Zirconia abrasive for Micarta and G10?

[Scaniaman]

I use only these two materials for my handles. So far I have been grinding them with the normal brown AO and that works great.

I just got a 12" disc grinder that I will use for handle work, but maybe also a tiny bit of profiling (along spines).

So I thought I'd pick up some blue zirc discs to handle the steel a little better. But how do these perform/last on Micarta and G10? I read they need (high) pressure to refracture and stay sharp. Will they just clog up with these materials and be worse than the normal AO?

Anyone using them for this?

 

[Ken H>]

That's ceramic belts that need high pressure and speed for fracturing. Zirc belts work really good. I LIKE them. I do like AO for aluminum grinding.

 

[SBuzek]

The cheap AO belts work fine for G10 and micarta, the zirconia will wear just as fast and clog up the same.

 

[Scaniaman]

But blue zircs should last longer (than brown AO) on steel though?

 

[SBuzek]

But blue zircs should last longer (than brown AO) on steel though?

Yes they will last longer on steel.

 

[Storm W]

The one thing that zirconia belts do that ceramic doesn't is that they are open grain vs closed grain and work way better on wood.