Peter Grey wrote:

I've been using the belt sander that I use for everything else for
sharpening my tungstens. I'm relatively new to welding and have been
wondering what I've been missing by not having a dedicated grinder for
tungstens. How would I see the difference between using the belt sander and
the system you describe?

Hobby weldors don't have to worry too much about their tungstens.
The main enemy is non-ferrous metals like aluminum or copper, etc.
These will embed in a grinding wheel and contaminate any tunsten
that is used on the bad wheel. That's why I grind metal blobs off
first on a belt sander.

I could probably get away with grinding clean steel and stainless
on my "tungsten only" grinder without much problem. Other metals
are another story.

A belt grinder would work just fine for sharpening tungstens. The main
advantage of a wheel grinder is the availability of a rough wheel
to point new tungstens (or salvage abused ones) and a finer wheel
to put a nice finish on the point. My belt grinder only has one belt
(grit) on at time and I'm lazy...

The goal is a *clean*, pointed tungsten with any grinding grooves
running pointing at the tip and not in rings. I usually blunt the
tip slightly. If I suspect any other gunk is on my tungsten or
filler (or weldment), I wipe with acteone. For hobby purposes this
is good enough. For nuclear power plants, there are strict codes and
guidelines.

JLD