Whats a good belt sander?

Uncle Rukus

Uncle Rukus

Joined
Mar 13, 2007
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133
I've been thinking about using a belt sander to set bevels on my knives, and then honing a microbevel with ceramic stones. Who makes a good belt sander for knife sharpening? I would prefer one that uses a 1 inch belt so I can sharpen recurves as well.
 
Delta makes a good 1 X 42, but even the cheap ones will work for sharpening, if you use good belts.
Bill
 
I checked Delta's website and the only 1x42" belt sander they have listed is a belt sander/disc sander combo. Also the the belt sander is vertical. For sharpening should it be horizontal or on an angle instead of vertical? Take in mind I know nothing about using a belt sander for sharpening.
 
You don't have to use the disc! Most sanders are vertical. The horizontal 6" X 48" are not ideal for sharpening.
Bill
 
Bucktool_02 said:
I live in an apartment and I'm thinking about getting one too. Are these belt sanders loud?
Click to expand...

I have two sharpening machines setup in the bedroom next to where my wife sleeps. No noise issues with the Tormek or small 1"x30". I keep my other machines in the garage...
 
Belt-sanders can be loud, but take Bill DeShiv's advice and use good belts (for steel, go with a closed-coat belt; I wish I had :o ) and the job will be done soon.
 
Here's what I've had success with thus far:

Grinder/Sander: Palmgren #81061 for about $175ish + tax and shipping thru Amazon I believe...

Belts: SuperGrit: I'm using the ceramic for grinding and Black Silicone Carbide for sanding. Keep in mind I'm currently only doing metalwork right now. The other two varieties are more ideal for woodworking...

Leather Belts for honing with compound: I'm still looking for a suitable leather belt for my Palmgren that works well. However, I'm at the beginning of this search, NOT the end, so I'm not too worried at the moment... More axious than anything...

Compounds: Caswell Inc: I bought the Large Starter Pack, but the red and blue rouges are a bit overkill for knife sharpening/polishing, LOL...

Hope this helps!
 
You will soon get fed up of a 1" belt. Try 2" to start with and even then, you might want a 4" belt eventually. We use a contact wheel for all grinding and sharpening. The flat platten grinder is only used for flatting stag and wooden scales.

You can hone with a worn out 400 grit cork belt using green compound.
 
I just bought a Kalamazoo 1x42, and I love it. You can find them on Amazon. If you want to do any serious knife making, obviously a 2" is preferrable, but the machine is fantastic for sharpening, re-profiling, and lighter work.

It turns nice and slow, it's quiet, and it has a Baldor motor to boot!

I am so happy I bought mine.

Cribbage

Andrew Taylor said:
You will soon get fed up of a 1" belt. Try 2" to start with and even then, you might want a 4" belt eventually. We use a contact wheel for all grinding and sharpening. The flat platten grinder is only used for flatting stag and wooden scales.

You can hone with a worn out 400 grit cork belt using green compound.
Click to expand...
 
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