Kalamazoo instead of bench grinder?

[Eamon Burke]

I've been thinking...for sharpening hollow ground things, like the rear surface of Japanese hair shears, for example, a bench grinder is often used, both for maintenance and at the factories.

Wouldn't a belt sander do the same job, if you just take any cover that may be there over a contact wheel?
Or is the radius too small(thereby digging too deep)?

Basically, does anybody find any great use for a bench grinder for sharpening/maintaining/finishing, or does a 1x42 belt sander pretty much cover the bases?

 

[StephanFowler]

i don't even own a bench grinder
I use a 2x72 for everything

 

[Eamon Burke]

That's encouraging.

I wonder if shears really benefit from a bench grinder specifically, and other things that require a gentle hollow grind.

 

[Dave Martell]

Hi Eamon, unless shears have major damage they should never be ground on the inside concave side of the blades. Even if they're damaged you'll likely make them worse by doing this.

 

[Eamon Burke]

That's what I thought, but I assumed it would occasionally be required. Between you and Stephan, I think I got my answer! Thanks.

 

[Chef Niloc]

I have a zoo sander I swapped out the pulley for a hard rubber contact wheel (3") so I could grind on it. Don't want to grind on the mettle pulley that comes on it & the contact wheel is to hard to get to.

 

[Eamon Burke]

I believe I've seen that conversion of yours somewhere...perhaps on KF. That's a swell idea though.

 

[l r harner]

a KMG can bee fitted with wheels from 3/16 small wheel to 14 inch with little problem and can also with a bit of looking have plattens that are radius for 36 and 48 inch wheel profiles. not much you cant do on a KMG witha bit of skills (still learning how to make dammascus on it tho )

 

[Eamon Burke]

When you figure it out, you let me know.

 

[StephanFowler]

a KMG can bee fitted with wheels from 3/16 small wheel to 14 inch with little problem and can also with a bit of looking have plattens that are radius for 36 and 48 inch wheel profiles. not much you cant do on a KMG witha bit of skills (still learning how to make dammascus on it tho )

you have to use the right kind of super glue, that's the trick I read somewhere from Burt Foster :razz::razz: