Reddit mentions: The best power belt sanders

I'm dealing with the same issue. I've had the opportunity to use the Grizzy sander but not extensively, seems good for dressing tools but I don't know about large amounts of stock removal. Belt grinders are just so expensive!

http://www.amazon.com/Grizzly-G1015-Knife-Sander-Buffer/dp/B0000DD0AL/ref=pd_sxp_grid_i_1_0

This one is the next step up I would say, a true belt grinder for not a bad price, just still a bit out of my budget and there are apparently a few problems with it. I wish I had a first hand account of whether it was worth it because it seems perfect.

That is not an electronic kitchen knife. It appears to be filing or sanding it(friction not cutting). It also created a ton of foam dust which normal cutting doesn't. I cut with a Bosch foam saw and carving knife everyday. There is no way he could achieve that perfectly smooth round shape with either one.
Edit: I'll have to go back and rewatch it but if I remember correctly it was an air tool not an electronic tool.
Edit 2: yep it's defintely a pneumatic tool. I'm almost positive its s handheld belt sander. Save the sass unless you know exactly what you're talking about.

You can definitely make knives on the kitchen counter!

You'll need a way to heat it up, either to aid with forging and heat treating if you go the blacksmithing route, or as the first step in heat treating, if you're going the stock removal route.

A two-brick forge is very cheap and only requires two soft (not the hard ones) kiln bricks and a propane or MAP gas torch - https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/virtual-bbq-2-brick-forge-wip.920120/

Just make sure you leave a window open for venting out any fumes, as one of the byproducts from propane or MAP gas being burned is carbon monoxide, and in an enclosed environment with no ventilation, that can kill you.

You can do stock removal very cheaply by hand with a jig like this one - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9iNDRwwBQQ

I made one based on that video when I was starting out, and while it is very time consuming and manual labor intensive to use, the results were quite good.

A small benchtop 1"x30" belt sander can speed things up a great deal, like this one for $69 - https://www.amazon.com/Generic-Mini-Belt-Sander-3400/dp/B004D96ZCG/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1519657469&sr=8-3-fkmr0&keywords=craftsman+benchtop+belt+sander


Once you have it sanded / ground / hammered to shape, you heat it up until it glows bright orange, then you quench it in motor oil or hydraulic oil.

After it's cooled, pull it out and clean it off. Make sure to look for any cracks. If there are none, you can temper it in any standard home oven, as it will be extremely brittle at this point. It depends on the steel and the desired final hardness as to what temperature you'll set the oven to, but 300 to 350 degrees Fahrenheit is common.

After that, put a handle on it, sharpen it up and you're done!

If I had my choice of tool, I'd probably say some sort of belt sander/grinder that has a small wheel or turnaround (like this) so you get a nice round profile. If you have something like that(I think they make some similar bench top things), I'd probably use a med/fine grit belt. Barring that, 2nd best is probably the dremel sanding wheel thing, also using a med/fine grit wheel. I'd put the dremel in a vise sticking up and hold the work rather than the other way around too.

You could do this with a jig saw and could use a mini belt sander to clean it up. Or just hand sand her.

https://www.amazon.com/Makita-9032-4-4-Amp-8-Inch-Variable/dp/B0000614UT

I fuckin love this thing I rarely cope by hand anymore.

Oh yeah, I thought 1095 was stupid expensive until I found it on texas knifemaker supply for $8 per foot... so yeah, I'll be getting some of that. I need a belt sander, but can't get one at the moment. Do you think this is a good sander? Would it be useful for grinding bevels?

Hello, I want to make a simple knife. A balisong to be specific. I have no tools that I could make one with, and frankly I don't know what tools I would need. So I have lots of questions. Where do I buy my metal at? What type of metal (I don't need some super high-quality metal just something that won't bend if I drop it on the ground once or twice). What would I use for drilling holes, and lastly what would I use to shape the handles/blade(Would something like this work? http://www.amazon.com/Generic-Mini-Belt-Sander-3400/dp/B004D96ZCG/ref=lp_552878_1_19?s=power-hand-tools&ie=UTF8&qid=1462267395&sr=1-19) Thanks for the help in advance!

> never regret anything made by DeWalt

Tell that to my DW433 belt sander that pretty much started on fire in my hands.

DeWalt makes good stuff, but they've certainly had some dogs.

That being said, in the miter saw category, they're a leader.

any idea what belt grinder he is using, or are the adjustable ones pretty much standard

[edit] It looks like this one

Yeah, you can use a palm sander. It's just going to take forever.

Something like this belt sander https://www.amazon.com/7510-01-Sandcat-18-Inch-Pressure-Control/dp/B007A9TD3E/ is probably a good compromise between using a palm sander and using a big floor sander.

The amount of material you take off depends largely on the grit. 30 grit sand paper will take off a lot more floor than 100 git.

Though if your floor is so thin that you're worried about using a floor sander on it, you should probably start saving up to replace it.

This $390+ Makita belt sander from amazon is on a great sale now. $190 after the 25%. I just got mine and it is incredible. Super hefty, undeniable power. Only downside is the dust bag is not zipped, but some kind of cleat.

https://www.amazon.com/Makita-9403-Belt-Sander-Cloth/dp/B0000223IY/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1542064114&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=makita+belt+sander&dpPl=1&dpID=51lGQc2CPvL&ref=plSrch

I'd get a Dynabrade air sander or about 30 Skil sanders.

Maybe a grinder would be a good idea to take the larger seams off.

Grizzly is more of an industrial machine than Harbor Freight.

