trizacts better than these micro finishing belts?
 
Mr. Hossom was one of the big influences on how I started out as well, actually! He definitely has his shit together, you won't find many better with a belt than him.

A lot of the burr formation depends on the steel. Soft ones (often) develop more of a burr, and a more PERSISTENT burr than harder steels. For instance, while I'll get a fairly impressive burr when I'm working on a cheap Chicago kitchen knife and might have to remove it with a felt block or pine end, I typically won't get much more than a tiny one that buffs RIGHT off on the leather from 154CM or S30V.

I personally run the Trizact belts, I believe Mr. Hossom runs a corresponding belt from Norton called the NORAX. They're both great, once you've used a structured abrasive, you'll wonder how you got by with grit belts. They are fairly expensive (the Trizacts I have are made by Doug Rising) at about $7 per belt, but they last several times as long as either the standard X-weight grit belts or the mylar backed micron-graded ones. They're only indifferent as far as material goes, I use a Norton Blaze for anything coarser than 120 grit, but they make a wonderfully consistent and even surface finish.
 
Thanks. When these wear out I'll try the trizacts. They're only $1.50 more each. I have noticed the soft steel makes a big solid burr. But it's the harder steels with that floppy burr that looks like magnetized metal dust that can't seem to be knocked off with the belts. I'm using the leather at the same angle as the abrasives. I don't want to increase angle cause it'll probably dull it
 
My experiences would agree with yours, the softer steels tend to make a rather persistent burr. I typically just exercise some patience and keep changing sides with light pressure and stropping, and unless it's a VERY big one it will come off eventually.

If that doesn't handle it, or if I'm not feeling particularly patient, I have a $4 block of "Rock Hard Felt" from CKTG that I will just very lightly draw the edge over. That strips the burr RIGHT off. I typically do that before I grab the last abrasive belt. My thought being that the final abrasive belt will clean up any little 'fuzzies' of metal left after the burr has been removed, and leave just a tiny wire that the loaded leather will buff off.
 
I've use a cloth, also a soft pine board as well as a synthetic rubber cork from a wine bottle. The latter works very well as you let it drag acorss the cork and the rubber grabs that wire and removes it.
 
I've never used a synthetic one but a natural cork works excellent as well. I can't seem to find one. Better buy a bottle! I think I will try that removing the burr before the final belt thing though. That's a good idea I hadn't thought of. It'll be so small the leather should take it right off. Thanks. Sorry to have stolen this thread but it was so informative. It was because of this that I bought the machine. No one knows when the 15 micron Sic belt wears down so I know the order? Cause I'm not sure if I should use it before or after the 1200 because it starts out more course but is supposed to wear smoother. It does feel smoother than when new but they're both so smooth I can't tell from feel on my skin or finish on steel
 
I've had luck with the bur with stiff cardboard boxes, soft wood, any fine grit belt just with a light soft quick pass before strops.
Just got some felt blocks, gonna load a side with boron and test it out.
 
Vicv said:
I've had a viel 1x42 grinder with a 1725 rpm motor for about 3 days. I've tried other systems but this is by far the best. Thanks to mr Hossoms advice I got the 5 Mylar belts from lee valley and the leather with the veritas green compound. I have a few question. Jerry says to finish on the Sic 15u belt but that's courser than the 1200. How much use before it gets finer than 1200? Also I was expecting to develop a solid wire edge you could catch a finger nail on like I do with my lansky that removes when you hit the other side. With the grinder I get a very soft kind of floating wire that just easily flops around and the belts don't seem to remove it. So once I work up a wire on one side I have to remove it with a towel before I start on the other side so I know when that side as well has produced a wire. And the leather belt doesn't remove it either. Shines the hell out of the edge but doesn't remove burr. I just run the edge 90o through a towel a couple times and it peels it off. Is this normal? Thanks. Also are the 3m trizacts better than these micro finishing belts?
Click to expand...

