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Thread: Knife making belt sander

  1. #1
    Wanderer
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    Knife making belt sander

    Hi
    I'm looking for a belt sander to start knife making, I have been using a friends to do some relatively primitive knife making and have got the bug! I think I'm looking for a 1 by 42 sander as they seem effective and relatively small ( I'm very limited space wise)
    I'm willing to spend at most about 250 pounds and am looking for a decent machine
    I know there are a lot of incredible knife/metal workers on this site who have a lot of experience with this sort of thing so... Any ideas on models/makes that fit my budget/desire?
    Furthermore, I'm willing to buy or trade a decent sander off someone if it fits the "criteria"

    Thanks
    Max

  2. #2
    I use a Black and Decker 75x450 (i think!) http://m.clasohlson.com/uk/Black-&-D...FaMSwwod2OQJpw and it's a great bit if kit. For all its a hand held job it's great for the wood and lighter metal work side if things. It may serve you better than a power file. And even usable as a linishing belt if you vice it up. They have Makita ones on in wickes at the moment for under £100 and you won't get much better. Failing that Clarke do a good pedestal grinder with a belted side for under £100. I'm limited by space too so I know what you mean
    Last edited by mick91; 27-12-2015 at 01:47 PM.

  3. #3
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    Yeah, that looks like a nice one, the problem I've found is all the grinders etc under 150 pounds seem to get pretty varied review with some loving them and some finding enormous issues as soon as they open the box, so this looks like a good bet

  4. #4
    Quote Originally Posted by hillm View Post
    Yeah, that looks like a nice one, the problem I've found is all the grinders etc under 150 pounds seem to get pretty varied review with some loving them and some finding enormous issues as soon as they open the box, so this looks like a good bet
    The B&D one does kick belts off if you put too much pressure onto the toe of the sander. Great little machine though. And at the end of the day if it's pap you can always send it back! A tip though, periodically take off the belt and clean the base plate with a wire brush, otherwise it can scar the bed. Good luck with your knife making! I got bitten by the bug a couple of years ago and now make them regularly

  5. #5
    Native dave budd's Avatar
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    I've used a few of the belt/disc sanders for knifemaking over the years, ranging from the <£100 to the £200 versions (draper, Axminster, etc). They were all much the same to be honest and didn't last very long, all needed modifying to allow me to grind plunge cuts. They cost a lot on belts and never worked all that well; though they did work and I could grind blades on them if I was in no rush (it is one of the reasons that I learned to forge to finished dimension and cross section!)

    I would suggest saving a few more pennies and getting a proper belt grinder made for the job. They are more controllable, track better, faster, cheaper to run and much much more versatile as well as being better built and lasting decades not months. Most of the commercially available ones will cost in excess of £500, but they do pop up second hand occasionally. It would be worth asking on British Blades and seeing if anybody has one for sale.

    Ali of Downland Engineering makes a few variations, of which I have a couple (I've got about 5 grinders running in my workshop now). Annoyingly he doesn't have current prices on his website at the moment, but from memory the Mini grinder was about £350 including motor. If you can source your own motor then it is likely to be within or close to your budget. It's worth asking him what he has available. I had a vertical modular grinder a few years ago (not sure if he still makes them, but it ended up looking very like the mini) and that was well within your budget without the motor. People always say you ned a minimum of 2hp for a belt grinder. With the lager belts (2m+) then I agree, but I don't have a goo power supply and one of mine (1540mm ? belts) runs fine with only 1hp, so a motor that will cost about £70 for a reasonable one http://downlandengineeringservices.com/belt_grinders/

    Using a belt/disc sander after a proper grinder, even the little ones, is like sweeping the floor with a toothbrush. You realise just how much more difficult you have been making life and how much money has been wasted on the journey!
    Dave Budd Handmade Tools knives, tools, wood, leather and courses making stuff! 2015 Course List NOW ONLINE!

  6. #6
    Native beermaker's Avatar
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    I have one of those £30 aldi ones and as soon as it sees a piece of steel it stops! Sound advice from Dave, worth getting the proper machine if you can. There's plans and that available to make your own if you're a good fettler. That's what I'm planning to do when my new shed is eventually built.

  7. #7
    I've been using a basic benchtop belt sander and it works but it does leave something to be desired. I want to buy a proper knife making belt sander, but I'm not even sure where to start. I'm in the states by the way.

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