6x48 Modifications? Anyone Have any Cool Ones?

J. Keeton

J. Keeton

Joined
Nov 15, 2005
Messages
1,201
I picked up a Woodtek 6 x 48 with a 3/4 hp motor manufactured in 1988 today! This thing is solid. Cost me $20.
  • Has anyone put together some neat-o modifications for a 6x48 specifically for knife making?
    • I was thinking along the lines of a radius-ed platen for lengthwise bevel grinds like @Nathan the Machinist uses.
  • What do yall use the 6x48 for the most?
    • Anyone know of some videos/pics of the 6x48 in use for knife making?


Gosh I love new shop toys!

Thanks,
JK
 
They are very useful for flatening handle material. Wood sanding is what it is built to do.
Installing a cross bar on the upper section will make a stop to place the blocks against. If that is a T-track on the table, it would work as a place to mount the stop. Some 6X48s have a place on the other side to screw a 90 degree stop on.

They are somewhat useful for truing up longer blades with minor warps. A long grinding magnet is needed to do that job right. I have a 6", 8", and 12" magnet for those tasks.

They aren't really good at knife grinding, but would work in a pinch.

I don't think it would be cost effective to make a 6" radiused platen that long.

Being direct drive, there is no practical way to slow these wood belt grinders to metal grinding speeds.
 
Yeah it's pretty darn fast. 3600 RPMs.

It came with a cross bar stock so that's a plus!

The whole thing will tilt in relation to the cast iron table. I'm thinking that could be useful for putting repeatable angles on the front of my full tang scales.

I've heard people use them for sharpening? Seems too fast for this.

I can see the wheel being useful for me as well (~2''). I don't have many radius options as of now. Maybe for coke bottling handles?

Thanks for the tips!
 
BTW, I get my 6X48 belts from Klingspor in both metal grinding and wood grinding types. Most 6X48 belts available are wood belts.

I didn't mention that on a large blade, like a sword, the 6X48 isn't bad for removing excess thickness after forging. I use a 50 girt ceramic belt for that.
 
J. Keeton said:
Yeah it's pretty darn fast. 3600 RPMs.

I've heard people use them for sharpening? Seems too fast for this.

I can see the wheel being useful for me as well (~2''). I don't have many radius options as of now. Maybe for coke bottling handles?

Thanks for the tips!
Click to expand...
Fast motor does not mean that you have fast SFPM of belt ....that depends of size of drive wheel .
 
Good score for $20. I use one all the time but mine also has a 9" flat disc. I probably use the flat disc way more than the belt.

I keep a dedicated 120 grit ceramic belt for sanding leatherwork edges.

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I floated a ceramic tile platen on this as the steel one had hollowed out with use.

Daughter in law working on the edges of a belt.

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My grinding bench. Usually I roll it outside but it was kinda wet that day.

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I work in large batches and use this grinder for handle material prep and hogging off excess material, setting the angle of the flat across the spine and the interior curve of some handles. Nothing finer than 60 grit though, after that I move to the other grinders.

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I've replaced the bearings on this old Grizzly probably 4 or 5 times and the drive belt for the disc once.
 
Horsewright Horsewright I love your setup! The rolling grinding bench is a great idea I probably need to do... Thanks for showing the pictures. I'll have to get some ceramic belts.

Did you affix the tile platen with JBweld? This seems like a great upgrade.

Knives looks great too!
 
Thanks. Yes, finding a flat tile was more of a trick than ya might think. Take a straight edge.
 
Ummm, err, uhh, my 2 cents worth here is that modding that 6 x 48 to variable speed would be worthwhile. You could go the typical route with a 2 or 3 hp 3 phase and a controller or do what I've done - go DC and be happy as can be (I had a couple of DC controllers so I used them for a variable speed drill press, 2 x 72 and 6 x 48. thinking about the bandsaw). Just sayin..............

I'm not doing much knifecrafting these days but the acquired tools seem to work fine for the many UNUSUAL tasks that my wife seems to "magically" discover a need to have done INSTANTLY if not sooner.

Corey "synthesist" Gimbel
 
My drive wheel is 2 1/2 in. I think... And my main mod, was to pitch the half horse that came with mine and install a 2 horsepower double capacitor start motor off of an old air compressor. Now this thing is a monster.... U Can't stop it. The slower you can get these things to move the better. That's why I use such a small Drive wheel, tightened super tite. Sands like the devil, and doesn't burn the wood.
 
There is a knifemaking video with Kim Breed and Gary Wheeler called All About Grinding. They show how to use the 6×48 to grind the flats on a large bowie blade. I've ground plenty of knives on my 6x48 belt sander, but mine only runs at 2200 SFPM.
 
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