sharpening with a belt sander

[stevewills]

has anyone ever sharpened a 3 blade like a snuffer with a belt sander.i was told you could but scared to ruin my heads.i have a table sander and im not the greatest at shrpening so any help would be appriciated

[**DONOTDELETE**]

if you try it remember to NOT use any pressure. Let the weight of the BH do all the work.

[Earl E. Nov...mber]

Also make sure the point of the head is going the same direction as the belt.. If not it could get bloody.

[Canyon]

I use mine to "true up" my woodsmans before taking them to the diamond stone. Never found a need with snuffers.

[Zbearclaw]

Yes, point the tip with the belt.  Get it to build a burr and then take to finer stones and such.

[Tsalagi]

You also want to use a fine grit belt, 240 grit or higher. You use a 60 grit belt, you won't have much of a broadhead left. Go slow, don't let it get hot or you'll tweek the temper of the steel. Wear gloves, eye protection, the usual safety spiel.

[RocketDog]

Sounds dangerous!

[Zbearclaw]

Yeah, keep water nearby and keep dunking to keep from building heat.

[vtmtnman]

I use one to get the edges evened up,then put them on a 14" file.

[lpcjon2]

Very fine grit paper and your belt sander needs to have a high RPM to do it.They use a belt sanding system to sharpen surgical instruments,And these guys are trained and have mastered the technique.I would not recommend that you do it,one small mistake could end your hunting career.

[ckanous]

I just done a few this week on my belt sander. It had an 80 grit belt that was used pretty good so it didn't cut way to much. Like Vtmtman said it was just to get the edges trued up then they went to the file.

[Greg Szalewski]

I use a 12 inch disk sander. Point into the rotation. I do six heads at a time. Lightly one one side till it gets warm then set it down and do the next. after youget thru six on the first side start over with the first head second side and so on. Then stone on a fairly hard stone like an india stone.

[tippit]

I use my 2X72 inch KMG belt grinder.  This is a very high end belt sander for my knife work.  I'll sharpen my 3 blades with a worn 220 grit or a 400 grit belt...anything rougher will take steel off mighty quick.  

But a regular belt sander sounds a bit scary to me...Doc

[Bill Carlsen]

I've done it with a bunch of 145 grain Snuffers and took them down to 125 so that with a 100 grain adapter they would finish out at 225. Worked great but you must have a bowl of water nearby, wear a leather glove and be very patient.  I use the same method to get of burr edge on Bodkins for small game.

[WESTBROOK]

Like others have said, I just use it to get the 2 edges even befor heading for the stone. What ever the grit use an old belt, it will be less likely to bite. If your just truing up the edges it dont take long and not much danger of getting too hot.

Eric

[No-sage]

I use a piece of sandpaper glued to a flat board to get the initial grind, then I go to stones.

It's safe and just as effective.

[Terry Green]

Yep....I use it to get the bevels all straight before I use a Jewel Stick to really sharpen them.

[L. Bullington]

As others have already said, it's a great way to sharpen one, if you are very, very careful!

[Zbearclaw]

Oh yeah, I am talking about using a table mounted belt sander, though not a KME sadly enough.

I would imagine that is what everyone that has said yes uses...

[Bill Carlsen]

I use the KME for my knives and two blades. But if I have a badly damaged three blade or if I want to make some streamlined Snuffers I use a regular bench type belt/disc sander, I always finish them with DMT stones and the final step is a round ceramic rod.