How To Worksharp Ken Onion w/ Blade Grinding Attachment Stropping and Polishing Belt Help

[treillw]

I've got the Worksharp Ken Onion w/ Blade Grinding Attachment and am looking for a little advice on using the Stropping and Polishing Belt.

The first time I used it, it seemed to make the knives crazy sharp. Hairs were flying off the back of my hand and I proceeded to shave half of my thigh haha.

After using the knives to process meat, they needed to be touched up again. Using the belts didn't seem to restore the edge and I ended up going back to my smoothest abrasive sharpening belt. I'm processing a lot of meat and seem to have the best results restoring the edge with the finest abrasive belt.

Any tips and tricks for getting these belts to work well? I don't know much about how they should be used. I'm just adding more polishing compound and running the blade over for a few passes.

I'm kind of disappointed in them. The edge of the belt is constantly fraying and coming apart. I'm tempted to just try a leather strop.

I also tried to add the compound to the belt with it running and that doesn't seem to work to well.

It's probably 40 degrees in my garage where everything is setup, dunno if that influences anything with the compound.

I appreciate any guidance! Thanks!

 

[RokJok]

Since no one has replied, allow me to ask some questions that might help ferret out some info from others with this sharpening system. I unfortunately don't (yet).

- got pics?

- what knives (make, model, steel(s), blade dimensions & grind, RCH) are you using to process meat?
- since you say you're processing "a lot" of meat, are you boning carcasses or simply cutting cryovac boneless components? Skinning? In the field or at home/work? Does a lot mean processing commercially or a lot for home quantity?

Re: the sharpener:
- are your abrasive & stropping belts WS belts? I've seen lots of 3rd party belts on that big shopping website. Have you tried another brand of stropping belt?
- it sounds like it's your stropping belt that is fraying. Yes/no? Any pics of the frayed parts of the belt?
- do you have any issues with any of the belts tracking accurately or deforming in use?
- after you do step back to your finest abrasive belt, do the edges get back to hair flinging sharp again? Or just to "pretty dang sharp" level?

Re: loading compound on a fast moving belt. You could try loading the belt a section at a time with power off. I've had worse luck loading compound onto hard sewn buffing wheels under power (i.e. spinning rapidly) than just applying it by holding the wheel in place with my hand while rubbing compound onto the wheel. From what I gather, I'm doing it wrong and most (all?) machine shop guys do it under power as a matter of efficiency. It could be too that the wheels I worked with were out of round & needed trimming/dressing. I'm not a machinist or fabricator, so stumble along as best I can.

Hope that'll help you some.