Belt grinder

[RockyAussie]

Australian made and top quality it just gets better still. Thanks for the link. Now I just gotta spend the next few months dreaming and agonising about how and when.

If its not to big an ask could you post some pics of it showing the full range of the angles it can go to? Is dust extraction somehow possible?

 

[Bert51]

I am think about the dust collection also Brian, I think some thing similar to yours would work well. Brian, do you have a cyclone or just a bag?

Sadly I have been told no more toys, until I start using what I have.

Bert.

[dikman]

2 hours ago, Bert51 said:

Sadly I have been told no more toys, until I start using what I have.

Bert.

There's no doubt that this is a bit of an extravagance, given that I'm not a knifemaker, but I thought what the hell, I'm not getting any younger and I do like nice machinery (read:toys ).

Brian, I'll take a couple more photos shortly, there are a couple of vids on youtube that the makers put out. As for dust collection, normally knifemakers put a bucket of water below the belt to catch the metal grindings, but dust from wood/antler/leather is another issue, something that I'm thinking about. I figure a collector of some sort (probably from the plumbing shop) and a piece of pipe to attach a vacuum line to, supported on an adjustable stand to move around below the belt should work.

[dikman]

Took some photos while I'm waiting for my frozen scones to thaw.

The third one shows the platen arm rotated so it can be used as a slack belt. The work table has two settings, as you can see from the slots in pic 4. There is also an attachment available (which I didn't buy but may make myself) to allow use of a very small diameter contact wheel, it's on their website.

 

[Spyros]

2 hours ago, dikman said:

As for dust collection, normally knifemakers put a bucket of water below the belt to catch the metal grindings, but dust from wood/antler/leather is another issue, something that I'm thinking about. I figure a collector of some sort (probably from the plumbing shop) and a piece of pipe to attach a vacuum line to, supported on an adjustable stand to move around below the belt should work.

Hi mate

Don't listen to knifemakers or woodturners, they both tell themselves fairytales that their thing doesn't generate breathable dust, to get out of setting up proper dust collection.  And I get it, it's hard to do, it takes a big bite out of your budget, your space and your time.  But in reality anything that sands or cuts generates fine airborne dust that lingers in the air for a very long time, and we breathe it.   For machines like yours you need a 3HP dust collector with 6" hoses, and the DC machine needs to be outside the shed, otherwise all it does, regardless if it has felt bags or whatever, is mince the fine dust into even finer dust and releases it back in the air.  And yes it will probably cost as much as your belt grinder to do it properly.  You probably think I'm crazy right now but you can check for yourself, talk to a dust extraction expert (not a salesperson) or check woodworkforums which has an active Australian specific dust extraction subforum.   Put it in the plans long term.

What you can do short term (which is what I've done as I simply have no more room inside or outside the shed) is look into good ventilation, which is cheap and easy and very effective.  Look into greenhouse supplies on ebay, they have those deep, turbine looking vents for a couple hundred bucks that you can install in your wall and they move air very efficiently.  Dont get anything with a shallow profile no matter what the "cfm rating" says, they just don't do.  Here's what mine looks like

and here it is up on the wall

I just crack the opposite window and keep the vent permanently on, it sucks and replaces all the air in the shed in a matter of seconds.  Depending on the size of your shed you might need a second or a bigger unit (my shed is only 3X4m) .  It took me one morning to install it but it's well worth it.  Zero footprint in the shop, cheap, quiet and very powerful, if I forget to open the window then I literally need two hands to open the door, that's the suction power you're looking for.   I still need to wear a mask while cutting or sanding, but I can take it off immediately after without worrying about waking up one day with chronic respiratory disease (or worse).

Before you do anything, you can also buy an airborne dust meter, they are very cheap these days (under $100) and it will give you a better idea what's going on.  This is mine, if you're interested I can dig up the ebay shop i got it from

Cheap chinese and inaccurate unit, but directionally it gives you a very good idea about breathable dust levels.  This is what it showed in my shed with the vent on/off

 

Anyway, don't leave it mate.  The dust and shavings you can see on the floor?  don't worry about those, it's the ones you can't see that are suspended in the air you need to worry about.  And yes, grinding metal makes them too.

 

Edited June 4, 2020 by Spyros

[Spyros]

By the way sanding leather is the worst, if the light is just right you can literally see the fibers floating in the air after you're done.  And it might be in my head but I think they are cockroach magnets as well 

Now having said all that (and hopefully I didnt ruin your mood), I have to say dust or no dust I'm also extremely envious of your belt grinder

Now time to get an Everneat as well and be a proper knife and tool maker

Edited June 4, 2020 by Spyros

[dikman]

Thanks Spyros, you really know how to cheer someone up! My original intention was to move it (temporarily) outside the shed onto a table when I wanted to do any extended/very dusty grinding, but by the time I got it all set up I realised it wasn't a practical idea. Oh well. I generally wear a dust mask if I'm doing extended grinding as I'm well aware of the dust it creates, you only have to blow your nose afterwards to see!! For the time being I'm going to rig up a catcher right under the belt that can be connected to a shop vac outside the door. I've seen how much of a mess sanding leather makes and the beauty of this machine is I can slow it down for wood/leather/antler so the dust won't be thrown up everywhere by a high speed belt, theoretically the vac should work under those conditions. I know the dust extraction systems you're talking about as I looked into one a long time ago, the difficulty I had (have) is where to put it - outside, obviously, but then I will have to build something to protect it from the elements and given where my gear is that's a problem.

[Spyros]

Yeah sorry mate, I realised after it was all probably too much info LOL

The main thing is the machine kicks butt and you'll have a tonne of fun with it whatever you make!  I guess my main message is before you spend any serious bucks on DC try the vent thing, worst case scenario the air in the shed will always smell fresh

[Bert51]

I have a little bit of time playing with cyclones (wet and dry) and the last one and piping came from a scrap yard, maybe a quick look at your local scrap yard may find some cheaper bit and pieces.

Just a thought.

Bert.

[dikman]

Local scrap yard? No such thing. We do have a rubbish dump, of course, but the days of being able to rummage through it and find useful stuff are long gone.