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Belt grinder, anybody?

M

Manny Yabar

Joined
Sep 26, 2025
Messages
10
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1
Location
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Hello friends, newbie question here...
I own a variable-speed belt grinder. I have many different grit belts and I can pretty much accommodate, adapt any jig to it. I can use a flat surface, any side round wheel from 2" to 10" ,etc. Does anybody here use a belt grinder set up instead of a bench grinder? Maybe you can post some pics of your set up? thank you
1760020569718.png
 
They do work, but I never considered one. Maybe if I was a knife maker I would probably have a couple. They do leave the tool with a flat bevel rather than slightly concave bevel. I would think there are advantages to both.

robo hippy
 
robo hippy said:
They do work, but I never considered one. Maybe if I was a knife maker I would probably have a couple. They do leave the tool with a flat bevel rather than slightly concave bevel. I would think there are advantages to both.

robo hippy
Click to expand...
thank you, about the flat bevel, you can use a contact wheel for a concave bevel, like I said, I can use any size wheel
 
YouTube the name Sorby Pro-Edge, it's Sorby's tool sharpening system. I just got mine operational this past weekend and I've never been able to achieve this level of results with anything else. IMO...all methods of sharpening are excellent provided they're repeatable by us the user and produce the edge you desire. I think the key with what you're looking at is can you dial back the speed such that it doesn't damage the steel. good luck...
 
I recently set up a Coote 2x72 belt grinder, but I'm learning to make carving knives with it. My turning tools have been sharpened on my bench grinder and Wolverine jig for nearly 30 years. That's a heck of a machine you have there, Manny.

20250907_162432.jpg
 
Manny, what a nice grinder!

A long time ago I dedicated a Kalamazoo 2 X 48 belt grinder to sharpening lathe tools. The advantages are I can go from 36 grit to 2,000 grit or anything in between in 15 seconds. I use cheap belts and they last a long time, probably 6 months to a year and I turn frequently. When I first set it up I cloned the Oneway Wolverine and Vari-Grind jigs which worked great. You can see some of the Vari-Grind jigs on the left side of the motor. They are set to different angles for spindle and bowl gouges. I'm showing the Wolverine used with the David Ellsworth bowl gouge jig. It is by far my most used jig as I'm a big fan of the Ellsworth grind. I can sharpen in 3 strokes, one on each side and round the nose in about 10 seconds. It takes off a minimum of steel and little heat generated.

I sometimes teach in a craft school where I use conventional slow speed 8" grinders with CBN wheels and much prefer my setup.

Next to the belt grinder I have a Baldor grinder that I use for scrapers and skews. I really want the hollow grind on my skew to make it easy to hone. I could set up another belt grinder to give me a hollow grind but just never pursued the idea.
IMG_E7565.JPG
 
I turn in an extremely small space, and can't fit a bench grinder, or even a full sized belt grinder.

I use one of those belt grinders off Amazon that takes a 1.2x13" sanding belt.

It actually works extremely well. It forces you to use a very light touch. At a high grit, you don't even need to worry too much about how you approach the bevel. Such little material is removed, that it's hard to a lot of damage.
 
Manny, you are doubtless already using your belt grinder for scrapers and skews, for which it is ideal. For gouges, it will work well free-hand, but if you want to use a gouge sharpening jig, which allows for easier repeatability, I think the best option is to get the Tormek part that is designed to allow you to use Tormek sharpening jigs with a bench grinder - the BGM-100 Bench Grinder Mounting Set. With a bit of adaptation, you can use put this mount in front of your grinding belt, and then you can use the Tormek gouge sharpening jig.

There should be photos of this type of setup online, it is not an uncommon approach. I use bench grinders with CBN wheels for most of my turning tool sharpening, but I have attached some pics of my belt grinder setup. It is a bit different because I prefer my belt to be horizontal, but you will get the idea, you just need some way to mount the Tormek bar in front of your belt.
 

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Larry Copas said:
Manny, what a nice grinder!

A long time ago I dedicated a Kalamazoo 2 X 48 belt grinder to sharpening lathe tools. The advantages are I can go from 36 grit to 2,000 grit or anything in between in 15 seconds. I use cheap belts and they last a long time, probably 6 months to a year and I turn frequently. When I first set it up I cloned the Oneway Wolverine and Vari-Grind jigs which worked great. You can see some of the Vari-Grind jigs on the left side of the motor. They are set to different angles for spindle and bowl gouges. I'm showing the Wolverine used with the David Ellsworth bowl gouge jig. It is by far my most used jig as I'm a big fan of the Ellsworth grind. I can sharpen in 3 strokes, one on each side and round the nose in about 10 seconds. It takes off a minimum of steel and little heat generated.

I sometimes teach in a craft school where I use conventional slow speed 8" grinders with CBN wheels and much prefer my setup.

Next to the belt grinder I have a Baldor grinder that I use for scrapers and skews. I really want the hollow grind on my skew to make it easy to hone. I could set up another belt grinder to give me a hollow grind but just never pursued the idea.
View attachment 80344
Click to expand...
that is an awesome set up! thank you
 
Gord Cameron said:
Manny, you are doubtless already using your belt grinder for scrapers and skews, for which it is ideal. For gouges, it will work well free-hand, but if you want to use a gouge sharpening jig, which allows for easier repeatability, I think the best option is to get the Tormek part that is designed to allow you to use Tormek sharpening jigs with a bench grinder - the BGM-100 Bench Grinder Mounting Set. With a bit of adaptation, you can use put this mount in front of your grinding belt, and then you can use the Tormek gouge sharpening jig.

There should be photos of this type of setup online, it is not an uncommon approach. I use bench grinders with CBN wheels for most of my turning tool sharpening, but I have attached some pics of my belt grinder setup. It is a bit different because I prefer my belt to be horizontal, but you will get the idea, you just need some way to mount the Tormek bar in front of your belt.
Click to expand...
thank you so much. I like the simplicity of the set up
 
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