I also noted this item in my search: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000REJM3K

Here is a good thread of small belt sanders: http://bbs.homeshopmachinist.net/threads/33705-Belt-Sander-1-x-42-Which-one

I think Kalamazoo makes a nice 2x48 close to your price range:

https://www.amazon.com/Kalamazoo-Industries-Abrasive-Sander-Motor/dp/B071NPJ2VN

That said, you'll end up spending far more in belts than on the grinder in the long run.

For the very hairy, and those hard to reach spots, I would recommend: http://www.amazon.com/Makita-9903-3-Inch---21-Inch-Variable/dp/B000056NOC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1369764173&sr=8-1

im only on my third blade, and the first sander i bought was a 4x36 thinking the same thing. It ended up being a bit of a pain. I still use it for flattening all my edges and surface grinding. For actually grinding by bevels i have been using this https://www.amazon.com/Generic-Mini-Belt-Sander-3400/dp/B004D96ZCG/ref=pd_sbs_196_1?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B004D96ZCG&pd_rd_r=BPYN0PVP11225WJZWP2Z&pd_rd_w=MEfYN&pd_rd_wg=H7m3J&psc=1&refRID=BPYN0PVP11225WJZWP2Z and its fantastic. plus, in this size you can search amazon for belt packs and get a set of various grits from 60 all the way to 600 in one package. Its also not gonna break the bank for your first grinder.

First I'll grind the welds to a rough radius with this 7" disc grinder.
http://www.amazon.com/Dynabrade-52563-7-Inch-Right-Sander/dp/B0027S6FVQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1464233102&sr=1-1&keywords=dynabrade+52563

This is what i use to grind the weld seems to a fine radius.
http://www.amazon.com/Dynabrade-15003-Mini-Dynafile-Abrasive-12-Inch/dp/B00065TOR4

This is what I use to put the brushed finish on the surfaces. How ever the stainless we use already has a grain, but ill use the tool to clean up any scratches.
http://www.amazon.com/Air-Finishing-Tool-Kit-2800/dp/B002LZSNB0/ref=sr_1_2?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1464232796&sr=1-2&keywords=13450+Dynisher+Finishing+Tool

It's a Grizzly G1015. 1000 times better than a harbor freight 1x30. Anyone who has used a more expensive grinder usually complain about the Grizzly's belt tracking, the platen's quality, and the small rest. Those issues can be addressed with some mods. For the price point, you can't beat it.

Edit: Gramerz

This used via craigslist: https://www.amazon.com/PORTER-CABLE-360VS-3-Inch-24-Inch-Variable/dp/B0000222XC

What u/Juskimo said:

https://www.amazon.com/SC91262BL-Scroll-Sander-4-Inch-Assorted/dp/B00CTGMOT8

I'm not sure you and I are operating with the same definition of portable.

Bench sander.

Portable sander.


I'd say this one is a hybrid.

What about this SKIL one for $39 I just want an electric belt sander where I can sand knives razor sharp so I'm guessing I need a low grit for changing the grind but a 1000 grit for quick sharpening before honing - https://www.amazon.com/7510-01-Sandcat-18-Inch-Pressure-Control/dp/B007A9TD3E/ref=sr_1_6?s=power-hand-tools&ie=UTF8&qid=1525733941&sr=1-6&keywords=belt+sander

Guess I could buy the $20 WEN rotary tool and try with the highest grit

I bought this little guy specifically for sanding 3D prints. Should work fine, if you're willing to drop $100 on it.

Although it's winter here so I haven't actually had a chance to test it out...

Guys, Google it

That's a 12 amp sander so it should have a lot of balls.

A few things.

1 don't hammer down on it. The weight of the sander is all you need. A lot of pressure will just make heat and glaze your belt.

2 what grit belt are you using?

3 did you install the belt the right way? Unless specifically stated belts are directional

holy amazon tracking link. can i ask that you remove everything but this part of the link?

https://www.amazon.com/KKmoon-Multifunctional-Sharpener-Grinding-Polishing/dp/B07MMLLWXH

the rest is so amazon can track where you came from and isn't necessary for the link to work. it also trips up reddits spam filter something fierce.

Yes, slack belt grinders are great for sword sharpening.

Review the video that /u/Azekh posted below. The grinder in the video is: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004D96ZCG

Mike Edelson (the guy in the video) is amongst the foremost experts in the HEMA community on test cutting, and is single-handedly responsible for bringing japanese-style tatami cutting to HEMA. His method is the result of years of honing (pardon the pun) his skills.

I recently sharpened my new Albion Baron using this method, and it turned out fantastic, both in appearance as well as in cutting tatami. I've since sharpened weapons for others within my school. It's really great once you get the hang of it.

Summary of key takeaways (but watch the video, it's very important!):

1. Figure out your edge bevel. This is super-important. The video shows you how. Older albions are ~40 degrees. The cold steel hand-and-a-half is 60 degrees. Yours may be neither.
   
2. Cut a visual guide out of 2x4 at an angle that is half of your edge bevel. This allows you to position the sword on the guide to get the angle, then hold that angle through the process.
   
3. Hold the sword firmly and move it back and forth by moving your body, not your arms. If you move your arms, you lose your angle. If you move your body, you keep your angle. Simple 'eh?
   
4. Work your way up with progressively higher grits, but don't over-grind on the lower grits. 240 grit belts and even 400 grit belts can mess up your sword if you don't know what you're doing or are careless. My baron really did not have a sharp edge at all, so I started with 240. If you already have an edge that is somewhat sharp, maybe you start with 400? You'll figure it out.
   
5. The higher the grit, the more passes you need. Duh.
   
6. Don't forget the stropping leather.