I have only owned my grinder for about three months. I was having a hard time getting a flat grind on a tapered tang, especially at the butt end of the handle. I went to switch belts and found this... The backing on the belt I was using was missing what it left behind on my platen. lol. I am wondering if my platen is getting too hot and affecting the belts? Is it just cheap belts being affected by the warm/hot platen after some good use? I believe the belts i am currently using are the Zirconia type. The platen is inline with the tangent of the top and bottom idlers. Would a different platen material be better? I've seen carbide steel and some type of glass material. I noticed that the sousaphone stain is sort of inline with the mounting holes, I was thinking of giving the holes a slight chamfer, see if that might help. I am also checking it more often. any input would help.
I have had this before but only ever got a significant build up from Norton belts. Something about their backing leaves crud on platens and wheels it seems. I also found that all the blaze belts I had smelled when grinding. Like that smell in an apartment where you know the neighbor is cooking some weird Asian food with shrimp but you don't know what. No offence meant to anyone who lives in an apartment and cooks weird shrimp food that makes the hallway smell, but I don't buy Norton belts anymore. Also I found that when I still had them, switching to a glass platen did make a substantial difference.
Lol, i know the apartment smell you're talking about. Thanks for the input. Is there a brand of belts you like/prefer?
Personally I have been using, and liking the VSM ceramics especially for the price. The price is pretty similar to zircs from most other companies, with better cut and longer life. I do still use the odd zircs for bevels as I find they fracture easier and stay sharp instead of glazing when working with light pressure and low speed, during times when heat is a factor. I really liked the 3m 984 belts as well but I am not sure the price difference was worth any small performance advantage over the VSM belts. I tried a batch of Klingspor green ceramics a few years back but only in 36 grit. I wasn't impressed with them. They were ok for roughing bevels on thick stock, but when it came to profiling, they seemed to shed grit really fast especially at the belt edges, and glaze, leaving me with more grit in my face than steel dust in my bucket. I run a VFD so I tried them at various speed and pressure combinations and on 1084, 1095, 5160 and cpm154. I received them as a demo from a supplier but wasn't getting the performance from them that I was getting from belts costing about 40% less, so never bothered to order or try any other grits from them. I typically rough bevel with 50-60 grit VSM, then 120 VSM, then move to Trizact gator belts after 120. Once the 50s aren't cutting bevels as fast and clean as I want, they become profiling belts.
I'm actually in Saskatchewan, but I order all my belts from Tru-grit in the states. Exchange sucks a bit but they also sell handle material and many other things we use anyway so I can bundle that to help with shipping. The other big factor is that they have such a large belt selection. I can order from one place and get everything from my VSM belts, to trizacts, scotchbrite, cork polishing belts, Norax, cheap AO belts for wood, almost all brands of ceramics and anything else you can imagine. Saves a lot of time and hassle when I can get 50 or 60 belts or more at one time, in the different brands and grits and styles I prefer all in one order.
Oh haha my bad ok thanks for the info I'll check it out I've been using Norton ceramics and they are ok but the are leaving said build up on my glass platen and alm wheels
I get VSM belts here at Bimetal in Edmonton, I'm sure they ship, they lady who works there's name is Brenda, I'm going to guess she at the retired age and always wears a black welder's cap, really friendly. Belts come in bundles, no individual belt sales. Good place for flap discs too. They don't carry wet and dry sandpaper though. I just cleaned my platen yesterday using a flat piece of hardwood and sandpaper, not too much to clean but I have a suction system right below it so maybe that helps.
Thanks for the info. I have seen TruGrit and noticed the selection. I will definitely try some different belts out. I’m near Edmonton and if I can find them there, that means no shipping or exchange. Loving this forum, thanks guys.
