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Grinding Wheels Vs. Belt Sander?

Darrin

Darrin

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Apr 4, 2007
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Canastota, NY
I've had the worst time trying to learn how to sharpen my tools on the bench grinder I have...so I took the lazy way out and sharpened my tools on the belt sander at work. No blueing of the steel or overheating occured. What is the downside of this practice? I had extremly good results but figure there must be a reason everyone uses grinding wheels.........
Darrin
 
me too

Vinland said:
I've had the worst time trying to learn how to sharpen my tools on the bench grinder I have...so I took the lazy way out and sharpened my tools on the belt sander at work. No blueing of the steel or overheating occured. What is the downside of this practice? I had extremly good results but figure there must be a reason everyone uses grinding wheels.........
Darrin
Click to expand...


I do the same. For scrapers and skews its fairly easy but for gouges it is somewhat time consuming in keeping the same profile. It does work with a little practice.
 
The only downside is dulling the paper. I started my turning career using a belt sander to sharpen. If you change to the blue ceramic belts they will last a lot longer.
 
Grit is grit. If the belt is moving away rather than into the edge you don't have to be so careful to avoid rounding and ruining it. Little bit of slack in the cloth can do it, so keeping your pressure light to avoid heat is doing things properly squared.

Make yourself a rest like the one you turn on to help with sharpening. Belt sanders tend to have tables.
 
I rarely use a grinder to sharpen my wood turning tools, unless I want to make a dramatic change in the style of cutting edge. I find the belt sander to sharpen just as well, perhaps better, than the abrasive wheel and it doesn't remove as much material as fast as an abrasive wheel does. MM has a good point - watch for slack in the belt and use a tool rest to support the tool while sharpening and you'll be much happier with the results.
 
Belt Sander

I know this sounds dumb, but there will be somebody out there try it...PUHLEEZ!!! DO NOT use your woodworking belt sander (in particular if it is hooked up to your dust collector system!!!) for this....do not need those little sparks in there!!! Be safe, use sense, and it does work well. :cool2:
 
Nice looking tool but that's a LOT of bucks to pay for a belt sander with a buffing wheel attachment.
 
Belt sander as grinder

I tried sharpening my tools on a belt sander for the first time this weekend. This weekend was the Spring Retreat that GCWA has every year and one of our members made a home made unit using a 4 inch belt sander placed in the vertical position, using the blue belts and running in reverse so that the feed was from the bottom to the top.

I was very dubious of this thing. But let me tell you what - I was damn impressed after using it. I sharpened my flat and round scrapers on it - never have they looked so 'clean' and the burr was unbelievable. The guy had made several rests that held each type of tool at the correct angle. The gouges were easy to do as well.

And so much for the hollow grind works better argument. I certainly didn't miss it.

I am going to keep the grinder for now as well, but planning on building one of these jobs from a portable belt sander that is not getting used atm. I'll just need to build a cradle for it, and a selection of interchangeable rests that I can fit on pegs in front of the belt.

Give it a try if you have access to one - you may never use a wheel again.
 
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