Help SS pins overheating!?

[Rasmus Kristens]

I have some issues with a knife im working on.
I glued it yesterday and started sanding today.

I have used 6 x 0.12 " stainless pins in the handle. Usually I use brass, but i wanted to mix it up this time.

My issues is that they overheat VERY easily. I can barely touch it to the sander before they overheat. A few times I have smelled the horror of overheated epoxy... :-(

I use a 40 grid fresh alu-oxide belt on my cheapo 4x36" sander.

Am I doing anything wrong? Should i just take it slower?
Maybe use a mig bastard file instead to avoid messing something up?

[Ray Rogers]

From my own experience using ceramic belts and a slower speed (because I have a variable speed 2x72) I have no problem grinding on stainless pins. So, I would think that slower speed would help a lot if you can find a way to do it. Usong files is a good alternative.

Also, if your fresh aluminum oxide belts are the usual brown ones they are made for wood. Even a fresh belt will quickly go dull enough to cause heat build up ....

[jimmontg]

Rasmus if you can get ceramic or silicone carbide belts in Denmark by all means get them. Sadly your belt sander has few options over the counter in any stores. Silicone carbide can be kept wet with a sponge to keep heat down and I use it for sharpening high hardness blades to keep the edges cool. Here in the U.S. TruGrit.com has ceramic and silicone carbide belts for your size belt sander.

All I can advise is Google abrasive belts in Europe as I know a lot of them are made there.

[M&J]

They will heat up with the abrasive friction so that's a concern when shaping. If you have a variable speed then slowing it down helps. There may be belts I'm not familiar with that can be run wet. I use a good amount of silica carbide because they can be run wet. The goal there is to limit dust generation so the sludge is easy to collect and dispose of while still water saturated.

[jimmontg]

I also do some stone work and SC wet works very well with it.
Sadly Erasmus will probably have to order the belts he needs online, as do I. I cannot buy anything but AO locally over the counter, nothing otherwise is available. Just a bunch of wood sanding belts, especially for 4x36.
Rasmus you're just going to have to find online ceramic belts or file down by hand. I used to do it too.

[jimmontg]

Sorry Rasmus, am a history buff and called you Erasmus.