Work Sharp (belt grinder) Knife Sharpener

AFAustin said:
Noctis, that's a beautiful edge. Mother's Mag is indeed great stuff and I will give your suggestion a try. Did you apply just a small dab in one place or...?
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I use a toothpick to spread a thin layer over the entire belt, like butter. Anymore than that and the polish will fly all over the room. I'd also recommend giving it a minute or two to dry off a bit. You can tell whether it's working or not as the belt will turn black from the metal.

AFAustin said:
Vincent, all the different grit grading systems are a constant source of confusion to me as well. The problem is compounded by the fact that, due to vague labeling, sometimes you can't tell what system the manufacturer is using when they slap a grit number on their product.

Andrew
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Yes, this is why I prefer using sharpening products in a "set" from the same manufacturer rather than mixing them, say from Spyderco ceramics to DMT diamonds. I find that, at least in products from the same manufacturer, the grits will remain consistent.
 
Noctis3880 said:
I also eagerly recommend wearing out a spare 6000 belt with some P60 sandpaper(do it slowly, don't want to strip the cloth too) and putting some of this on it:
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That stuff is magical. It'll shine up a cloudy edge in no time, yet it'll leave an edge that can tree-top leg/arm hairs and cut free hanging hair.
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In my younger days I worked at a trucking company and the owner had me polish fuel tanks with mothers and you could get them like a mirror (with a lot of elbow grease). It is great stuff. It isn't working unless your applicator turns black. That means it's working!
 
I need some help. I ordered some P 400 and some 600 and also some 1800 belts from Work Sharp. The 400 and 600 are both green and not
all belts are marked with the grit size. Is there any way to tell these apart?
Also the 1800 belt were all turned around inside out. What is the purpose of this? Thanks.

Romo
 
used the newly aquired work sharp...

the 220 grit is good to where i can put an edge onto a butterknife *which i have tried and done successfully* but no matter how much i try to improve the 220 edge with the purple (finest belt) I can't...in fact, it takes away from the sharpness that the 220 leaves on the edge.

i've tried to use the guide, i've tried with the guide off, it definitely convexes the edges when used without the guide but it will not improve the edge over the 220

i've used the purple belt on a couple different knives and had the same result, duller edges than with the 220. I can put the knife on a 220 belt and instantly get the edge back sharp. Back to purple and it gets semi-dull again. I feel the purple belt is so soft that it comes around and rounds off the edge when pressed against it.

I'd be curious if someone else got different results with the purple belt. I've since left the 220 edge and stopped it a bit, getting a nicer edge that i can't seem to get with the purple belt yet.
 
I feel the 6000 belt is too fine to fully remove the burr left by the P220. Try cutting into a block of wood after the 220. It also requires about 10 passes per side on the 6000 belt in the manual.

I noticed the P220 will leave one hell of a burr even with a single pass, and the 6000 belt might just be pushing and weakening the wire edge, but not fully removing it.
 
robino said:
used the newly aquired work sharp...

the 220 grit is good to where i can put an edge onto a butterknife *which i have tried and done successfully* but no matter how much i try to improve the 220 edge with the purple (finest belt) I can't...in fact, it takes away from the sharpness that the 220 leaves on the edge.

i've tried to use the guide, i've tried with the guide off, it definitely convexes the edges when used without the guide but it will not improve the edge over the 220

i've used the purple belt on a couple different knives and had the same result, duller edges than with the 220. I can put the knife on a 220 belt and instantly get the edge back sharp. Back to purple and it gets semi-dull again. I feel the purple belt is so soft that it comes around and rounds off the edge when pressed against it.

