Recommendation? Which 2" x 72" belts for knife making?

oceanrider

oceanrider

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As the title says, I need to learn where best to get 2x72 belts, and which 2x72 belts I should be using , and how many of each I will need to have to start making some knives. How long will they last?

Recommendations and insight would be greatly appreciated.
 
oceanrider said:
As the title says, I need to learn where best to get 2x72 belts, and which 2x72 belts I should be using , and how many of each I will need to have to start making some knives. How long will they last?

Recommendations and insight would be greatly appreciated.
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That's a great question. I think there's a lot of great grinders on the market. Looks like the 2K range is the best area to be.

Remember, once you buy it, you'll forget about the cost but you'll appreciate the value in using everyday.

Make sure to get one with the VFD, being able to use 1.5 inch tool arms can also useful for aftermarket accessories.

Northridge
KMG
Brodbeck
Pheer
TW90

IMHO Just pick one and don't overthink, It's the work you do with it, not the tool itself that's important and you can't buy skill. You just have to put time into it.



My favorite belts are the VSM Ceramic plus.

There's cheaper belts and there's more expensive belts and depending on what steel you use you'll find the advantage or disadvantages to one of the other.

Just remember you want the stiff Y weight backing for grinding and J weight flex belts for handles.

Good luck, I'm sure others will chime in.
 
Personally I like the 3M aluminum oxide. Not too expensive and last pretty good. Kingsport is another fairly cheap one that works.
I use x weight most often, but like j flex for slack belt or the water fall platen. Get a rubber belt cleaner and use often.
 
these are some good options for getting started, imo;
ceramic y weight 36, 60, 80, 120
aluminum oxide x weight 220, 320, 400
aluminum oxide j weight 80,120, 220, 320, 400, 600

the weight of the belt is super important. You should research that.
 
For me:

I go 36, 60, 120 in ceramic on bevel grinding for most things. I prefer Red Label abrasives for cost and performance on these.

Trizact 3M belts are great for surface conditioning. Scotchbrite belts also help in this area.

“Use ‘em like they are free” is a saying that sticks with me. Using worn abrasives can lead to lots of struggles for people learning to grind.

How many do you need? Lots 😊
IMG_2117.jpeg
 
JV Knives said:
For me:

I go 36, 60, 120 in ceramic on bevel grinding for most things. I prefer Red Label abrasives for cost and performance on these.

Trizact 3M belts are great for surface conditioning. Scotchbrite belts also help in this area.

“Use ‘em like they are free” is a saying that sticks with me. Using worn abrasives can lead to lots of struggles for people learning to grind.

How many do you need? Lots 😊
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Thanks I've heard about Red Label belts, will look into them 👍
Lorien said:
these are some good options for getting started, imo;
ceramic y weight 36, 60, 80, 120
aluminum oxide x weight 220, 320, 400
aluminum oxide j weight 80,120, 220, 320, 400, 600

the weight of the belt is super important. You should research that.
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Great Info 😎
Forrest Taylor said:
Personally I like the 3M aluminum oxide. Not too expensive and last pretty good. Kingsport is another fairly cheap one that works.
I use x weight most often, but like j flex for slack belt or the water fall platen. Get a rubber belt cleaner and use often.
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I think you mean klingspor .com. Is there a certain 3M AO?
DeadboxHero said:
That's a great question. I think there's a lot of great grinders on the market. Looks like the 2K range is the best area to be.

Remember, once you buy it, you'll forget about the cost but you'll appreciate the value in using everyday.

Make sure to get one with the VFD, being able to use 1.5 inch tool arms can also useful for aftermarket accessories.

Northridge
KMG
Brodbeck
Pheer
TW90

IMHO Just pick one and don't overthink, It's the work you do with it, not the tool itself that's important and you can't buy skill. You just have to put time into it.



My favorite belts are the VSM Ceramic plus.

There's cheaper belts and there's more expensive belts and depending on what steel you use you'll find the advantage or disadvantages to one of the other.

Just remember you want the stiff Y weight backing for grinding and J weight flex belts for handles.

Good luck, I'm sure others will chime in.
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Grinder is on the way. Went with Reeder 😎 So, assume you order VSM from Zoro? Curious what made you go with VSM. Have you also tried others like Norton Blaze, Red Lable, Klingspor, etc.?
 
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I'd say the Norton ceramic belts are the best ones out there. The 3M's are also pretty good. As for which to get, that was already pretty well covered here.

Just don't be too conservative with your belts, as you are making your work harder, and your steel hotter.

Another belt type that hasn't been mentioned, is a cork belt. One of those will last you a long time.
 
oceanrider said:
Thanks I've heard about Red Label belts, will look into them 👍

Great Info 😎

I think you mean klingspor .com. Is there a certain 3M AO?

Grinder is on the way. Went with Reeder 😎 So, assume you order VSM from Zoro? Curious what made you go with VSM. Have you also tried others like Norton Blaze, Red Lable, Klingspor, etc.?
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Tru grit is the best place to order belts.

Good jumps to start with are 36, 60 and 120 grit ceramic.

Spend the extra money on the VSM 36 grit actirox.

The ceramic plus VSM is better than the non plus at the 60 grit.

