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View Full Version : 1-inch belt sander for sharpening



Doug Mason
08-23-2008, 11:47 PM
I know--another thread on sharpening........................but :( I grind and hone freehand followed by a felt wheel--a process that works for me. Yet, the two tools I have struggled with in shapening are drawknifes and my large ray isles mortise chisels.

Well, I ordered the Wilton 1 x42 belt sander (w/cast iron tables) from Northern Tools (about $350) and tried it out for the first time today. Presto, I was able to get a near-perfect edge on my drawknife and a very flat primary/secondary bevel on the mortise chisels--with very little effort. The adjustale cast-iron table is perfect. In addition, I got a great edge on a gouge--and very quickly.

Just thought I would throw this out there if you were struggling w/those two tools as I was.

Bruce Haugen
08-24-2008, 5:51 AM
You also won't believe how easy it is to sharpen lawn mower blades on the strip sander. Nothing beats it, IMHO.

Bruce

Eddie Darby
08-24-2008, 12:55 PM
I know--another thread on sharpening........................but :( I grind and hone freehand followed by a felt wheel--a process that works for me.

I would suggest to you that things might even work better if you dump the felt wheel.

Leonard Lee of Lee Valley Tools at a sharpening demo said to avoid them, and then was asked why he sells them. Because people want them, was the response.

There is too great a risk of rounding over an edge, even if it is ever so slight.

Roger Bell
08-24-2008, 9:49 PM
I use it for some things. Kitchen knives especially. Drawknives. Axes. Lawn mower blades. Some carving knives and some out-cannel PM gouges. I get the finer graded blue belts from LV.

Fast and more than good enough for these items.

philip marcou
08-27-2008, 6:45 AM
I wish folks (and at times manufacturers) would distinguish between a belt SANDER and a belt GRINDER. (No shouting intended).
Anyone who has made knives aplenty will tell you that the belt grinder is indispensable. The wide range of belt types and abrasives makes this machine highly versatile-not only to metalheads but also to us woodworkers. Want to sharpen a lathe chisel quickly free hand?- slap it on that belt grinder with a 320 metallite cloth belt. Want to re-shape or make a lathe chisel from an old file? Rush to that belt grinder- does it quickly and with much less heat than a bench grinder....Draw knives, scorps, adzes, screw drivers, chisels, plane blades, planes themselves, weld smoothing, flushing rivets, the list is endless. I don't know what I would do without my (home made ) belt grinder, which is a bigger thing than the one mentioned by the o.p, but works on the same principal of utilsing the versatility of coated abrasive belts which are run at fast speed to be very efficient-a surface speed of 5000 feet per minute is on the low side.

Chris Friesen
08-27-2008, 11:30 AM
I wish folks (and at times manufacturers) would distinguish between a belt SANDER and a belt GRINDER.

Given that the OP specified a 1-inch belt, what would you consider to be the difference between the two?

I have a tool that takes a 1x42" belt, and can get belts from 40-grit down to 15 micron. Is it a sander or a grinder? (And to confuse things, it's actually marketed as a sander/grinder.)

Kees Laan
08-27-2008, 2:45 PM
http://www.thebestthings.com/newtools/sorby_proedge.htm

or this one:

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=3&p=44884&cat=1,43072

and a set of oilstones like these: http://www.toolsforworkingwood.com/Merchant/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=toolshop&Product_Code=NO-MULTISTONE.XX&Category_Code=CNO

philip marcou
08-30-2008, 6:09 AM
Given that the OP specified a 1-inch belt, what would you consider to be the difference between the two?

I have a tool that takes a 1x42" belt, and can get belts from 40-grit down to 15 micron. Is it a sander or a grinder? (And to confuse things, it's actually marketed as a sander/grinder.)

The belt grinder is designed primarily for working metal : to do this efficiently a much higher surface speed per minute is required- at least 5000 surface feet per minute.If you sanded wood at those speeds without mechanical control over the depth of cut and pressure i.e free hand there would be burning and or glazing. That is the main difference. Other differences are the configuration and nature of contact wheels, idlers and plattens, and the fact that a belt grinder often has a coolant or mist facility.
Of course one can use woodworking type belt sanders for working metals, but you lose efficiency and can over heat things.