I'd be curious if someone else got different results with the purple belt. I've since left the 220 edge and stopped it a bit, getting a nicer edge that i can't seem to get with the purple belt yet.
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Try applying less pressure.
 
i've tried with and without pressure...i was sold on the fact that this machine sharpens convex edges being that the belt gives, thereby causing the edge to convex rather than V itself...but it is only true with the heavier belt.

the 6000 belt is toast after 3 knives and dulled out every one of them, whether i barely put pressure or pushed the knife more, whether i used the guide or didn't...the 6000 seemed to ruin the nice edge that the 220 puts on.

maybe i'm doing something wrong...

am i only supposed to use the 6000 with the edge pointing a specific way? WITH the direction of the belt maybe? I've also tried using the 6000 in all directions, with the direction of the blade and against it, no difference that i could tell, both ways took away sharpness instead of getting a sharper/finer edge.

I might have to forget about the 6000 altogether and just strop lightly after 220
 
Again, take measures to remove the burr after the P220 belt. I also use the Worksharp without the guides with the belt moving away from the edge. Also try observing the edge with a strong light to see if you can tell what's happening to the edge.

I personally don't use the included P220 and 6000 belts myself. And when you say the belt is "toast", do you mean the belt broke apart?
 
RoMo said:
I need some help. I ordered some P 400 and some 600 and also some 1800 belts from Work Sharp. The 400 and 600 are both green and not
all belts are marked with the grit size. Is there any way to tell these apart?
Also the 1800 belt were all turned around inside out. What is the purpose of this? Thanks.

Romo
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That does seem odd that the 400 and 600 WS belts are both green, esp. if they're not labeled! If you have a magnifier or loupe, you could try comparing their scratch patterns on a piece of smooth metal you don't mind scratching.

Don't know why your 1800 belts were inside out, but once you reversed them, were they OK?

And you can always call or e-mail Work Sharp on any of these things. In my experience they have been very responsive and helpful.

Andrew
 
robino said:
i've tried with and without pressure...i was sold on the fact that this machine sharpens convex edges being that the belt gives, thereby causing the edge to convex rather than V itself...but it is only true with the heavier belt.

the 6000 belt is toast after 3 knives and dulled out every one of them, whether i barely put pressure or pushed the knife more, whether i used the guide or didn't...the 6000 seemed to ruin the nice edge that the 220 puts on.

maybe i'm doing something wrong...

am i only supposed to use the 6000 with the edge pointing a specific way? WITH the direction of the belt maybe? I've also tried using the 6000 in all directions, with the direction of the blade and against it, no difference that i could tell, both ways took away sharpness instead of getting a sharper/finer edge.

I might have to forget about the 6000 altogether and just strop lightly after 220
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Noctis knows this stuff better than me, so heed his advice. Here's my take, FWIW. If the 6000 belt is dulling your edge, sounds like your edge angle is too steep into the belt. Maybe you could try (w/o the guides) starting with the 6000 belt at a very shallow angle, which at worst will just polish a bit behind the edge. Check your edge afterwards---it shouldn't be any duller. Then adjust your angle a tad to be more acute (the edge tilted more into the belt), run the belt, and check it again. If you do this in very gradual increments a few times, you should find the angle at which you are just hitting the edge, which you will know because your edge is now sharper and smoother.

You could also check your results visually as you go through this with the "Sharpie trick". That is, mark both sides of your edge with a black marker so you can see exactly where you are hitting with the 6000 belt.

Andrew
 
RoMo said:
I need some help. I ordered some P 400 and some 600 and also some 1800 belts from Work Sharp. The 400 and 600 are both green and not
all belts are marked with the grit size. Is there any way to tell these apart?
Also the 1800 belt were all turned around inside out. What is the purpose of this? Thanks.