You can go cheaper on the 120 grit belt since they are only good when they are fresh.

A sample would be 2 actirox, 10 ceramic plus and 5 ceramic 120 belts.


Going past 120 you'll look into a different kind of belt.

A good finishing belt to try when you get started is a red scotch brite belt.


Some guys will have abrasive sponsors or deals with abrasive companies.

These companies will hook people up to promote their product so it may not be an accurate representation of the products performance.


You can skip the advertising and find cheaper ceramic belts or higher performance higher cost belts than what those companies offer.
 
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I use the 36 grit Actirox, then 885 VSM in 60, 80 and 120. I also use Hermes Ceramicflex in 120 and 220; these are great for cleaning up the plunges as well as finishing the steel. From there, I either go to compact grain AO belts to 400 or Norax or Gators to A30. I have the waterproof ceramic Trizact and Norax, too and have been liking those lately, especially on S90V and other wear resistant/high vanadium steels. Cork belt or non woven (scotchbrite or other brands) for the final finish usually.
 
Great Question..... I was afraid to ask.......
I was wondering about backings? I accidentally got a bunch of 220 grit with wimpy basically no backing. Just curls, and I don't like it.
Id like more info on rigid, proven finer grit belts.proven



Me personally, I really like Pop's ceramic belts.
I have used lots of their 50 grit. I think it's VSM?
I grind Hard.

I agree about "sponsorship" I see lots of people liking Red Label.???
In (My) opinion, they weren't working good. Nothing compared to what I use now.

I've tried two of Pops blue, super aggressive belts, something with a silly name. They were Meh, too..... Not worth $15.
I wonder if I don't press hard enough?
I hand grind everything, That might make a difference? Some belts might be better for fixture people? Idk....

I like Coarse AO for rough grinding woods, and micartas.
I hand sand to finish the scales.
 
Actirox are the blue 36 grit. VSM 890 IIRC? They work well for me running at mid speed and last a good while.

The AO compact grain vsm work well and have a thicker backer and grain structure. There are other compact grain belts I need to try out under a variety of names/brands.

Trizact gators are thicker and work well in finer grits for finishing. Norax ceramics and trizact ceramics (not ao) are thicker and work nicely. The key to finer grit belts is variable speed. Trying to run a 400 or 600 grit belt at full speed is asking for issues. You slow them down, and they cut better. Another thing to try is a soft platen, like leather or rock hard felt attached to a metal platen. That smooths out the belt splice/bump, but need to be replaced fairly frequently as they wear and not remain flat as long.

I am using 2-in wide j flex scalloped belts, AO grit, from 120 up to 600 grit on micarta and wood handles, and I have almost no hand sanding to do off those belts. You need to run them slower however so you don't burn the material. A rubber belt cleaner is also important. I have done over 30 handles on my 120-600 scalloped super novas and they are still going strong.
 
Glad I asked this question here. Some great insight. I'm always learning here :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:. Thanks for not making me feel stupid for not knowing LOL. I had near heard of VSM before.
 
oceanrider said:
Glad I asked this question here. Some great insight. I'm always learning here :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:. Thanks for not making me feel stupid for not knowing LOL. I had near heard of VSM before.
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You will get a positive answer for each brand of belts . Everything is individual, it depends on the speed of belt , the way of grinding... I recommend that you try several brands and find the one that suits you best .
Me ? The only brand I've used and which is available to me here is Klingspor and I'm not looking any further, for me they do what I think they should do....
 
DeadboxHero said:
You can go cheaper on the 120 grit belt since they are only good when they are fresh.
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Too many grains per square inch , we can't use them properly and ve glaze them .On my surface grinder they last forever . I don't understand why they don't make them for us who work with our hands. Half a grain on square inch of that and we are on the horse............I think
 
I picked up a sample pack of Red Label belts (36-60-120-220-400-600-800-1200-1500) at blade, price was decent. I usually use Trugrit and order Meritt "Hogger" 36 and 60 grit, Norton Blaze 120 and 220 grit. The Y-weight belts from Red Label have been okay; however, I have had the seam blow out on a 400 and 600 grit belt. (speed was dialed way down too!) I haven't tried Combat Abrasives yet, but I may give em a go.

Next time I order from TG I will have to try the VSM XK855Y.
 
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Since we are getting So many good responses....

Does anyone Dress their used belts?

I feel some of my ceramic, coarse belts Should have more life in them, and I want to try dressing them with a diamond
 
Fwiw … ive settled on norton blaze 60 and 120 for bevel grinding, then 3m gators and scotchbright for conditioning. There is nothing like a fresh blaze … so i go through them pretty quickly (i do try to dress the ceramics by pressing a hardened piece of steel into them at high speed, but it dies not bring them back to “like new”). The 3m gators are expensive, but last a long time, especially if you dress them with a diamond dressing tool.

For handles brand seems much less critical, i use a 60 grit straight sided belt for rough shaping at light pressure (reduces risk of burned wood), then go right to scalloped edge belts with slack belt for 120 and up. If i dont use slack scalloped belts, i always seem to dig in an edge. Ive used a number of brands, and for handles they just seem to perform similarly - as others have said, clean often with a rubber belt cleaner and they will last a while
 
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