Will Blick
09-05-2008, 5:16 PM
I use this one...

http://tinyurl.com/6mtcru

The belt moves up, not down.... is this true with your 1" belt grinder?

Ron Petley
09-06-2008, 1:28 PM
For once I get to gloat, I have a Coote with a 3 speed pulley wheel on the grinder and on the motor.
This is not the best photo of how I use it %90 of the time, but it is the only photo I have of it.
It does wood as well but it is made to be used for metal. I has a slower speed than the sanders and the longer belt cools before it comes around again, it also runs vey smooth. With care the metal can be shaped without over heating it.
Cheers Ron.

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f333/mookie098/P1011255.jpg

David Martino
09-07-2008, 4:58 PM
Not to hijack, but - this is timely! I just got a Bosch 3x21 belt sander intending to use for shaping/grinding chisels etc. I have limited space and few powertools, so hoping this can do double duty. Comes with an optional stand to make clamping it to bench easy and it even has a fence.

Is this a good idea? Do they work but slower than a dedicated machine? Are there different belts for metal as opposed to wood? I think the RPM is slower than stationary machines... and I'm guessing it should always be used with the belt running away from the blade edge, not into...

Any advice appreciated! Thanks,

DM

Stan Smith
09-09-2008, 4:27 PM
Some years ago, from an ad in Woodcarver's Mag, I bought a Carversharp. I use it to sharpen everything. It came with a leather belt for honing. Although it's great for woodcarving tools, I really like it for my lathe tools, too. I have a little stand for my plane blades (I think that Veritas makes it).

96525

John Schreiber
09-09-2008, 7:06 PM
Not to hijack, but - this is timely! I just got a Bosch 3x21 belt sander intending to use for shaping/grinding chisels etc. I have limited space and few powertools, so hoping this can do double duty. Comes with an optional stand to make clamping it to bench easy and it even has a fence.

Is this a good idea? . . .
I use a belt sander for rough work on blades like grinding out a nick or changing a bevel. I find it much safer and more controlled than using a grinder. I haven't tried using grits finer than 150, but I guess it's possible to go to very fine grits too.

Stan Smith
09-09-2008, 10:36 PM
I use a belt sander for rough work on blades like grinding out a nick or changing a bevel. I find it much safer and more controlled than using a grinder. I haven't tried using grits finer than 150, but I guess it's possible to go to very fine grits too.

I have belts to 400 grit and find that I really don't go below 220 very often. I forgot to mention that the rpms are lower on my sander than the regular belt sanders.

Kees Laan
09-11-2008, 6:49 PM
I use this one...

http://tinyurl.com/6mtcru

The belt moves up, not down.... is this true with your 1" belt grinder?


the leevalley one goes down.

like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLjFjT4vYsM

Stan Smith
09-12-2008, 4:47 PM
Thanks Kees, that's an excellent demo. There may be a learning curve, but I think those 1" belt sanders are the most versatile to go from small carving chiseld to a big roughing gouge....not to mention scissors, kitchen knives, and most other cutting tools

Gord Pat
09-13-2008, 10:21 AM
Hi Stan;
Any chance of you posting some pics of other views of the Carversharp ?
The last time I saw this unit advertised was in Chip Chats in 2003 so I don't know if it is still being manufactured.

I'm not looking to copy it as I have a 1" belt sander/grinder already, one that I made about 15 years ago that does the job for me.

BTW I sent you a private message a few days ago but I guess the board failed to notify you for some reason, ain't computers great until they have a glitch?:)

TIA






Some years ago, from an ad in Woodcarver's Mag, I bought a Carversharp. I use it to sharpen everything. It came with a leather belt for honing. Although it's great for woodcarving tools, I really like it for my lathe tools, too. I have a little stand for my plane blades (I think that Veritas makes it).

96525