Best power combination disc & belt sanders according to redditors

I would be concerned about damage done to the sander by the hot sparks. Drum sanders are usually designed with dust collection for fine sawdust not burning metal.

I have seen holes burnt right through sheet metal guards from prolonged spark exposure on other tools.

I use a 80's Craftsmam cast iron 6x48 belt sander for finish sanding / polishing metal. It has a cast iron bed that is machined flat so I just hold down the side I want surfaced, and the sparks just go off the end of the belt when setup in horizontal mode. I would look for one of these if I were you.

https://www.amazon.com/POWERTEC-BD6900-Woodworking-Sander-Collection/dp/B0035K0XCC/

https://www.amazon.com/RIKON-Power-Tools-50-122-Sander/dp/B00SOR43O0/

https://www.amazon.com/Grizzly-G1014Z-Combination-Sander-48-Inch/dp/B0000DD0AK/

You should also check craigslist for a used one.

I am pretty sure the belts are cheaper than for the drums, you can swap out the belts/change grit faster and they are available in a wider selection of grits.

if you're ok spending $100 I would look at a belt sander / disc sander combo. So much more versatile than a stodgy old bench grinder

https://www.amazon.com/RIKON-Power-Tools-50-151-Sander/dp/B00WE6373A/ref=lp_552882_1_2/139-9682869-1293526?s=power-hand-tools&ie=UTF8&qid=1511450015&sr=1-2

Do they make a polisher disk to put on a bench sander? You'd have to add stuff to contain the water too, and maybe hold the geode in place.

My friend does bevels like OP with a sander like this....
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NAXSYT8/

In the 4th photo, you can see that the 36" belt sander has a small guiding platform. My friend's setup has a larger DIY platform and a 45" guiding block that's attached to a slide on the platorm. Once he marks the bevel in pencil, he dials in the distance on his guide and slides it.

I think a mounted edge router would be much faster but he makes do just fine.

https://www.amazon.com/Palmgren-Belt-bench-finishing-machine/dp/B0006577HI/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?keywords=2x48+belt+sander&qid=1573486028&sprefix=2x48+&sr=8-4
This is one that I've bought for my knives. It's great plenty of belts for a 2x42 to choose from.

I would spend a smidge more on the grizzly version with built in disc sander. I think I paid 95 for mine. Yeah it won't chug through 1/4 stock but for small knives and such it works well enough to learn. 1x30 belts are easy to find on Amazon for a buck apiece or even less, and each belt will probably last at least onr knifes work. 5" sanding discs are even cheaper, and having that large flat area to sand on is hugely helpful for beginners. The whole machine might take some fiddling to get thr belt to run straight or to not have a nasty rattle, but with some tweaks here and there it can run nicely. There are several really high quality knife makers on reddit that use little 1x30s.

Edit: realized what sub I was on so figured I'd ask what you need a grinder to do? Depending on what kind or work you want it to perform should determine if this is a good buy or not

This one is probably the closest to what I have used

Looks like the price on the grizzly model has gone up significantly, but all of these 1x30s are pretty much the same, probably made in the same Chinese factory.

The Rigid one works great - https://www.amazon.com/Ridgid-EB4424-Sander-Oscillating-Edge/dp/B0015B9G0S/ref=sr_1_1

Yep, this one to be specific.

noice, my wife bought me a sweet table sander on amazon that I used to shape my rests https://www.amazon.com/WEN-6502-36-Inch-6-Inch-Sander/dp/B00NAXSYT8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1468878654&sr=8-1&keywords=wen+table+sander

https://www.amazon.com/WEN-6502-36-Inch-6-Inch-Sander/dp/B00NAXSYT8/

So, I've been using this 1x30 WEN grinder with some modifications (I made a bigger working surface, cut away some of the frame to give me access to the back of the belt, and have done a few other minor things here and there) and I've been pretty impressed with it. Don't get me wrong, I'd do just about anything to get a 2x72... well... except pay for one, I guess? lol


As for a bandsaw, I'm using a really old (50s or 60s?) Craftsman 12" bandsaw that I inherited from my grandfather but, if I were buying one today and were looking for a budget model, I'd be really tempted to try outthe 9" WEN Benchtop version (just because I've bought a few tools from them now and I really don't have any complaints, especially considering that they're a fraction of the cost of just about anything else out there) or, I might spend a bit more and go with this 9" Benchtop Grizzly. The main difference I see is the fence and mitre sled slots; those could be useful but, almost everything I do on my bandsaw is freehand.


Now, all of that is entry level equipment. If you were asking about what I'd buy if money wasn't a factor we'd be talking about very different equipment but, that's the budget stuff that I'd check out ;) Best of luck!

After hanging around here for a while, I finally decided to start making a knife. The handle shape was based on the "Cleave Me Alone" design by /u/KonyKombatKorvet. The shape is very comfortable. The blade is 3/8" O1 tool steel with a convex grind (this was an accident, but I went with it). The scales are carbon fiber that I had around and the pins are aluminum tube.

General cutting was done with a hacksaw, rotary tool, and a drill press. Shaping was done on a belt sander with 36 and 80 grit belts. I plan on getting higher grit ones for follow-on projects. Further sanding was done with an palm sander with 400 and 1000 grit paper.

