Any grinding scratches that remain will show up easier because of the red ink. 2” x 72” Ceramic sanding belts for knife belt sanders, backstand belt sanders, or portable belt sanders are some of the highest quality belts are the market today. Abrasive belts can be made with aluminium oxide, ceramic, zirconia, diamond and silicon carbide grit as well as with trizact, micromesh and surface conditioning materials. They glaze and clog up, quickly ruining an expensive belt. J Flex Belts are about as flexible as abrasive belts get, starting with a 120 grit belt tracked about 3-5mm over the edge of the platen, the plunge line is ground on one side of the knife, If free hand grinding, normally the first grind is done on the off hand. Just part of the knife making tuition. The world of abrasive belts is a confusing place for even the most seasoned professional. Aluminium oxide is friable and breaks down quickly, exposing fresh cutting edges, allowing the belt to continue to cut through the full depth of the grain. You could also go with some higher grit AO J-flex belts 320, 400 and 600 for handle work which are less expensive than the structured belts. With usage you will fine tune a set of belts that works best for you.Cheers!Dan. The belt is then tracked over the other side of the platen and the other side of the knife is ground by eye to match. Using J Flex belts. If so, it could burn the hardened steel more than grind. The aim here is to remove the 120 grit scratches in preparation for hand sanding or preparation for polishing. If you are grinding under .10 , 80 grit will go a little slower but you will have more control. The reality is knifemaking has progressed a long way since the use of stones and abrasive wheels! Think about this, if we lie down on one nail it sticks right into us. Available in grits between 50 and 120. Some will be available in grits coarser than 180 grit and we strongly recommend not using these on steel as they degrade far too quickly. It is not uncommon to radius the platen for a better result, but with practice this is not necessary. We are constantly searching for products that not only save you time and money, but can also help you produce a … If we have only a few grains per square centimeter on a ceramic belt (36-120 grit) the pressure on each grit is much greater during the grinding process, and as per point one, the grain will break down exposing fresh edges and keep cutting, below 120 grit and the harder grain works against you. Very consistent performance and long lasting belts for grits up to around P5000 Click Here To Buy, Very consistent performance and long lasting belts for grits up to around 2000 Click Here To Buy, Very consistent performance and long lasting belts for grits up to around 7000 Click Here To Buy, The fine aluminium oxide grit works well on all materials including hardened steel Click Here To Buy, These belts are like a scouring pad for your grinder, they will leave reasonably consistent scratch pattern, a nice off the grinder finish on a working knife. To grind nicely radiused plunge lines there are two common methods: For the purpose of this guide, we will define finish grinding as the point where your blade is shaped to its final shape, the bevel is ground and the plunge lines are at least ready for hand sanding. The Aluminium oxide grit works better for softer materials. Finishing curved surfaces in timber and soft metals, 3M This belt has been superseded by Norton Norax, Structured scratch patterns, rust removal, Grinding Handle materials, all kinds including tight radiuses. Trizact Gators have an exceptionally deep coating of structured abrasive. Click Here To Buy, The Aluminium oxide grit works better for softer materials, the CR456J would be a better choice for steel Click Here To Buy. Some manufacturers's ceramic belt offerings (like VSM Ceramic PLUS) only go to 120. Once the handle has been shaped we move to aluminium oxide for the final finishes. Click Here To Buy, This belt has no grit. It is also one of the first things a buyer will likely check on your knives. But lie down on a bed of nails and the weight is distributed over so many points that none of them have enough force to penetrate. Now I spend my time turning not sharpening. 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