would this work

Not enough power behind it for grinding metal. Its meant for wood. As are most 4" sanders. Also that isn't a very ideal layout for grinding blades. Its a sander not a grinder.
 
A sander is for wood, A grinder is for steel.
You will not find many here saying a 1 x 30 sander will make knives well.
You need HP to grind steel efficiently.
CW
 
I had that same belt sander and sold it a a gargage sale for a loss. Not enough power to grind steel effectively(the belt stops), wide belt cannot do contours as well as a smaller width belt. The platen is not flat so your grinds WILL be uneven and NOT FLAT, the tracking is horrible, tool rest on the disc loosens up easily and is near impossible to keep square. Save up and get a better quality 2", you won't regret it.
 
I have it and it is slow and underpowered. I still use it sometimes to get handles semi-flat and for taking them down in thickness. The 1 x 30 h.f. is better for making knives, as i have one of those also. But try to find a 2 x 42 craftsman on the internet, Craigslist or new etc., much much better than either of those. Not much more money for the craftsman grinder.
 
I have that one.

It's in a pail set for the scrap yard.
I won't even try to sell it because it's such junk, I don't want to cheat the next guy.


I had planned to put a larger motor on it, but bought a decent grinder before I got that done.

It would stall even with very small pieces of wood and light pressure.

There is not one good thing about it, flat platen, tracking, power...whatever.


As to comparing a 1 or 2 or 4 inch belt width.

There is an industrial rule of thumb for 1 HP per width of belt.
The 2x72" 's running 2 HP all meet that.


I suggest you save that cash towards a craftsman at the least.
I know I wish I had that $ back
 
To explain the problem and difference a bit:
A Grinder is the term used for machines designed to remove metal. Sander usually refers to wood shaping and light surface use on metal.

The motor that powers the unit, and the hardiness of the wheels and bearings will be much greater on a grinder vs a sander.


The belt width is a factor in the total friction, and thus drag on the motor. The wider the belt, the more power it takes to remove the same amount of material. Th re-state that in a simpler way - it takes twice as much power to remove X amount of steel from 4" of surface than it does for 2" of surface.
This is why a 1" belt sander/grinder can work for an entry level machine, because it needs less power.

3" is about the widest size belt that knifemakers use...and they are powered with 3HP motors.
2X72" is the gold standard. A 1HP motor will work just fine for most all knife making tasks, 2HP is full power for heavy hogging of steel.
 
OK, I will keep an eye out on craigslist for a better machine and use the HF 1x30 until I can find a better one. Thanks everyone.
 
Of course, you can always adapt a 4x36 to use a 2x72 belt. It's no where near the quality of a Bader or other expensive grinder, and it is noticeably less powerful. Yes, you can stop the belt, but you don't HAVE to push that hard. It rarely stops when using new belts. However, it is certainly better than nothing.
 

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Okay, a little explanation. I use the HF 1x30 and it does some things quite well, such as profiling and handle shaping. Its meager motor is adequate to the task of pushing the 1 inch strip around.

The reason the same size motor doesn't work for a 4 inch belt is because you have contact with MUCH more surface area at one time, which means greater drag (resistance) that the motor simply isn't able to overcome.

About the ONLY things I do with my 4 x 36 are sanding the gunk off newly stabilized blocks of wood (which bogs the motor down about every 30 seconds) and flattening the spine on a blade.

"But wait," you exclaim, "didn't you just say it has too much drag to be effective on a blade?" Yes, I did. But the reason it works on the spine is because I sand it lengthwise, instead of holding the blade perpendicular to the motion of the sanding belt. Even doing things this way it can and does bog down, but not often. Turn the thing sideways, though, and you're asking for trouble. Try to sand the flats and it's SURE to bog down, every time. And when it isn't bogging down the blade is shooting to the back of the sander, leaving you there sanding your fingertips off in preparation for your next big heist, no doubt.

Yes, the HF 4 x 36 is truly a piece of junk... but somehow I find uses for it just the same.

- Greg
 
The 2x72 belts are extremely common also. There's a huge amount of options for types of backing, grit, quality, etc. Once I build up an inventory I just keep my eyes out for my favorites or whatever might be useful to go on sale.
 
Zaph1
You are a thinking guy !! Well done. I had a 4 X 48 I converted to 2 X 72. I ended up with a 2 HP. on it. I used it until I got a much better 2 x 72 and then gave it to my son in law.
 
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