Belsaw Sanders

[S.Hollowood]

This is a little off topic, or maybe it isn't, anyways i have been making knives and other sharp tools for a while now. I have begun to invest in better and larger tools, moving away from a cheap 4"x36" grinder into something a little more dedicated and precise. I have been looking around on craigslist for a while and came across an old belsaw 1" belt sander, and am considering getting it. My question is what does the forum think of these machines? Do they operate at a high enough speed to be efficient for grinding bevels and such? Can they handle hollow grinding on the contact wheels? Are they worth the investment?

[Rich Hale]

My thoughts are simple, Decide wot you wish to do with blades. If you are going to make a few a year it does not make sense to spend a lot of money for equipment. As I showed in the knife chat early lessons you can forge a blade with minimal tools and finish without a grinder.

If you are going to make a lot of knives and expect to sell and make a few bucks you need a well equiped shop for efficiancy

High on that list is a belt grinder. For knives that means you must consider a grinder that uses two inch x seventy two inch belts as that makes getting quality belts from a variety of sources easy.   Some  belts on some materials like different belt speeds. Some grinders allow the change in speed by changing pulleys or moving belts to different pulleys. Others have a dial to change the speeds.

 

For  hollow grinding you need access to the contact wheel, the machine in pic does not allow that. For flat grind you need a flat platten. For some work on blades and handles you can use a slack belt access. 

 

For wotever you use any belt grinder it simply has to be well made and dependable. The one you showed above certainly looks well made. To me it is not a knife making machine.