What roughing belt

I was using Combat Abrasives for a while there but switched to VSM for reasons of economy. They cut well and the price is right.
 
Big Chris said:
It used to be the same for me, 50 grit to start.
Then I couldn't get 50 one time so I went with 36 cause I needed to resupply.
I noticed afterward that it seemed as though I was getting more life from the 36.
That made things easier when I went to 60 to start cleaning the rough stuff up.
36 is rough and will almost throw chips when really hogging.
When I was roughing those four choppers I filled my bucket with 1/4" to 3/8" long slivers.
Click to expand...
I think I get a lot longer life out of 36 as well. I either have to be doing large blades or hardened blades to keep from getting deep gouges that can be deeper than expected.
 
I can't imagine not using 36 or 40 grit belts. The only time I'll start with a 60 grit is on knives <.125" thick and short bevels.

Previously I'd been using 36 - 60 - 120.

Recently I tried 40 - 80 - 120.

I like the 36 better than the 40s but I like having both 60 and 80, not for every knife but sometimes 60 is too much and 120 just isn't enough.
 
Big Chris are these what you use? Thy have a few colors.

Photo%20Aug%2016%2C%205%2050%2034%20PM.png
 
I tried a 3M 967F YF (reddish color) in 36 grit yesterday for the first time. I profiled a 36" katana in about 40 minutes and the belt seems to have plenty of life still in it.
Usually the edges wear out first when I profile, but it looks pretty even.
 
VSM and started using Sunmight (Korean), 3M is ridiculously expensive here in Buenos Aires, Hermes are also good.

Pablo
 
984F are still the best belts for general use with fast/high pressure hogging, on the widest variety of exotic materials IMO. Blaze are the second best. Currently I'm buying large amounts of 50 grit Blaze belts from Pop, because except with titanium, the 984F's are worth $3-4 extra. (Pop has killer prices on the Blazes atm).

However, the 967 Cubitron (yellow) is still the best belt for hardened stainless, however, it's an absolute waste to use it on non-hardened steel.


The only VSM belt I buy are the Y-weight 120 grit Ceramics. For the price, it's an excellent belt compared to 120 Cubitrons or Blaze, however, the coarse grits, don't really compare for nearly the same price as a 50 grit Blaze from Pop. ($5.75 is what Pop was getting for 50 grit blaze last I checked). I personally rarely use anything coarser than 50s. 40s are nice in the few belts you can get them, but 36's make no sense to me. Yes the grain is larger, but it's less densely packed, and they're more expensive, so you basically end up paying a premium to chase deep 36 grit gouges, and end up having to use a 60 or 80 grit belt to clean up. 50 to 120 is a smooth transition. The exception to this is AO/Zirc belts for SG work or handle material, I do get 36's for that.
 
Big Chris said:
About 5200-5500 SFM, roughly 98% of what my grinder will do.
As for pressure, I'm roughly 380 pounds and I'm leaning into it.
If I don't run at full or near full speed, in the motor's optimal torque range, I stall the grinder out, it's 2 hp.
I'm probably not applying the pressure a robot is but I'm not babying it either.
Click to expand...

Yes, you need to be pushing 6,000 SFPM and stalling a 2hp motor, to start taking advantage of the premium ceramics, even still, many of them are a huge waste for non-hardened low alloy carbon steel.
 
Yeah I’m grinding hardened AEBL so I’m torn on what belts to order. I dont normaly work with stainless so most of my stuff was carbon and a 50 grit blaze.
 
JTknives said:
Yeah I’m grinding hardened AEBL so I’m torn on what belts to order. I dont normaly work with stainless so most of my stuff was carbon and a 50 grit blaze.
Click to expand...


I'd get a 967 to try out, but honestly at almost double the price of Pop's 50 grit Blazes, I don't think you're gonna think it's worth it. I always buy a few each order, and it's always nice to use them when I'm dealing with something tedious and I just need some "magic" passes, but, they're really not "twice" as good. You certainly won't think that the blazes are crap on any alloy, stainless or otherwise.

