Resharpening / dressing Norax belts

[C_Claycomb]

This is probably really old info, but I have only just got around to trying it.

When using Norax belts, I would guess other engineered AO belts would be the same, they cut great when new, but after a while they kind of glaze over and quit cutting so well. There is clearly still grit on the belt, but it stops biting. Previously I have tried using a piece of M2 full hard hacksaw blade to re-dress the belt, but it never worked all that well. Yesterday I tried something else and it worked much better.

EDM slip stones.

They are as hard as the abrasive on the belt, won't leave a glaze, and come in a range of grits which you can match to the belt you use so as not to risk contamination of finishing grits. It just took a single light pass to revive the bite on my really old 400 grit belt.

As I say, this might be old, but I didn't find anything about it when I searched some while ago. Hope it helps someone get some more life out of their belts.

ATB

Chris

 

[Edro20]

Good tip! Where can these be bought? Online is peferable. Thanks!!

 

[the possum]

Are these the kind of stones you're referring to?

Congress Tools EDM stones

First I've heard of this- thanks.

 

[C_Claycomb]

That is the kind of thing. Mine might be mould and die stones, they wear down a little fast to be specifically EDM stones, but I reckon the principle holds.

Another US source might be:


http://www.gesswein.com/catalog/index.cfm?cat=1&sub=6&catalog=2&CFID=655803&CFTOKEN=68700576

Sould give you an idea of what they look like and the other names for these little stones, depending on the grit and how fast they cut.

 

[tmickley]

I'll have to try that. Norax belts do need to be freshened up occasionally. I jam the edge of a piece of scrap steel fairly hard into the belt and dust flies every where. That dust is older, dull grit and the new exposed grit is back to sharpness heaven.

 

[David Schott]

I have these big bars of what feels like a rubber eraser that when you put it into the belt, it rips everything from between the grit. I think I got them a few years back from texas knife supply:
http://www.texasknife.com/vcom/product_info.php?cPath=225_832&products_id=129

 

[C_Claycomb]

I have one of the rubber blocks and while it does well on the Hoggers I use, I wasn't sure that it was really doing all that much for the Norax

tmickley,
I guess I wasn't applying enough force with my bit of M2 since it never really helped much. I was always a bit worryed about gouging straight through to the backing.