Running smaller sanding belts.

[Larek]

I have a 4"x36" King Seeley (50's Craftsman) table top belt sander, that I would like to run a leather honing belt on. Unfortunately leather belts mostly come in the 1"x36" size

I see a lot of people cutting down 4" belts to fit on 1" machines.

Bill Pace had a mention of using 1/2" wide paper on a 1" machine.

So my question is can 1" belts be used (track properly/safely) on 4" stationary machines?

or is using smaller belts on larger machine just a really bad idea.

[brian Rupnow]

On a 4" wide set-up, one of the pulleys is probably crowned slightly to make the belt "track" properly. I think that if you try and run a 1" belt on there, you probably won't be able to get it to track.

[elf]

On a 4" wide set-up, one of the pulleys is probably crowned slightly to make the belt "track" properly. I think that if you try and run a 1" belt on there, you probably won't be able to get it to track.

Wouldn't that actually make it track?

[BCRider]

Depends on the amount of crowning. If it's a cheap drum it may have a double conical shape with a ridge in the middle. That would make the narrow leather track really nicely. But if it's a gradual arc from edge to edge the narrow belt may not get enough of a self correcting effect until it wanders off a fair ways. It may still work but it may need to be set to some position away from center to run in a stable manner.

Typically honing is better done at lower speeds than is typical of a sander. The fast leather honing belts on a sander are going to run the risk of "burning" a thin edge of a knife.

What about making up something dedicated for honing that has a lower speed? I'm thinking a wheel with a leather belt face that is around 12 inch diameter on a bearing. The wheel can be made from plywood laminated at need and depending on the center bearing. Power would come from a small low power fractional motor scavenged from some old appliance and fitted with a tight push on rubber hose as a friction drive that runs directly against the leather of the wheel with the motor hinged in such a way that it self engages under increased load. This would gear the circumference down to a speed far more suitable for honing and then you can use a little more pressure without worrying about a big heat build up and over heating the thin edges of knives.

In effect what I'm suggesting is a "poor man's Tormek" but without the wet grinding side.

Or perhaps such a wheel on a suitable arm could be set up so the shaft of a bench grinder runs against the leather. This would reverse the direction of the honing wheel too and that would be better in a way as the edge you want to sharpen is facing up and away so you can better see the angles you hold.

[Paul Alciatore]

The wider crown may or may not track. If not,

Put a piece of 1/2" or 1/4" electrical tape around the middle of the crowned wheel. You may need two layers. That should do it.

On a 4" wide set-up, one of the pulleys is probably crowned slightly to make the belt "track" properly. I think that if you try and run a 1" belt on there, you probably won't be able to get it to track.

[BCRider]

The wider crown may or may not track. If not,

Put a piece of 1/2" or 1/4" electrical tape around the middle of the crowned wheel. You may need two layers. That should do it.

Yep, that'll fake a proper crowning just lovely. The only issue is you'd want to remove it before putting the sanding belt back on.

[Carm]

Go to the local store that caters to cooks/bakers.
They have rubber hoops to fit on rolling pins, different thicknesses.
Stretch a matched pair half distance off the middle of the crowned drum and mount your strop in the middle of the two.