Check any machine shop in the country. Belt sanders rotate the same way as
grinders, into the cutting edge. I, and everyone I work with, have been
doing it this way for as long as I have been around. Extremely rare to see a
damaged belt. To reverse rotation would require a custom tool and, in any
case, OSHA would have a cow.

"George" george@least wrote in message
...

Think about this. The wheel provided you natural protection against a
dig-in, because it was round, and you were sharpening at a tangent. The
belt is flat. Not a good practice.

Depending on the motor, you might find instructions to reverse it, but the
fractional HP types are less likely than the bigger ones to have this
feature.