Trad Gang
Main Boards => The Bowyer's Bench => Topic started by: Eric Krewson on October 31, 2015, 08:49:00 AM
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I was at a friends house the other day and he was telling me how handy his 1" belt sander was for the variety of crafty things he does.
I went home and a Grizzly sale catalog was in my mailbox with their 1" belt sander on sale. Being a tool guy I had to have one. It is sitting on my dining room table now.
What grits of belts do you guys keep in stock for your similar sanders. I will probably use mine for putting the initial edge on flea market chisels, broadheads and other cutting tools at first.
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I use my 1" belt sander a lot for bows. Smooth's out and shapes the riser and shaping the tips, plus much more.. I use 150 grit..
What's nice is if you sand above the backing bar for the belt, the sanding belt will flex and roll around curves real nicely.
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80, 120 and 180 grit. 80 grit turns a rough, chipped up chisel into something workable in quick order. Obviously watch out for overheating the edge. I'm a big fan of super / scary sharp edges. Once I've hit the rough chisel with all 3 grits I then hand sharpen into a polished surface.
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they are a handy tool for sure. great for sharpening things. I would buy the roughest ones I could find.
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I keep a 24 grit on mine for trapping limbs and hogging wood on grips and sight windows--it is handy
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For steel working I think 80 grit would be the lowest only then to hog off everything but the chip. I'd go then move quickly into the 300-400 range. Finish it off with a leather belt and you can throw away your store bought razor.