Smokey Joe
Member
- Joined
- Jan 2, 2003
- Messages
- 2,617
Guys, I appreciate all the helpful advice heaped on me so far. This is a progress report.
Last Friday I went to my local Harbor Freight, and they had the Central Machinery 1x30 belt sander on sale for $34.99, so I bought it, figuring that if it's a total disaster that's not too much $$ to lose. Never even went to look @ the $140 Chefs Choice machine--Cabela's is a considerable drive further.
Took it home, set it up on the weekend. Of course there was a cheap plastic part that broke--the tightening thing for the nut that holds the "table" to the machine. But since that table is beside the point anyhow, I persevered. (Eventually, either Central Machinery will send me a new part, or I'll just use a wing-nut to tighten the table.)
The machine runs pretty smoothly. VERY smoothly when compared to my carpenters' floor-standing sanding machine. Belt tracking adjusting seems a little coarse, but workable.
So I tried it out, of course, on an Old Hickory knife that has always been too thick in the blade.
Voila! Managed to slim the blade down quite a bit, and put a nice wire edge on it which I cleaned up with a DMT medium, then fine, pocket hone, then a ceramic crock stick. That knife, which has always been kind of clunky, has become more flexible, and scary sharp!!
Then I discovered that I'd been using a 60 grit belt. Well, I'd bought 120 grit belts, too, so one of those got installed and next I tried a real El Cheapo knife from Goodwill. It had a stamped sheet stainless blade, dumb-looking "teeth" sorta. Worked the blade down until most of the teeth disappeared, and basically made it into a small fillet knife--nice & flexy. It too got the DMT/crock stick treatment, and came out scary sharp.
Now I want to polish out the marks from the sanding belts. Even the 120 grit is 'way too coarse. I have finer belts on order from Jantz, also a felt belt and some polishing rouge, but they're not here yet. Discovered that my grinding wheel machine has its wheel protecting covers made right on to its body, so can't install a polishing disc on that--Must get new grinding wheel, preferably variable-speed.
Found out that holding a knife to the belt isn't as difficult as I expected--and you have to watch the angle, but no more so than when using a hand-operated stone. Also learned that you can heat up a blade, especially a thin one, VERY fast--never stop moving the blade sideways, keep a thumb on it to gauge heat. (If it's too hot for the thumb, it's still OK for the steel but you are getting a clear warning.)
When I've got a blade, and my hands, near whirling parts, I watch everything like a hawk--try to stay mindful always that Murphy would like nothing better than to cut off the tip of a finger or some such. Just as I would never touch a radial saw, I will never grind a knife when I'm tired, or distracted, or under chemical influence.
Anyhow, I'm off and running. And a sincere !Muchas Gracias! to all who have been so generous with suggestions and advice.
I'll keep you posted.
Last Friday I went to my local Harbor Freight, and they had the Central Machinery 1x30 belt sander on sale for $34.99, so I bought it, figuring that if it's a total disaster that's not too much $$ to lose. Never even went to look @ the $140 Chefs Choice machine--Cabela's is a considerable drive further.
Took it home, set it up on the weekend. Of course there was a cheap plastic part that broke--the tightening thing for the nut that holds the "table" to the machine. But since that table is beside the point anyhow, I persevered. (Eventually, either Central Machinery will send me a new part, or I'll just use a wing-nut to tighten the table.)
The machine runs pretty smoothly. VERY smoothly when compared to my carpenters' floor-standing sanding machine. Belt tracking adjusting seems a little coarse, but workable.
So I tried it out, of course, on an Old Hickory knife that has always been too thick in the blade.
Voila! Managed to slim the blade down quite a bit, and put a nice wire edge on it which I cleaned up with a DMT medium, then fine, pocket hone, then a ceramic crock stick. That knife, which has always been kind of clunky, has become more flexible, and scary sharp!!
Then I discovered that I'd been using a 60 grit belt. Well, I'd bought 120 grit belts, too, so one of those got installed and next I tried a real El Cheapo knife from Goodwill. It had a stamped sheet stainless blade, dumb-looking "teeth" sorta. Worked the blade down until most of the teeth disappeared, and basically made it into a small fillet knife--nice & flexy. It too got the DMT/crock stick treatment, and came out scary sharp.
Now I want to polish out the marks from the sanding belts. Even the 120 grit is 'way too coarse. I have finer belts on order from Jantz, also a felt belt and some polishing rouge, but they're not here yet. Discovered that my grinding wheel machine has its wheel protecting covers made right on to its body, so can't install a polishing disc on that--Must get new grinding wheel, preferably variable-speed.
Found out that holding a knife to the belt isn't as difficult as I expected--and you have to watch the angle, but no more so than when using a hand-operated stone. Also learned that you can heat up a blade, especially a thin one, VERY fast--never stop moving the blade sideways, keep a thumb on it to gauge heat. (If it's too hot for the thumb, it's still OK for the steel but you are getting a clear warning.)
When I've got a blade, and my hands, near whirling parts, I watch everything like a hawk--try to stay mindful always that Murphy would like nothing better than to cut off the tip of a finger or some such. Just as I would never touch a radial saw, I will never grind a knife when I'm tired, or distracted, or under chemical influence.
Anyhow, I'm off and running. And a sincere !Muchas Gracias! to all who have been so generous with suggestions and advice.
I'll keep you posted.