KB Knife Sharpener/Mini Belt Sander v1.0

(Summary consolidated/updated 01/15/23)

This is a mini belt sander design intended primarily for sharpening knives though it may also be OK for some light duty grinding/jewelry making/polishing, etc.). It uses commonly available 3/4" x 12" belts or leather strops. For full parts list, printing and building information as well as other details, download the instructions document (docx or pdf depending on which site you're visiting).

Since creating the instructions manual, I have uploaded some alternate versions of the motor shroud (either for individual taste or for printing with bridging-impaired materials). I have also uploaded the "improved" platen described in the manual. Furthermore, I now recommend a higher temperature material at least for the drive wheel (ASA/ABS have held up well so far under heavy usage though a reinforced material should be even better). PLA/+ should be OK for the rest of the parts so long as you don't store/use it in "hot" locations.

Over time, at the request of those in the comments section, I have posted/linked a few demonstration videos. All are with an all-ASA knife sharpener build, using cheap bulk belts from Amazon. Those featuring a strop are using the super-strop brand...

The first video is a quick "revival" of a small/cheap kitchen knife:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OHt_hqJz6k

The second is a slightly more refined sharpening of a larger/cheap kitchen knife, going to 1000 grit:
https://youtu.be/ZoDC8QRb4z0

The third is a "power" demonstration using a cheap 80 grit belt (this is how not to sharpen!):
https://youtu.be/Q7RzhjOZ3rs

If you poke around YouTube, you will find much better knife sharpening "instructional" videos.

I will update the instructions in the future to give more detail on material choice and better guidance on getting the drive wheel to fit. I'm also still kicking around ideas on an angle guiding add-on, but that may be some time and will likely be a separate post (as an add-on).

In the meantime:
Happy making!
Please post your makes/builds.