Yes, you can use a belt grinder for wood. While belt grinders are commonly associated with metalworking and knife making, they are also versatile tools for woodworking tasks. When equipped with the appropriate belts, belt grinders can be used effectively for shaping, sanding, and finishing wooden pieces.

Here are some woodworking tasks where a belt grinder can be utilized:

• Shaping and Sanding: Belt grinders are excellent for shaping and leveling wooden pieces, especially when dealing with irregular or rough surfaces.

• Beveling and Chamfering: You can use a belt grinder to create bevels or chamfers on the edges of wooden components, giving them a more refined look.

• Stock Removal: For larger woodworking projects, a belt grinder with coarse grit belts can efficiently remove excess material, saving time compared to hand tools.

• Sanding and Smoothing: By using finer grit belts, a belt grinder can provide a smooth finish on wooden surfaces.

• Finishing: Belt grinders equipped with fine-grit belts can help achieve a smooth and polished surface, ready for finishing and coating.

• DIY Projects: Belt grinders can be used for various DIY woodworking projects, providing precision and speed in material removal and shaping tasks.

It's important to note that using a belt grinder for woodworking requires adjusting the speed and pressure to avoid removing too much material too quickly, especially with softer woods. Additionally, safety precautions such as wearing appropriate eye and respiratory protection are essential when working with wood on a belt grinder.

Overall, a belt grinder can be a valuable addition to a woodworking shop, complementing other tools like sanders, hand planes, and chisels, and providing efficiency and precision in various woodworking tasks.

Yes, you can definitely use a belt grinder on metal. In fact, belt grinders are widely used in metalworking applications and are highly effective for various tasks involving metal materials. They are designed specifically for material removal, shaping, and finishing metal surfaces, making them an essential tool in metalworking shops and industries.

Here are some common metalworking tasks where a belt grinder is used:

• Grinding and Deburring: Belt grinders are used to remove excess material and burrs from metal parts and components, ensuring smooth and clean surfaces.

• Shaping and Profiling: They are used to shape metal pieces, creating precise profiles and bevels for various applications.

• Smoothing and Polishing: Belt grinders equipped with finer grit belts can provide a smooth and polished finish on metal surfaces.

• Sharpening: Belt grinders can be used for sharpening metal tools such as chisels, drill bits, and knives, producing sharp and precise edges.

• Weld Preparation: Belt grinders are commonly used in preparing metal surfaces before welding, ensuring proper joint fit-up and weld quality.

• Material Removal: Belt grinders are efficient for quickly removing material from metal parts, saving time and effort compared to manual methods.

• Surface Conditioning: They are used for surface conditioning, which involves blending and smoothing metal surfaces without removing too much material.

Belt grinders come with various belt grits and can be used for a wide range of metalworking tasks, from rough grinding to fine finishing. Their speed and versatility make them indispensable tools in metal fabrication, blacksmithing, knife making, and other industries that work with metal materials. As with any power tool, it's essential to follow safety guidelines and wear appropriate protective equipment when using a belt grinder on metal.

When selecting the right belt grinder from the 84 Engineering range we firstly need to determine the intended use for the knife grinder and how a larger or smaller belt grinder will impact the results you are after.

In the 84 Engineering range we have 2 sizes, the Shop Mate 2x48 belt grinder and the Shop Master 2x72 belt grinder, the 48 and 72 refer to the overall belt length and width.

In this case the Shop Mate uses the 2 Inch by 48 Inch belts and the Shop Master uses the 2 Inch by 72 Inch belts, the 84 Engineering Gibson is also in the 2x72" belt category.

The wider the belt the more power is required from the motor, 84 Engineering offers only a 2 inch wide platform so the motors can perform at their best, wider belts cause more friction thus requiring more power from the motor.

When using the belt grinder you often apply force to the face of the belt which increases the load on the motor, by increasing the belt length you also increase the demand on the motor.

This is why the Shop Mate uses a 1.5 horsepower motor and the Shop Master and Gibson 72 us a 2.0 horsepower motor.

All the 84 engineering range features a VFD controller (Variable Frequency Drive) this enables you to control the power output to the belt grinder, this is a fantastic feature as you can fine tune the speed to match the task you are performing.

For heavy stock removal having the belt spinning faster will speed up the process but using a slower speed with a finer belt can leave clean and accurate finishes on metal and wood.