Zircuonium can handle steel better than aluminum oxide belts, but they wear out faster than ceramic belts. Fabricating stainless steel demands versatility from your 2000mm x 75mm grinder. For instance, while working on bollards after an end cap has been welded in place, the weld must be removed and finished. 80 grit Ceramic belts (SKU: FX87/80/2000X75) will easily remove the stainless steel tig welds in a controlled manner. Follow this action with a medium surface conditioning belt (SKU: VT/FE2/2000X75), to leave a soft touch 240 grit satin finish that will look great in any commercial setting. Polishing on a Belt Grinder

We recommend a square wheel configuration 2x72” or 2x48” if it's within the budget, adding attachments as you can afford them is an excellent way to build up your shop slowly. A cheap aluminum oxide 60 grit belt will make maybe 2-3 knives for you before it begins to crap out. A high quality 40 grit ceramic belt may make anywhere from 10-15+ knives before it becomes ineffective. But these are just rough numbers to give you an estimate…Inch width: Another relatively popular option is 1-inch belts, specifically 1 inch by 30 inches. These come on smaller grinders and are great for small projects, detailing, and getting into tight areas. They will be the best for knife-making beginners as there is less room for error. However, they don’t have as much durability and versatility as the 2-inch belt sanders offer. Surface grinding attachments like a sanding disc, are also very common on a grinder for knife making. Some machines have a pre-installed disc while others have an arm to add these sanding or buffing attachments. Notching aluminium tubes? Particularly on thin wall tubes the softer metal calls for a finer belt. Ceramic FX87 Belt in 80 grit (SKU: FX87/80/2000X75) will leave a consistent notch which will weld easily. There are plenty of belt grinders on the market, and many of them are excellent tools, though they’re not a great choice for knife making. This art requires machines equipped with a few special features. Built-into this device is an adjustable eye shield to add an extra layer of protection against shrapnel. Unfortunately, it’s only for the grinder. But since this has a true grinding wheel rather than the sanding wheel on most belt grinders, you’ll be able to use it as a round grinding surface when making knives.

Also Available at: The Home Depot 5. Best Quality Belt Grinder—JET J-41002 2-Inch x 42-Inch Bench Belt Grinder and Disc Sander

We hope our review of the best knife grinders has been helpful. For more suppliers of related products, including electric buffers, hand tool sanders, sandpaper, anvils, and polishers, consult our additional guides, or visit the Thomas Supplier Discovery Platform. Sources

Stainless Steel – Remove a tig weld and satin finish fillet welds using 457 x 6mm Dynafile II belts If you have a good controlled process and can measure the abrasive belt performance we find that in 36, 60 and 80 grit applications the Cibo Ceramics are the most cost effective almost every time, on steel, aluminium & stainless steel. As the price difference in a file belt is small it is not a cost effective solution for the end user.The Shop Fox W1843 Knife Belt Sander is the best choice for serious knife makers. It’s got a 1-HP, 14-amp motor that spins the 2-inch wide belt at 4,500 FPM, with fast single-lever belt changes and a dead-stable build. Non woven nylon finishing belts provide for a variety of finishes, they are available in coarse (brown), medium (maroon) and fine (blue). Use for graining and regraining on stainless steel.