Most vendors however, get a lot more for the Blaze belts, and the price difference isn't as much of a factor. Before Pop started carrying Blaze belts, buying 984F's was a no-brainer for me.
 
I have never had a problem with the blaze and thy have allways been good to me. Besides the occasional wabble. I’m so use to 50 grit blaze I’m half tempted to just stick with that grit. I jump stright from 50 to the A300 gator and then the A160 or A100 and top it off with either the A45 or A65. Then hand sand if it’s needed. I’m kinda thinking about trying thoes magic cork belts everyone is talking about or a scotch bright.
 
i like the cork because they last and last. i usually wreck one accidentally before it wears out. i have a 400 i have been using for 2 years.
 
JTknives said:
I have never had a problem with the blaze and thy have allways been good to me. Besides the occasional wabble. I’m so use to 50 grit blaze I’m half tempted to just stick with that grit. I jump stright from 50 to the A300 gator and then the A160 or A100 and top it off with either the A45 or A65. Then hand sand if it’s needed. I’m kinda thinking about trying thoes magic cork belts everyone is talking about or a scotch bright.
Click to expand...
I don't claim to be the best grinder but I did go through probably 4k worth of belts at pops prices last year. That seems like a fair bit at least for something that's a hobby. I focused on different techniques and using different belts. You definitely should have scotchbrite belts. The difference between scotchbrite and cork that I have noticed is that the SB is more satin and the cork is shiny. You can dress a fine worn scotchbrite and get more shine. Working at Hewes Marine we went through so much Scotchbrite on the aluminum boats I tried to make it do to much at first. I find that with both it is important to have a very nice scratch pattern from your gator or AO belts. They refine what's there but don't give a new pattern. In fact trying to hard and taking off all the pattern seems to look bad. I would be very interested in trying a brown scotchbrite, they are very aggressive.

If you are making a order from pops pick up a couple of the 36 grit. Keep them around for a time when you are doing some crazy hoging. I think Salim said he used them for when he was doing a bunch of San mai with 316.

Pops Blaze and VSM are a price point that is hard to beat. Those yellow 3M belts are awesome for hard stainless but they are not so awesome that changing the belt twice as often doesn't give way better results. That's the price difference.
 
I just ordered 8 Blaze belts form Pop's. I have not used them for several years because of the "black gunk" issue, so it will be interesting now that the have apparently solved that problem.
 
jdm61 said:
I just ordered 8 Blaze belts form Pop's. I have not used them for several years because of the "black gunk" issue, so it will be interesting now that the have apparently solved that problem.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I think a lot of us were turned off by that, and frankly, for the longest time, the blaze belts at other suppliers, were as much, or in some cases, more expensive than the 3m 984F's. There's NO version of reality where I'd pay the same money for a Blaze (black gunk or not) over a 984F Cubitron II. The Blaze in many cases will perform just as well, however I've never found one where it performs better, and there are definitely a few cases with exotic alloys and titanium for example, where nothing beats a 984F.

All that said, the black gunk issue is no longer a problem. This was just a dry lubricant that Norton added intentionally, I'm sure for certain industrial uses, it's advantageous. With Pop's incredibly competitive pricing on these, it's hard to not buy them. Although I guess I should probably stop telling everyone, before you guys drive the prices up further. They were $5.25 last year.

Anybody that calls Pop to order them, let him know I sent ya, he's a good friend, and incredibly underrated (most people don't even know) and exceptionally skilled knifemaker, and font of information once you get to know him.
 
So you use the 984F in 50 grit on hardened stainless? My other thing is coolness. I would rather sacrifice belt life a tad for a belt that cuts cooler.
 
What I have found is that 60 grit 984 seems to work as well as 50 grit black gunk era Blaze. I bought a couple of 36 grit 984’s the last round and found them to be unnecessary. I had gone to 40 and 50 grit Blaze belts before I switched. The only 36 grits that I will buy now are the 3M AO belts for “hogging” wood and Micarta.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top