Just a note on the bur/wire.
From my experience whether by stone or belt or system like WEPS, the higher/finer the grit, the lighter the pressure applied, the finer the bur.
By the time I'm at 1600 ceramic paddles, I'm barely applying any pressure, same as if I get to a 5 Micron belt ... the bur is almost dust like and mainly tiny particles my pressure is so light. Your finger wipes most off.

I tend to debur on a piece of something with each belt change, especially on the reprofiles.

By the time your past a 1,000 in grit, almost anything will take it off. My water bucket dip and a quick wipe with a towel usually get it. My sharpest edges on a belt are when I work through the grits needed, and many times that starts at 800, and end with the lightest touch.

Also like to wipe the knife clean between stones or belts so not to cross contaminate. No need for 320 grit leftovers to end up on a 600 belt, and so on, and so on. Especially with stones or paddles.

Also, my best cutters are when I strop on the HF but don't push it past or really too the edge and avoid any rolling. Results in nice consistent convex polished edges that glide through say bass fishing catalog type paper that grab a page bent and slice a hole right through it. If I push the polish to the edge, I seem to loose that bit of tooth and it doesn't grab a glossy thin page as well on the bend. A straight push cut, different story. Like butter.

Just my 2 cents
 
Thanks for the advice. I actually use a very light touch with all the belt but deburring after every belt is a good idea. My edges aren't quite that good yet but they're still the best I've ever gotten and I'll get better. They easily push cut note pad paper and newspaper. Haven't tried catalogue paper though. That would be a good test. Last night a sharpened a cheap satoku which I bought years ago before a got on sharpening and quality knives but this time I stopped at the 320 grit then strop. Won't push cut very well because it's so rough but you should see it slice through veggies! But normally I properly progress thought the belts without skipping and when I'm done I can always deburr with a towel or board. Just can't seem to strop it off. I'm sure I'll get it. But I'll definitely deburr between belts. That way I can also determine progression from each belt besides just visual finish
 
So komitadjie... You like the trizacts. Do you go all the way to 6u? If so how does the finish compare to the 15u Sic belt? Also I believe the trizacts are on a thicker cloth backing which will be nice when working on the platen as I find the Mylar ones are really too thin for that
 
I actually go all the way down to the A3 belt, which is ~3u, although with the structured abrasive, that's a serious H.A.G.

It leaves a very cleanly polished edge, with just hints of scratching left. I would imagine that more time on the A3 would remove those as well, since they're most likely remaining artifacts from the coarser belts. The heavy cloth backing is nice, but beware that it IS softer than an X-weight grit belt. Means that you will flex it more with the same pressure. Not a problem after you sharpen a couple knives with them, but just bear in mind for the first couple to back the pressure off if you want to maintain the same convex profile you get with the stiffer X-weights. :)
 
H.A.G? And I'm new to this. I'm not sure what x weight is. I've only use the Mylar backed 3m belts which are very thin and a p120 blue zirconia belt my grinder came with. It's much thicker but doesn't really seem to be any more or less flexible
 
"Hairy A**ed Guess".

Most of the grit belts you will see floating around are "X-weight", which denotes a fairly stiff belt. The zirconia is likely an X-weight. The mylar's stiffness depends a LOT on the tensioning, they don't hold their own shape at all. I actually occasionally still use my 15 and 9u mylar belts, but they're pretty well shot by now. They work just fine, they just feel a tad different. Don't worry about it, you'll get the feel for the new belt type within the first knife or so. Which is why I always keep a handful of cheap garage-sale kitchen knives floating around. Best couple of bucks I've ever spent on my sharpening, honestly. Test things out there, not on a good knife!
 
Ok thanks. Ya I do like the thicker backing. Also I keep seeing people saying you don't need the course grits very often. That hasn't been my experience. I find sharpening a new knife I keep going back to starting on the 120 grit zirc belt. The others just take too long. With the 120 I can usually raise a burr within ten passes then I work to the finer grits. Maybe I just use less pressure than most. Also with the 80 micron belt it doesn't stay flat so I barely use that and skip to the 40. I really don't like the purple one. So anyone starting out don't worry about going to a courser belt. Just establish new bevel then work your way down
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top