this may be a stupid question but here it goes.

D

dmackey

Active Member
I keep seeing different makers say use a used belt to make your first grinds with or you will strip all the grit off a new belt.
But if you don't have a used belt how do you turn a new one into a used one with out wrecking it?

Have 3 60grit AO belts all brand new. Would rather not trash one trying to do my first grinds once I have my grinder up and running.

Thanks
David
 
dmackey what I do to avoid stripping grit off a belt is to grind holding the blade edge down for several passes on each side until you have a contact surface established before going edge up.
 
The idea is jus to "soften" the corners of the blade. Before you start your primary bevel, the edge is at 90 degrees, and the "sharp" corners can rake the grit off pretty fast before you start setting your primary. Most makers will use a dull belt to put a ~45 degree angle on the corners of the edge to help preserve the grit a little more. Just use a light touch at first, and let the belt do the cutting before you start pushing in very hard. There's always gonna be some grit that flies off initially, not matter what you do, and on ceramic belts, you actually want this to happen to an extent to expose fresh cutting surface after the belt starts wearing.
As Ausbrooks said, holding the blade updside down and starting with a shallow angle can help as well...

Don't worry, you'll have a used belt before you know it! ;)
 
it's always tough starting up. You don't have scrap, you don't have old belts, etc. You hate the thought of changing belts early.

After this, you'll have used belts. They might not be any good for cutting bevels anymore, but used 36 and 60 grit belts cut for a very very long time. I will use an old 36 grit to profile blanks until all it does is make heat.

There is going to be some amount of waste. You just have to accept that. You can reclaim some of that by using old belts for non-critical grinding. **But** it's false economy to try to squeeze every last fifty cents of life from consumable items. It is so easy to chase bad grinds, when usually the bad grinds are from using dull belts. And dull doesn't mean absolutely worn out- it means not sharp. Dull belts become handle belts. Then they become leather sheath-edge belts. But they have no place on your bevels as soon as they feel more than just a little different from a new belt.


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As a fellow low bucker I also know how it feels to want to not waste a belt. As already said when you make your budget belts and sand paper as well as epoxy and acetone are the major consumables.
It is not a bad thing once you accept that belts are a disposable thing after they stop cutting steel or wood. When it burnishes a leather sheath then it is done for after you have one to burnish the edges there is no other use for it.
 
Thanks Walt.
I guess what I'll do is set up a couple different hooks for new, used for steel, wood. Then toss them once they are no good for any of those items.
 
you can also take the edge off with a new belt by grinding lengthwise against a contact wheel. Or, if you don't have one on your platen setup, even with the idler wheel, just be careful. You will grind a big divot fast with an idler wheel backing a fresh 36 grit belt.
 
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