Thread: Knife sharpening with machine-driven belts

Okay, I've searched high and low in New Zealand and Aus, but no luck with finding a benchtop 1inch bet sander. I'm after something along the lines of the following two Grizzly's:

Grizzly.com

Grizzly.com

The Sonic linked in the first post doesn't appear to be up anymore, or perhaps I'm missing something?

Thanks.

Here's another Sonic for you GarethR.
http://m.ebay.com.au/itm?itemId=130836042712

Pretty sure I've seen optional attachments on bench grinders at somewhere like Trade Tools or Super Cheap too, and there's at least one thread here that discusses converting baby benchtop bandsaws to sanders.

Wood Working Machinery

Under sanding equipment.

dabbler is talking about a Multitool IIRC. Replaces one wheel. Fine belts might be hard to source.

Just a heads-up for those getting a bunch of exotic belts from o/s or custom: there's some experiences being reported in webland with prolonged exposure to heat trashing the joint adhesive. So bring your babies into the cool; maybe even into the fridge. My cross-country ski skins get stored in the fridge over summer for that very reason.

Re the Multitool: L085 | LA-362 Multitool Belt & Disc Grinding Attachment | machineryhouse.com.au

This is a linisher. I've played with a slow speed version for woodies (the Sorby ProEdge) for knife sharpening and haven't warmed to it. There's not enough unsupported section to play freehand like Leonard Lee did. But it runs slow enough to avoid bluing if you take care. You can get belts up to around #3000.

Feeling flush with a new batch of belts courtesy of Fence Furniture I took a 15 micron belt from Lee Valley - this is made from 3M micro-finishing film - and went through the most-used knives of Western stainless in the kitchen. Mostly Wusthof and Mundial. Five of them from a 6" French chef knife down through the shorter utility and paring blades.

I opted to put on some longer bevels particularly on the 6".

The belt was dead by the end. The edges easily passed the fingernail test.

Value for money: the belt costs a few US bucks. Postage pushes that up quite a bit.

Value for time: huge. I enjoy doing my JP knives by hand. The Western knives are just a chore. Sooner done, sooner forgotten.

Yes, I would say the mezzaluna.

You could do it with a hand-held diamond hone but just having done my daughter's on this unit it's dead easy.

Sure, this is not a fine edge.

But no tool should be exempt from a bloke's fiddling in the shed

I was concerned about the storage issue with belts as I had read people were having problems with belts coming appart at the join.
I always assumed it was a quality control issue when they make them or the apprentice was assembling them that day.

As for heat pulling them appart, surely they get a lot hotter on the grinder than they would in your workshop.
I keep a lot of dull and old belts for grinding something trashy. They get wet and hot when I'm using them. Some of them are 4+ yrs old.

Some of my belts I get custom made and the recent batch are from the states so they were made up in the factory. They are all pretty much standard brands. I think I have only a few open up at the join in the past 5 yrs.

I'm starting to think the rumor started when someone called up and complained about them and the response would have been along the lines of "it must be the way you stored them".

Now, having said all that...I'm still going to store my extra belts in a cool and dry part of the workshop! I don't want to take the risk as I buy in bulk and it would be silly to ruin them on a hunch!

Thanks dabbler and Ern for the links. I've inquired about shipping to NZ, so will see what they come back with.

Here's another and most likely a far more capable option: Sander/Grinder - Lee Valley Tools

Comes without a motor so you don't have voltage hassles.

Had a look at the LV option. I was a little concerned about the build quality, it doesn't look overly sturdy. A bench model combo belt/disc sander in my mind would perhaps be more multi-funcitonal.

Can anyone who has the LV belt sander/grinder comment on the build quality?

Yeah, it looks like folded and spot-welded steel plate.

LV has taken more than its share of my tool budget over the years and my workshop is full of their stuff. I've never got a dud from them, just for info.

When my Ryobi carks it, that's the option I'll choose.

I liked the look of the LV belt sander / grinder but just got a quote and the cheapest shipping costs more than the unit-

Are there any local sources for the veil (LV) grinder or something similar?

Originally Posted by fields

Are there any local sources for the veil (LV) grinder or something similar?

Depending on the money you're willing to spend the Robert Sorby's Pro Edge Plus may be worth a look.

I use the ProEdge for WW tools & have played with it for knives.

Freehanding isn't easy and the jig is another $130.