How to make a belt sander for knife making – Step by Step Instruction

If you are a knife builder, you should have your own belt sander for knife making. Buying a good belt sander is so expensive and it costs about 500 USD at least. Here, if you build a belt sander at home, it will cost less than half and will last many years. 

But for building a belt sander at home, you need some instruments and building materials. If you have belt sander building instruments and building materials, or you want to purchase those materials, you can make a belt sander at home.  

Today we are going to give you step-by-step instructions on How to make a belt sander for knife making. Follow the instructions and make your own belt sander.

How to make a belt sander for knife making- Step by Step Instruction

Making a belt sander for knife making is a little bit complex work and you need to assemble many parts to stand a complete figure. You need some must-required tools and have to know about the main components before starting the work.

Here you will get a full list of tools, components, and belt sander-making instructions. Let’s see. 

Tools required for making belt sander

• Drill press and Drill bits
• Hacksaw
• Hammer
• Tap handle and taps
• Flat file
• Digital Calipers
• Scribe
• Square

Main components of making a belt sander

1. Frame: Generally, the frame of a belt sander is steel-made. Base, front support, back support, wheel holder and power sources are welded together in a frame. 
2. Wheel: You can purchase the wheel from the market or collect it from any other tools. The wheel is used to rotate the belt connected to the power source (Electric motor).
3. Power source: The power of the belt sander comes from the electric motor that rotates the belt with the wheel. Purchasing an electric motor is a recommended solution. 
4. Tracking mechanism: The belt needs to be tracked properly to ride correctly on the wheel. Tracking is easy and effortlessly achieved with an eye bolt. 
5. Tensioning mechanism: The belt connected to the wheel and electric motor need to maintain proper tension to operate. The motor and wheels are set in a way to maintain an appropriate tension. 

Those who don’t want to look around the market for too long can choose one of our top 5 picks.

Steps-6 of making a belt sander for knife making

Step-1

Select an iron or aluminum base plate for the sander. The length and width of the base plate depend on the size of the electric motor and arm of the sander.  If you want to place the motor and frame on the same plate, it needs a comparatively large plate. 

Step-2

Here, you need 2 pieces 7.5-inches long 2-inch square tube (vertical arm), a one-piece 8 inches long 2-inch square tube (It will be used as your trucking or mounts), and a one-piece 8.5 inches long 2-inch square tube for the frame arm. 

Vertically weld two equal 7.5-inch-long 2-inch square tube arms in a parallel direction on the base plate maintaining an 8-inch distance. 

Step-3

On the above of the 2 vertical arms, weld the 8.5-inch tube horizontally. On the horizontal 8.5 inch arm, weld the most essential 13-inch tracking arm with an 8-inch arm connected with a screw. Connect a spring with the tracking arm to maintain the tension of the sander. 

Step-4

Adjust the D-plate with an iron tube, then the whole attachment adjusts into the horizontally fixed iron tube. 

Step-5

Fix 2 wheels with the D-plate and add another wheel with the tracking arm.

Step-6

Weld an electric motor with the sander’s base and add a large wheel with the motor. Now adjust a belt on all 4 wheels to rotate. Now it’s ready to make a knife.

Learn more on the belt sander and knife making

Knowing some extra precautions, safety tips, and user guidelines can make your journey easier with the belt sander. These will save you from any unwanted accident.

Belt sander safety tips

• It makes a loud noise. You should wear a hearing protection plug
• Wear a dust mask to protect yourself
• Use hand gloves while using the sander
• Unplug the tool before changing belts
• If you use the sander on metal that creates a spark, you should be careful about fire and eye protection.

Use of belt sander

• The primary use of our belt sander is knife making.
• Grinding knives to make them sharp.
• A belt sander is suitable for wood grinding.
• You can resize and sharpen your iron tools with a belt sander. 

Knife grinding tips with the belt sander

1. To grind your knife properly, ensure your knife grinder quality. The best grinder will support you best. 
2. The belt of the grinder is the crucial thing to grind your knife. The best quality belt will provide a sharp knife with less effort. 
3. Fix the height of the grinder with your height so that you can provide maximum control on the grinding process. 
4. Make sure your sander is securely tightened with a workbench to prevent any unwanted accident. 
5. Use both hands to support your knife wholly. You can use your thumb to put extra pressure and control. 
6. To grind both sides of the knife, you will need to operate the knife from both hands. Hope a short practice will make it easier. 
7. Use water to reduce the heat of the sander. It will improve efficiency. 

Final Words

That’s the complete guideline on how to make a belt sander for knife making. To help you here, we have added all the precautions, safety tips, use, and knife grinding tips.  Hope you will get the highest benefit from this writing and will have your own belt sander for knife making. Don’t forget to let us know your feedback.