Romo
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My P400 and P600 from WS came green, but they were labled on the inside (although the number was cut off a few times but I could still figure it out). My 1800's came inside out as well, but I just turned it around. seems to be fine. I haven't got to try them yet as the extra belts came before the sharpener.
 
cool, i'll play some more and try the marker trick and keeping a lesser angle to see what results i'll get.

when i said the 6000 was toast, i meant there seems to be nothing left of whatever grit was on there, it's no longer purple and it's smooth as glass/shiny on the surface...it might very well still put a shiny edge on a knife, i'll experiment with it some more today, plenty of butter knives to sharpen.
 
robino said:
cool, i'll play some more and try the marker trick and keeping a lesser angle to see what results i'll get.

when i said the 6000 was toast, i meant there seems to be nothing left of whatever grit was on there, it's no longer purple and it's smooth as glass/shiny on the surface...it might very well still put a shiny edge on a knife, i'll experiment with it some more today, plenty of butter knives to sharpen.
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Is it black and shiny? Because it sounds like it's becoming very heavily loaded with metal. Sounds like you're sharpening crap soft as butter steel on the belts, which I suppose it shouldn't come as a surprise given that one would practice on cheap knives first. Still, never had that happen to me at first. I'd say your knives have softer steel than my Made in China kitchen knives.

You might try an abrasive belt cleaner to unclog the belts every once in a while.
 
WiscTJK said:
My P400 and P600 from WS came green, but they were labled on the inside (although the number was cut off a few times but I could still figure it out). My 1800's came inside out as well, but I just turned it around. seems to be fine. I haven't got to try them yet as the extra belts came before the sharpener.
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Thanks. I guess these old eyes can't tell them apart. I'll have to get someone younger to look at them. I sure can't distinguish by feel.

Romo

PS thanks Andrew. Your advice is dead on.
 
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RoMo said:
Thanks. I guess these old eyes can't tell them apart. I'll have to get someone younger to look at them. I sure can't distinguish by feel.

Romo
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My guess if they were cut at exactly the right place, you might not see the grit label inside the belt. At that point I would call WS and I am sure they will take care of you.
 
robino said:
cool, i'll play some more and try the marker trick and keeping a lesser angle to see what results i'll get.

when i said the 6000 was toast, i meant there seems to be nothing left of whatever grit was on there, it's no longer purple and it's smooth as glass/shiny on the surface...it might very well still put a shiny edge on a knife, i'll experiment with it some more today, plenty of butter knives to sharpen.
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I've tried to replicate your results on a cheap kitchen knife with no success. The edge off the P220 is toothy and slices paper roughly. After the 6000 belt it sliced even better though it didn't shave. I noticed there was a bit of a wire edge left, which I removed afterwards by cutting into a wood block.

I recommend trying without the guide. I recommend sharpening while facing the machine, so that the side of the knife faces towards you. When you're ready to do the other side, simply change the hand holding the handle so that the belt moves away from the edge rather than into it. I find that having the knife perpendicular to the table and then tilting the spine towards you about 5 degrees will be about 15-20 degrees on the edge. When you're done with the P220, I recommend steeling the knife a few times at an angle slightly higher than what you sharpened at, and then cutting into a piece of wood. That should remove the wire edge before you hit the 6000 belt.
 
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i grabbed 3 knives and played some more...

i did get much much better results on the new purple belt, the other one was so black and shiny it didn't seem like it would be good anymore.

since i was 'buffing' the 220 edge with the 6000 WITHOUT the guard in place, i caught myself pushing the blade a bit too much and that's when the edge would round out instead of getting sharper.

I went back and sharpened with 220, then used a magic marker before lightly using the 6000 at first at a lower angle, then increasing slightly until the black marker came off the entire edge. Doing that, using the marker as a guide showed me that i was using too much angle and pressing into the belt too much. A little at a time was the right way to do it. Now, i've got almost mirror edges and they all shave dry hair.

To the guy above who said 220 leaves the edge too rough, what i've done is sharpened on the guides first a good 5-6 times on each side, then removed the guide and very lightly free handed the edges, doing it just right leaves the blade almost wire free, but i do agree it feels slightly grabby, dragging your finger over the edge that the 220 leaves. Stropping by hand seems to smooth that edge a bit but not as smoothly nor as fast, as the 6000 belt can

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