Work Sharp Bevel Grinding

J

Jameswlepage

Joined
Dec 13, 2016
Messages
26
Hi all,

I'm wondering if you can grind full bevels from a steel blank with this tool. I've been filing with a jig, but if this is a quicker, more precise way I'd definitely try it out.

Are there any jigs or attachments that y'all use?
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The trick with belt Sanders Is the longer the belt the least he belt heats the longer it will last plus horse power so it does not bog down. I doubt belts would last very long or have the power to do the job. A bigger belt sander would be best. I used. Jet 6x48 but a smaller one would work. I have a belt sander attachment that hooked to a grinder that was good for metal removal it used 2x36 belts. Plus you can use it for wood working too.
 
I think you would be better off with a 1x30 or 2x42. Better belt selection and probably a whole lot cheaper.
 
Steve, you should post pictures or inf. on yours.If it works for you, someone else may be able to use it.
Frank
 
Well i have had 2 of the worksharp ken onion edition and the both have died. They arent made to be grinding for long periods of time. It doesnt take but a few good 30 mins sessions to bite the dust. The first one burned up the motor and the second one broke at the shaft then burned up
 
steve.knight.792 said:
The trick with belt Sanders Is the longer the belt the least he belt heats the longer it will last plus horse power so it does not bog down. I doubt belts would last very long or have the power to do the job. A bigger belt sander would be best. I used. Jet 6x48 but a smaller one would work. I have a belt sander attachment that hooked to a grinder that was good for metal removal it used 2x36 belts. Plus you can use it for wood working too.
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If you're able to post any photos of your setup that would be great. Thank you all for your answers!


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I have not ground steel in years but I will take a picture or two. I used a jet 6x48 belt sander for 8 hours at a stretch but I was grinding a single bevel on plane blades.
 
steve.knight.792 said:
Looks like the price went way up well I bought mine 15 years ago. http://www.trick-tools.com/Multitool_2_x_36_inch_Belt_Grinder_Attachment_MT362_305
I ended up putting a o-1 hardened steel plate under the belt and I still wore it a fair amount. This is a high speed grinder so you have to watch the heat but it is fast.
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Awesome. I have seen those but due to the price was hesitant to buy it. I'm going to try to build one myself and if it doesn't work out I'll probably go get one.

James
 
Yes I was surprised at the cost when I looked it up. Now they have longer ones I see. But it makes a grinder useful now. For the price it can really rip off the steel but it takes practice to not heat it up since it is 3400 rpms on a short belt. The hardest part of any sander is getting a flat patten under the belt so you can get a flat grind.
I was using g10 under it but it wore too fast so I used a plate of 0-1 about rc 58. You can still see the wear on it though it took a few years
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The worksharp will not be a viable option for bevel grinding in any way at all, and in all honestly will likely not be any faster than a good file.
 
Grayzer86 said:
The worksharp will not be a viable option for bevel grinding in any way at all, and in all honestly will likely not be any faster than a good file.
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Correct. It's primarily for sharpening, altho they do mention grinding bevels which is a joke.
 
(ETA: Steve, I just realized you already mentioned of number of things I did, I guess I should've read your entire posts before making this reply, sorry about that) I'll just leave i how it is though

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Steve, I used to use the same thing, the 2x36" "Multitool belt grinder attachment". You can find them on ebay for about $200 for just the belt attachment itself without the bench grinder included. I actually purchased a brand new "variable speed" (from like 2000-3000-ish RPM) Porter Cable bench grinder. I figured I could have my own variable speed belt grinder for around $400 plus. :rolleyes: I would never have gone this route knowing what I know now.

I actually attached my belt attachment to the left side of my bench grinder (which is opposite of the way it's supposed to be, which is on the right side), that way I could have the belt attachment vertical with the belt running downward on the platen side, as opposed downward in the slack belt side when you rotate it, just like a typical belt grinder using a platen attachment. I jerry rigged a little work rest on mine so I could use it for more controlled blade profiling and use my sled type bevel jig to grind the bevels as well. I also welded on a piece of hardened O1 tool steel on top of the platen it came with, before I knew about the JB weld "trick" LOL

Anyway, I would not recommend going this route, unless you already have a good bench grinder that is at minimum 3/4 HP. although it is recommended to use a 1 HP. The Porter Cable I used is 3/4 HP though, because IIRC they didn't have any adjustable speed ones that were 1 HP, . I'm sure other guys have had good experiences with this belt attachment, but if the tracking is not in line when you get it, it can bemore a headache, at least for me it was. The way that the tracking actually works is by the entire shaft (which holds the platen and contact wheel) pivoting, causing the hole shaft and wheel to twist either the left of right, which causes everything to be at a bit of an angle. I personally happened to have pretty bad luck with mine, but like I said I'm sure other guys have been just fine with theirs.

I also don't like the way they designed it to release the tension in order to change belts, which you to by by pulling (stretching) the belt out (or in) using quite a bit of pressure until the spring locks down. You can see videos of how it all works by finding the listing of it at www.Trick-Tools.com .. They do make it look pretty slick! ;)

Anyway, here are a couple of pics I have from a number of years ago...

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~Paul
My YT Channel Lsubslimed
... (It's been a few years since my last upload)
 
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With mine sticking out I hold the grinder with one hand and push the wheel in with my upper leg this makes it pretty easy. I free handed on it but I had a lot of practice by then. It was and is good for grinding tasks. Much more useful then a grinder. A 6x48 belt sander did double duty as a blade grinder and a woodworking tool.
 
Oh yea, most definitely, it's way better and a stone wheel on a bench grinder.

I may be a bit biased because I just have had an overall sub par experience using it to make knives. It was the grinder that I tried to learn to free hand grind with, and with my particular machine (again, not saying they are all like this) I just kept having a heck of a time trying to grind flat bevels as well as getting even plunges. It was mainly the way the platen shifted (twisted) when tracking to get the belt centered that really messed me up. Even after tons of tinkering with it I just couldn't seem to get it right.

I do think it's a decent choice if a guy already has a good bench grinder to attach it to, but if you have to buy the whole package with the Jet bench grinder and all, I just think there are better choices for a knife maker when it comes to spending over $500, such as a Grizzly 2X72, and better yet a Coote if a person already has a good motor. Of course this is all just my humble opinion. :)

~Paul
My YT Channel Lsubslimed
... (It's been a few years since my last upload)
 
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