Most of our knife makers use a high-quality ceramic belt to bevel the knife with a P36 or P40 ( we suggest the Awuko GU65Y Ceramic or 3M 784F Cubitron II ). Use a P60 and P120 to clean the previous operations then use an Aluminium Oxide Belt or 3M Trizact (237AA or 337DC) for the polishing operations. There are loads of excellent knife grinders available over in the USA, however here in the UK it can be very hard to find decent belt grinders for making knives. Also Available at: Walmart , Lowe’s 8. Best Wider Belt Grinder—Rikon 50-112 4-Inch x 36-Inch Belt 6-Inch Disc Sander

We recommend a square wheel configuration 2x72” or 2x48” if it's within the budget, adding attachments as you can afford them is an excellent way to build up your shop slowly. Inch width: A 2-inch wide belt is a perfect size for knife making. It has the most accuracy without sacrificing too much width for larger surface grinds. Specifically, the industry-standard size is 2 inches by 72 inches. However, on the consumer market and at most hardware stores, 2 inches by 42 inches is much more common. Steel oriented grinders will want a higher belt speed than wood oriented grinders. You will want a belt speed somewhere in the range of 4,100 surface feet per minute and 7,000 surface feet per minute. You can calculate the sfpm with the following formula: sfpm = (pi * drive-wheel-diameter) * motor-rpm / 12 Variable Speed The best part about this 3-in-1 belt grinder lies in its wide application. Apart from knife making and grinding, you can also use the belt sander to grind materials like wood, metals, and acrylic. Many building materials or parts factories select this grinder machine for industrial use.

Also Available at: The Home Depot 5. Best Quality Belt Grinder—JET J-41002 2-Inch x 42-Inch Bench Belt Grinder and Disc Sander Same brand as before, they make good high grit AO belts. Best Aluminum oxide 400 grit belt for knives

The biggest difference to consider is the direction of the arm that holds the belt, this is usually either horizontal or vertical. However, there is no right design as it is really up to personal preference and whatever fits the blade and the user best. That is why a tilting bench is really helpful. They can be adjusted to different positions or angles and options to fit specific needs. Other Attachments To get the most out of your 2000mm x 75mm belt grinder while tube notching it is key to consider what you are going to use the tubes for after notching.

Drive Wheels for Beltits

There 400 grit is just as good as their 320 and 220 grit belts. Best high grit finishing belts for knives Aluminium oxide sanding belts are now used much less commonly for metal sanding. The ceramics and zirconia grits normally give significantly improved belt life. Where aluminium oxide sanding belts are required we have a range of different materials we recommend When deciding what grinder is right for you, it's essential to consider your budget, as well as what work you will be doing. We have put together a list of common grinder sizes, and why you would choose it. Next to the Shop Fox, this Porter-Cable Belt Sander was the most powerful with a 0.75-horsepower motor with a max speed of 3,450 revolutions per minute (RPM). At 51 pounds, it’s a stable machine that doesn’t move while you work, which is exactly what you need for knife making. It’s got a pretty compact footprint that won’t take up too much space in your workshop and the standard 3-year warranty that covers all Porter-Cable tools.

However nothing is free, these grinders – and the belts that they use – tend to be more expensive. As I mentioned earlier, if you are planning on making more than a couple knives, you will get your money’s worth paying up for a better grinder. Small grinders with weak motors are a pain in the butt to use. The value of this belt sander is expanded with many extra functions, such as a sanding disc with a miter gauge and a removable belt platen. One user assessed the overall performance of this tool. “I use this grinder to shape and grind knives, some are extremely hard steel,” they wrote. “This has performed very well.” In short, it’s hard to estimate, and the only real way to answer this question is to get into your shop and make a bunch of knives. Non woven nylon finishing belts provide for a variety of finishes, they are available in coarse (brown), medium (maroon) and fine (blue). Use for graining and regraining on stainless steel. The 2x72 is the industry standard for professional knife making. Partially due to the vast array of belts available for the grinder, as well as being a generally powerful and still reasonably compact machine. There are a wide variety of options available, ranging from building one yourself to buying a top of the line professional grade grinder, designed to suit a Bladesmith perfectly.In addition to the belt grinder and the belt itself, there are a number of tools designed to prolong the life of your belts and to improve your grinds. These tools are not necessary to make high quality knives, but it’s worth knowing about them grinding belt eraser Work tables help you grind precise angles into your material and give you stability. That’s great, but the way a knife is shaped, there aren’t many times you’ll be laying it flat and sanding the edge flat. Instead, you’ll want to hold the knife by hand so you’re free to move the knife however you need to shape it. Remember, knife making is an art form. You’ll need to feel it out. A range of self adhesive platen pads are available to enable the operator to achieve their best work from their Beltit. Seco's platen pads are interchangeable with several tools available on the international market, including Dynabrade and ATA tools. All of Seco's spare parts are competitively priced and readily available. Not only is belt changing efficient, but so is the entire process. “As a gunsmith, this will be a time saver for me,” stated one shopper. “It removes material very fast.” Another customer wrote, “I'm a knife builder and this machine is the best machine that I've owned for the money. I have a 2 by 72 grinder and this thing performs just as well as it does.” KKmoon might sound like a very strange name, but they make some incredibly affordable and highly effective belt grinders.