# Grinder belt question



## jigman29 (Nov 29, 2016)

Just wondering whats the best bang on belts. My buddy is letting me use his shop to make a few knives before I make the investment on tools myself. But the belts he uses are about 14 bucks and he only gets one knife out of a belt. I don't know a lot but this seems a little extreme. So if anyone would share a websight and what belts to look for I would appreciate it. Thanks in advance.


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## sharpeblades (Nov 29, 2016)

I get most of mine from Pops Knive supply.They run $3.00 to $8.00.In my experience you need to use a fresh belt to grind with.I grind my blades after heat treating and they don't last as long as grinding before heat treating.I use 60-120-220-400-600-800-1200-2000 grit and some more different belts.Any way I can help just holler.


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## jigman29 (Nov 29, 2016)

sharpeblades said:


> I get most of mine from Pops Knive supply.They run $3.00 to $8.00.In my experience you need to use a fresh belt to grind with.I grind my blades after heat treating and they don't last as long as grinding before heat treating.I use 60-120-220-400-600-800-1200-2000 grit and some more different belts.Any way I can help just holler.



Thank you sir! Ill check them out.


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## Anvil Head (Nov 30, 2016)

Make a trip down to Lula and visit Solid Rock Knives.
Scottie can get you lined up with good info on belts and how to use them.
Or......learn to use a hammer and a little heat, spend a lot less on belts. I buy less than $50 worth a year (and I make a lot of knives in a year).


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## godogs57 (Nov 30, 2016)

What Raleigh said. Pops is the best. I've used all types and most seem to work well,  but remember one thing: use a fresh belt for grinding steel. Do not try and get $10 worth of grinding out of a $5 belt! It can, and will, lead to grinding mistakes due to a worn out belt, or it can lead to you burning the blade. I have a knife maker buddy who is famous for this.


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## VANCE (Nov 30, 2016)

another vote for Pop's

good fella


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## jigman29 (Nov 30, 2016)

Anvil Head said:


> Make a trip down to Lula and visit Solid Rock Knives.
> Scottie can get you lined up with good info on belts and how to use them.
> Or......learn to use a hammer and a little heat, spend a lot less on belts. I buy less than $50 worth a year (and I make a lot of knives in a year).



He made a knife for me a few years back. Great guy.


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## IFLY4U (Dec 2, 2016)

Pops is the place. A mistake that I made for years was to do my initial grind with too fine of a grit belt (60 Grit), and then move to 120, 220, and so on. There is a great article on the ABS website discussing this process but the bottom line is that 36-60 grit should be approached as grinding belts , using pressure to remove material. 120 grit and up should be used as polishing belts  with less pressure to remove scratches of the previous grit. I found that when I was trying apply too much pressure while grinding with the finer grit belts, I was washing out my grind lines and burning up my steel. John I Shore posted a thread on the use of Trizact belts a while back and I can say that it was the best lead that I have had in a while. Lloyd Hale had recommended them to me a few years ago but I was too cheap to buy them... "What a mistake"! They are fantastic finishing belts that last a long time and well worth the $7-$8 each. For my initial grinds, I use the 3M 36 grit Cubitron 2 belts and you can grind a lot of blades with a $11 investment of 1 belt.
Gary


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## Anvil Head (Dec 3, 2016)

That Cubi will eat meat and not blink.....


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## jigman29 (Dec 3, 2016)

We get a discount at work through msc so I got a couple 60 grit ceramic belts. I bought a few 120 and 320 for finish work. I decided to go with an O1 steel for these blades since I have a little experience with it at work. I got 4 cut out today and did my initial grinds. I hope to heat treat them Monday and start my finish work that evening. Wish me luck lol


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## roperdoc (Dec 4, 2016)

We are gonna need pics!


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## jigman29 (Dec 4, 2016)

roperdoc said:


> We are gonna need pics!



Soon as they are finished I will post a wad of them!


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