belt grinder belt question

[hayshaker]

what would be th best belts for a 2x72 grinder for fast stock removal,
so far i've been using plain 36-60 gr a-ox belts and they take forever and cook the metal,
i have to keep a water pail next to the grinder. so any thoughts out ther from the mor experienced knifemakers.

[crashdive123]

Any grinding you do will heat the metal. It does not matter what type of belt you use.

[kyratshooter]

A pail of water beside the grinder is SOP. You have to control the temperature and stock removal with any belt or grinding device will have heat as part of the physics involved with grinding a knife.

Many of the big knife factories actually grind under water.

As for speed in stock removal, I have used a graduated system in the past for working on big knives, It begins with an angle grinder, moves to the bench grinding wheel, then to the belt sanders and then to finer belts, then the polishing systems to be finished off on a buffing wheel.

Small knives, I stick with the belt sanders.

And patience is the key to good craftsmanship. Most people are not going to build a high quality knife by the end of the week if they start after lunch on Friday.

[randallss7]

I use Norton Blaze orange 80g belts, they run cooler than any other belt I have tried, they also cut faster than any other belt I have tried. I have never felt I needed to remove stock any faster than what the 80g belts do. They are not very efficient with wood and other items stick with the cheep metal oxide belts for handle work, IMOP. Blaze Orange also last longer.

[Phaedrus]

+1 on the Blaze ceramics. They run very cool because they cut so fast- not a lot of time to build up heat. So far those Norton Blaze are the fastest things I have found. Steel melts like an icicle in a hot cast iron pan.