Fixed angle sharpening jig for belt sander

A

AttilaTheHun

Joined
Apr 10, 2011
Messages
124
Do you know of a home-made jig for sharpening on the Harbor Freight 1x30 belt sander:
image_11211.jpg

Namely a jig that would allow to slide the blade alongside the belt at a fixed angle (10 degree each side)
 
On that machine, if you are going to convex sharpen, remove the platen to give yourself enough belt flex. Also, angle the table down or you will find it in your way while making a pass on the belt. Then freehand it, as advised above.
 
AttilaTheHun said:
Good sir, the reason why I'm inquiring about said jig is precisely because I lack the steady robotic manual accuracy needed for freehanding.
Click to expand...

No you don't. The belt system is pretty forgiving. Jump on in and give it a try. After a few goes you'll be making those knives screaming sharp. Use a light touch, don't try to go too fast, and when you start seeing results be aware of what you did to get there and just keep doing that. ;) You CAN do it. (If I can, ANY one can.)
 
ebrguy said:
No you don't. The belt system is pretty forgiving. Jump on in and give it a try. After a few goes you'll be making those knives screaming sharp. Use a light touch, don't try to go too fast, and when you start seeing results be aware of what you did to get there and just keep doing that. ;) You CAN do it. (If I can, ANY one can.)
Click to expand...

That's not necessarily true. A medical condition (not saying this is the case) could prevent the steady coordination needed to achieve results that the operator is happy with.

Op, I haven't seen a jig for the grinder you posted. If you find that you can get your hands steady enough, the grinder will give good results depending on your belt choice and experience.

Another option, although it doesn't fit your needs for such an acute edge, is a belt system such as the Work Sharp. :)
 
Instead of building a jig to hold the blade, might I suggest building an angle adjustment into the base of the grinder? That way you'll just have to hold the blade vertical, just like a sharpmaker.
 
bpeezer said:
Instead of building a jig to hold the blade, might I suggest building an angle adjustment into the base of the grinder? That way you'll just have to hold the blade vertical, just like a sharpmaker.
Click to expand...


Not to burst any bubbles here but your still freehanding, you can still make all the same mistakes as if you were to just tilt your hand.
 
For freehand I like to lay mine down on its back so that the belt is horizontal.
I'm just spitballing here, but how about a piece of wood (though metal would be better) cut into a wedge with the desired angle. attached it to the table so that it's just barely not touching the belt. Then you could use that as a guide. You'd be sharpening edge against rotation which some people don't like.
 

Attachments

  • Wedge.jpg
    Wedge.jpg
    11.3 KB · Views: 148
Last edited:
FullyTorque said:
For freehand I like to lay mine down on its back so that the belt is horizontal.
I'm just spitballing here, but how about a piece of wood (though metal would be better) cut into a wedge with the desired angle. attached it to the table so that it's just barely not touching the belt. Then you could use that as a guide. You'd be sharpening edge against rotation which some people don't like.
Click to expand...
Cool, thanks!
 
When I started using a belt sander I cut up three little triangles from a cereal box about 2.5 inches in size at 15, 20 and 25 degrees.
Then I held the desired angle up to the belt and placed my blade against it to give me a visual.
It really helped maintain a constant angle until I got the hang of it and became natural.
Now I just whip out razor edges by eye with out even thinking like I'm brushing my teeth.
 
knifenut1013 said:
Not to burst any bubbles here but your still freehanding, you can still make all the same mistakes as if you were to just tilt your hand.
Click to expand...

I agree that you can still make some mistakes this way, but I feel that it is slightly easier to freehand vertically than it is to freehand a 10 degree angle. It becomes especially important when switching sides. It makes the process more repeatable on both sides. Freehanding normally (and I say this because I have had this problem) can produce uneven bevels if you're not very experienced (but you are very experienced :)). If you just have to hold the blade vertical, you only have to worry about holding one angle.

That being said, I think of it as more of a crutch for getting familiar with a system before going to complete freehanding.
 
FTR-14c said:
When I started using a belt sander I cut up three little triangles from a cereal box about 2.5 inches in size at 15, 20 and 25 degrees.
Then I held the desired angle up to the belt and placed my blade against it to give me a visual.
It really helped maintain a constant angle until I got the hang of it and became natural.
Now I just whip out razor edges by eye with out even thinking like I'm brushing my teeth.
Click to expand...

That sounds totally reasonable. Right now I'm just eyeballing it and using a sharpie, but I think that might help me. Thanks :)
 
You are on the right track with the sharpie, it is very helpful to see if you are reaching the apex.
Once you get the feel for how much pressure to apply and at what speed to pass the blade along the belt you will be producing great edges with confidence.
If you don't already have one, I would recommend a leather belt with compound for touch ups and burr removal. It was the game changer for me, it took my sharpening to another level.
 
Couple designs from youtube:
[video=youtube;RhzsiGkq8II]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhzsiGkq8II[/video]
[video=youtube;cWcfeSp-DpY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWcfeSp-DpY[/video]
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top