How To True Up A Solid Felt Buffing Wheel?

[RawhideLeather]

Anyone know a good way to true up a solid felt buffing wheel mounted on a bench grinder? This wheel works great for putting the final razor sharp edge on round knives and other edged tools with almost no effort but it would be nice if I could get it to run a bit truer.

Thanks,

Richard

[Thor]

I wonder if you are looking for the simple answer or the accurate one. First of I'd be using leather and would prefer a belt over a wheel.

Your wheel will not run true enough for the following reasons. First not exact centric. Second the weight within the felt isn't evenly distributed and will contribute to misalignment. For the same reason you see the weights being put on your car tires. Of course the jeweler's rouge doesn't make it any better. If it's not that bad, just live with it.

[Trevor]

Hi there.

Go down to the hardware shop and get a rasp.

Then while being very careful turn on the motor and introduce the rasp to the buffing wheel. This will create a heap of dust but will true up the wheel a little by removing a small amount of cotton.

I stress again be very careful and hold on to the rasp.

Good luck

"Way Down Under"

[Pkay]

I was thinking the same that you need to take a thin outer layer of your wheel using a coarse carborundum stone but carefully.

[RawhideLeather]

I wonder if you are looking for the simple answer or the accurate one. First of I'd be using leather and would prefer a belt over a wheel.

Your wheel will not run true enough for the following reasons. First not exact centric. Second the weight within the felt isn't evenly distributed and will contribute to misalignment. For the same reason you see the weights being put on your car tires. Of course the jeweler's rouge doesn't make it any better. If it's not that bad, just live with it.

Thanks for your reply. I actually have a leather strop board I made myself. This works just about as well and is so much quicker and easier that I usually prefer to use this. I can live with the runout but would prefer to make it better.

Hi there.

Go down to the hardware shop and get a rasp.

Then while being very careful turn on the motor and introduce the rasp to the buffing wheel. This will create a heap of dust but will true up the wheel a little by removing a small amount of cotton.

I stress again be very careful and hold on to the rasp.

Good luck

"Way Down Under"

I tried a rasp in the past but couldn't get the wheel as true as I wanted. Maybe I'll give it another shot. You're right, it makes a mess for sure!

[Thor]

I wasn't talking of a strop board. Instead of a felt wheel you could make a leather wheel yourself or if you have one of these http://www.profitexx.de/Ebayfotos/Sonstiges/Bandsteinschleifer.jpg you could just put a leather belt on it. That's how we used to finish off the woodworking chissels.

Edited February 15, 2015 by Thor

[RawhideLeather]

I wasn't talking of a strop board. Instead of a felt wheel you could make a leather wheel yourself or if you have one of these http://www.profitexx.de/Ebayfotos/Sonstiges/Bandsteinschleifer.jpgjpg you could just put a leather belt on it. That's how we used to finish off the woodworking chissels.

Ahh, I see what you meant now. It was the belt part that threw me off. A leather wheel would still have to be trued up to run concentric so I don't understand the advantage there. I do have something like the photo you posted but have no idea where I could find a leather belt for it. Any suggestions?

[electrathon]

Start the buffer hold a belt sander ( running) up to the wheel. Use a course belt. The direction of the belt sander needs to run opposite the direction to the buffer. You will get a lot of dust thrown at you so be ready for it. Use a soft touch and take it slow.

[Thor]

I'd be making it myself and just glue the ends with industrial glue. Only found it in German so here's a picture only.http://www.messerspezialist.de/media/catalog/product/cache/1/thumbnail/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/l/e/lederband/Work-Sharp-Ken-Onion-Lederbandset-09DX031-11.jpg

This one's glued only and comes with polishing paste. The picture is a Ken Onion, so I bet it must be available in the states as well if you don't want to make it yourself. Just in case you don't see it, the flesh side is up.

BTW a leather wheel is easier trued up than a felt one. If it is out again you can just use coarse sanding paper to fix it back up.

Edited February 15, 2015 by Thor

[RawhideLeather]

Start the buffer hold a belt sander ( running) up to the wheel. Use a course belt. The direction of the belt sander needs to run opposite the direction to the buffer. You will get a lot of dust thrown at you so be ready for it. Use a soft touch and take it slow.

Thanks for your input! Have you tried this yourself? I had thought of using a dremel with a sanding disk but didn't think of the belt sander idea which is a better one as it is wider. I think I'll give it a shot!

Edited February 15, 2015 by RawhideLeather

[RawhideLeather]

I'd be making it myself and just glue the ends with industrial glue. Only found it in German so here's a picture only.http://www.messerspezialist.de/media/catalog/product/cache/1/thumbnail/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/l/e/lederband/Work-Sharp-Ken-Onion-Lederbandset-09DX031-11.jpg

This one's glued only and comes with polishing paste. The picture is a Ken Onion, so I bet it must be available in the states as well if you don't want to make it yourself. Just in case you don't see it, the flesh side is up.

BTW a leather wheel is easier trued up than a felt one. If it is out again you can just use coarse sanding paper to fix it back up.

Maybe I'll give the leather belt idea a go if the belt sander truing trick doesn't work well enough for me. Thanks for your input!

Edited February 15, 2015 by RawhideLeather

[electrathon]

Thanks for your input! Have you tried this yourself? I had thought of using a dremel with a sanding disk but didn't think of the belt sander idea which is a better one as it is wider. I think I'll give it a shot!

I use this method on the cardboard wheel I have. A dermal will bounce as you are truing, so it can make your wheel worse. The weight and flatness if the belt sander aids you in keeping it consistent.

[RawhideLeather]

I use this method on the cardboard wheel I have. A dermal will bounce as you are truing, so it can make your wheel worse. The weight and flatness if the belt sander aids you in keeping it consistent.

It sounds like a great idea! Thanks!

[TexasJack]

I can't add much to this thread except to say that whenever you use that wheel, be extremely cautious. It is well documented on the knifemaking forums that a buffing wheel is by far the most dangerous tool in the shop. It can grab a blade or almost anything of that size and fling it with remarkable force in a fairly random direction.

[electrathon]

I can't add much to this thread except to say that whenever you use that wheel, be extremely cautious. It is well documented on the knifemaking forums that a buffing wheel is by far the most dangerous tool in the shop. It can grab a blade or almost anything of that size and fling it with remarkable force in a fairly random direction.

When using a buffer to sharpen the trick is to not try to work below the wheel, but on top, WITH THE ROTATION REVERSED so the top of the wheel is moving away from you while working. This will generally stop the the tool from winging into your gut and disembowling you. The easy way to deal with rotation is to simply work from the rear of the buffer (turn it backwards on the bench).

[RawhideLeather]

Thanks for the safety tips guys. Good advice there.