Anyone here splice or re-splice their own grinder belts?

F

FloWolF

Joined
Sep 15, 2017
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70
Just wondering what you use to do the job if you do - I have some rolls of 2 inch abrasive, managed to make 1 belt but the joint was tricky and won't last, and I have a bunch of 'new' belts I tore up gaining valuable experience I'd like to splice back together if I can. I managed to find some mono-direction fibreglass reinforced tape but it is essentially just a packing tape and hasn't the right properties.

TIA for any help,

Cheers!

Shaun/FloWolF
 
Nope never done that!
That said, just curious. I know knife makers tend to try and get that extra grind out of a belt. But Why would you risk your body parts with a failed belt that you fixed.
Save those torn up belts for blade or handle sanding. Grinder rash or worse ain't worth it
 
velegski said:
Nope never done that!
That said, just curious. I know knife makers tend to try and get that extra grind out of a belt. But Why would you risk your body parts with a failed belt that you fixed.
Save those torn up belts for blade or handle sanding. Grinder rash or worse ain't worth it
Click to expand...

Aye but the thing is, every time I lose a belt or any other tool or consumable before it's done work and made some money, I am that much closer to falling over the cliff edge and not being able to continue - I have NO personal disposable income outside of what I make from the workshop at the moment, and no pot to draw from - it's everything I can do to not grind to a halt as it is, and we aren't talking trying to squeeze more out of an old belt, rather trying to recover NEW belts that have taken accidental damage. I have come to realise that with things like this, if it can be done in industry I can find a way to do it myself - I only need to talk to the right people and source the right aids, they aren't doing any super secret magic or anything!

Cheers! ',;~}~
 
This is a common discussion. The short answer is you really can't splice a belt yourself. Super glue, epoxy, or Gorilla glue won't hold up.

I talked to the tech folks at Klingspore a good while back about it. The proper adhesive is kept on dry ice until used. Once warmed to room temperature it is only good for that day's production. The belts are spliced on a jig that properly aligns the two ends and clamps them under high pressure and at a certain temperature to activate the glue.

The main cause of belts popping apart is age. The glue joint is only good for about a year. Buying what you will use in 3 to 6 months is best.
The other cause is too high belt tension. Only set the tension high enough to get good tracking and smooth operation. RELEASE the tension when not in use. Leaving the tension on will affect the belt life and its tracking, damage rubber wheels, and possibly affect the alignment of your grinder.
 
When you do take belts beyond “normal” use, wear a brimmed hat! Your face will thank you when the belt snaps and slaps you. I know from personal experience 👍
 
It HURTS when you get slapped with a 50-grit belt running at full speed.
I have replaced more than one face shield on my PAPR helmet because it saved my face.
 
Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith said:
This is a common discussion. The short answer is you really can't splice a belt yourself. Super glue, epoxy, or Gorilla glue won't hold up.

I talked to the tech folks at Klingspore a good while back about it. The proper adhesive is kept on dry ice until used. Once warmed to room temperature it is only good for that day's production. The belts are spliced on a jig that properly aligns the two ends and clamps them under high pressure and at a certain temperature to activate the glue.

The main cause of belts popping apart is age. The glue joint is only good for about a year. Buying what you will use in 3 to 6 months is best.
The other cause is too high belt tension. Only set the tension high enough to get good tracking and smooth operation. RELEASE the tension when not in use. Leaving the tension on will affect the belt life and its tracking, damage rubber wheels, and possibly affect the alignment of your grinder.
Click to expand...

Cheers for the reply Stacy, and for sharing your knowledge and experience, it is much appreciated.

So far I've only worn the joints out first, on my little ~2x36 grinder, all the 2x72 belts I ever bought are either still running strong but weak on abrasive now, or got torn up by my own miss-actions, and trust me I am on a sub-breadline budget so I really am only buying what I am actually just about to use.

I always pop the tension off when I shut up shop, but whilst running I do have it cranked right up to compensate for the awful alignment and the struggling tracking. Running wet that's even worse, and all I could recall from reading about switching a 2x72 over to wet work, was to crank the tension up to stop the extra tracking drift if it happened, so I have had it at about maximum on the spring... eeek...

Having said that I haven't bust a seam yet, just cut the things to blazes.

I'm certain that a lot of this will pass as I work along - I started my creative adventures with a lot of refined nerve and sharp focussed attention, but lets just say I've been severely rattled by life since then and have gotten a little twitchy and anxious by comparison.

Thanks again, and goodnight!

Shaun.
 
Bill Siegle said:
When you do take belts beyond “normal” use, wear a brimmed hat! Your face will thank you when the belt snaps and slaps you. I know from personal experience 👍
Click to expand...

Only laughing at that because I was just feling a bit like I was describing the shaky handed old gunslinger as I wrote my last reply and now ya have me dressing as one heheheh!

Cheers Bill, and goodnight!

Shaun.
 
Shaun,
Fill out your profile with a location. I bet there are plenty of folks here who would pass on extra supplies and such to you if they knew where you were.
 
I hadn't realised it wasn't done yet, sorted it now.

But yeah I'm over here in Merry Old, buddy - The Ribble Valley in Lancashire, England. Nice and wet here so lots of spalted wood for my knife handles.
 
Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith said:
This is a common discussion.

The main cause of belts popping apart is age. The glue joint is only good for about a year. Buying what you will use in 3 to 6 months is best.
Click to expand...
Yes.
I looked into that glue, stupid special, special storage, special using conditions, very high price.
Minimum order of that glue was $500, probably doubled now.

Hazardous Goods - dry ice shipping costs more than a really decent supply of belts.



Plus storage conditions.

My shop area is unheated.
stupid freezing cold to stupid boiling hot, no humidity control - high humidity from non-insulated concrete floor.


You don't need to keep every belt you own hanging on wall pegs like sports trophies.

Keep them in the house, sealed five gallon pails, maybe some humidity silica gel packs.

Take out the belts you need one at a time.
Clean, dry, no belt grit contamination.


You still want to try it ? try 3m VHB tape, maybe it works maybe it doesn't.
Try not to take a belt to the face. They will get ya
 
There are those diamond belt dressers that will break the grit and refresh a worn belt some. They are pretty cheap, seem to work ok for what they are. They look kind of like an old school razor, t-shaped.
 
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