Heat treating was accomplished using my forge. The steel was heated until it was not magnetic and then quenched in canola oil (because I had it). One good thing is that it smelled amazing. The blade was then tempered in an oven at 350 F for one hour (as directed on the packaging).

I haven't sharpened it yet. There are certainly things that could be improved, but I'm pleased with this first attempt.

The resin on the surface is uneven?

Are you doing a lot of this? Then you might want to buy what I bought

It'll take off a few MM of resin in about 20 seconds.

I think you also learned a lesson about, "Practice on one piece first, until you learn what you're doing." Also, here's a polishing tutorial

you can buy this bench sander for the same price and it won't be all used up. and ryobi is about the same level of quality.

I got WEN 6502 4 x 36-Inch Belt and 6-Inch Disc Sander with Cast Iron Base

Maybe not the best one but good enough for a weekend warrior.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NAXSYT8

well it really depends on what size the knife is and what size the grinder is. I have a Six inch Hico bentch grinder and You cant properly shape anything bigger then about a overall length of 9 inches you end up bumping into the other disk. also you risk injury trying to grind something bigger and I have the scars to show it.
you can get wheels between at least 46 and 120 grit. i think i have seen 150 grit wheels but am not sure on that.

However you can get a small belt sander starting at about 92.04 on amazon. It's the same thing as a belt grinder, it just depends on the type of grit used for the belts.

Here is a link to that 92.04 plus tax belt sander. It also has prime free shipping so you can get it in two days. https://smile.amazon.com/WEN-6502-36-Inch-6-Inch-Sander/dp/B00NAXSYT8/ref=lp_552882_1_1?s=power-hand-tools&ie=UTF8&qid=1474260263&sr=1-1

hope this helps keep on making.

As far as grinding goes, I basically took a jump from biggest P.O.S. to most popular knife-making machine, so I definitely got an improvement.

Not even kidding, I nearly cried when I saw the initial bevel off of the B3. The plunge was actually visible, the grind was even. I can't even begin to explain the frustration after using that 4x36 for so long, thinking that I was just a poor knife maker, and then realizing that it was the machine the whole time. Now, I can't tell everyone to get a B3 since it was $1800 and most people don't have that kind of cash to throw around, but it was SO worth saving for. I would highly recommend upgrading if you feel like you're a steady hand but you're just not getting the results you expect.

As far as what I had before... this monster. It's honestly not bad for woodworking, but knife-making on the other hand... just do yourself a favor and don't.

Something like this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00BTYPKW4/
Is a good versatile tool.
Otherwise:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00OU032EC/
Will also work, and is a portable power tool.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01N1HASME/
Unless you want to spend a load of money, any set of files will be fine for general purpose use.

Hope this helps.

I do stuff like this some times. I made this (http://www.therpf.com/members/robotspider/albums/borderlands-weapon-crate-toybox/). One indispensable tool is a good bench-sander. They usually have a disc sander on the side, and a 4-5" belt sander that can be positioned horizontal to vertical. You can 'fudge' your way through a lot of things while you're acquiring the 'right' tools. Also, some parts are just easier to free-hand a curve on the sander if you have some awkward parts. An example: http://www.amazon.com/Rockwell-RK7866-Belt-Disc-Sander/dp/B002CJLV0A/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1427130093&sr=8-10&keywords=delta+sander

Also, snark aside, OP, nice job on the NLB. I'd take that over the in-game version any day :)

Easiest would probably be a tabletop beltsander and some practice. Something like this would be perfect although you can get that type of machine cheaper - this one is just and example, the first one that popped up when I searched Amazon.

Hey I looked around and it doesn't seem to be sold anywhere anymore. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0006577HI/ref=psdcmw_552882_t2_B0064BLIUU this has the exact same specs just a different brand and has decent reviews.

This might be an option. One of the Q&A responders said it is basically the same thing as the Craftsman

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0006577HI/ref=psdcmw_552882_t1_B003J69ET0?th=1&psc=1

2x42" just isnt verry common in the EU imho if we are talking about something liket this https://www.amazon.com/Palmgren-Belt-bench-finishing-machine/dp/B0006577HI

what is more common over here are these types:
https://www.amazon.de/Einhell-Stand-Bandschleifer-Grobschleifscheibe-Schleifband-Scheibendurchmesser/dp/B00HT952FI

Which arent great as the motor is really weak and stalls out under medium pressure + the belt is at an awkward angle and the stone housing is in the way while grinding from the left.

There is also this type: https://www.amazon.de/Bandschleifer-Tellerschleifer-station%C3%A4ren-Ryobi-rbds4601g/dp/B073V5L71L/

Which often have the problem that one side is not accesible to the edge which makes using them awkward.

Lastly something like this: https://www.amazon.de/Metabo-601750000-BS-175-Kombi-Bandschleifmaschine/dp/B003U3U2SY/

Which still has the problem with the wheel housing but has longer belts and a stronger motor and the arm is adjustable. But as it is a rather uncommon size belts are rather expensive imho.