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The Newbies Arena Are you new to knife making? Here is all the help you will need.

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  #1  
Old 05-20-2005, 06:37 PM
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Mungo Park Mungo Park is offline
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Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Winnipeg Manitoba
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6" belt

I have a chance to buy a grinder/sander but it takes 6 inch belts can this be used for knife making? Can a 4 inch belt be put on a 6 incher? The belts it takes are 36 inches long, is there some downside of this besides more frequent belt change?
Cheers Ron.
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Old 05-20-2005, 07:27 PM
Frank Niro Frank Niro is offline
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Location: Blind Bay B.C. Canada
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Hi.
If the 4" belt is the right length it will track in the center of the sander. The 6" to me and I did use one for a long time, is just a headache to work with that never is flexible enough to give you reasonable results. As soon as I went to a 2" wide belt I was amazed how some things I had been doing became possible. Some people seem to think that all is necessary is to lay the blade on the sander an if it's 6" wide well just watch how that blade is so nicely flat ground. No way. In truth hollow grinding in my opinion is far easier to do than flat grinding, and I did the flat grinding for twenty years or so. Frank


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Old 05-21-2005, 12:03 AM
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TexasJack TexasJack is offline
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Can it be used for knifemaking? Sure. Is it the best choice? No.

First, the thing that eats up belts more than anything is heat. Sandpaper is nothing more than an abrasive (usually NOT sand, despite the name) that has 2 layers of epoxy (or similar) glue. The first layer is on the belt and sticks the bottom of the abrasive to the belt. The second layer is added after the abrasive and covers most of the abrasive particles, holding them in place. When a belt gets hot, that top layer is degraded and you lose abrasive. A long belt - e.g., 72 inch - has more time to cool before abrading the knife blade or handle.

Second, the 2X72 belts are more flexible than the 6X36, allowing you more control on curved areas.

Last, you have a wider variety of belts available in the 2X72: very coarse to super fine, some 'wettable', some very flexible.

Using a 4 inch belt on a 6 inch sander is going to have constant tracking problems. (The belt will try to slip one way or the other.)

Now having talked about all the negatives, if you can pick up the sander cheap enough, then you may be able to put it to use or trade/sell it.


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Old 05-21-2005, 12:58 PM
Kevin Kevin is offline
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Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Livingston, Montana
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For what it's worth,,,,,I've been using a 1x30 delta and a 6x48 for about 8 years now.
Not the best choices, but that's what I could afford. The 6 really works well for flattening steel (I use a lot of old cast off saw blade stuff) and wood, say from the nieghbors tree that he cut down. As for actually trying to flat grind..........REALLY hard to keep the bevels lined up, and the belts have to be run so tight to keep the tracking in line that they don't flex very well. IF you don't expect 'magazine' results the 6 is a great starter machine. Even though I just received my new Coote (all smiles) I'm still keeping my 6 for the flattening work.
You can view a pic of my latest in the "general, items for sale section" under 'spalted elm burl. Not great grind lines and I have a couple gouges (looking at a little professional help this summer) but, all done on the delta and grizzly 6x48.
In closing, if the price is right, buy it, you'll us the heck out of it, I just sharpened the lawnmower blade on mine yesterday. Oh yeah, I buy my belts from Klingspor.
Kevin.


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Old 05-25-2005, 08:19 AM
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Mungo Park Mungo Park is offline
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Thanks for the help. I hav found a 4 inch by 36 this is the best I can do for now, I will buy it and go with that for now. I am thinking I will smooze around and slowly find the parts to build a 2X 72 as the are quite expensive, plus us northerners have to pay exchange duty tax and shipping.
I will have to research a 2X72 so when I build it it will work, I got the $50.oo knife shop book . In the mean time I will grind some steel and also go at making the propane forge.
Cheers Ron.
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