I appreciate the consternation of cleaning guide feet, but found a belt sander designed for sharpening most excellent for my knives, but also makes cleaning up feet very easy to do.

Much easier than a dremel.

Here is a link.

[www.leevalley.com]

I have no interest in this product, but just sharing an improvement I have found.

I use a very fine belt (9 micron) for this task.

Regards,
David ... who is an occassional reader and a very infrequent poster

No Motor is included. I got a 1" belt sander + 8" disk sander from Delta, at HD last year for $50. Finding belts was a hassle, but super-gri.com had wha tI needed but I had to order $5 worth. I've got a lifetime supply of betls now, all different gris down to 600. Muc, much better than anything else I've used for grinding guide feet, I agree.

You guys, and previous posts, have about convinced me to try that technique rather that the dremel diamond wheel on a flexible shaft that I currently use. Won't know 'til I try it. Thanks for the posts. Stan

Stan - it's definately expensive to buy one just for guides. I also use it to sharpen my lathe tools (not often), and have been sharpeneing a few of my Kitchen knives to a razor edge. I also am able to use the disk sander to get a straight edge on certain things - cork being the most common.

The belt is the way to go. I have a cheepie belt / disk sander, but they move at too many "feet per minute" , if not careful you turn the foot blue & burn your fingers.
I changed pulley sizes to slow it down. Washing machine motors have same shaft size pullies
Junk appliances are a great source of home made tools, I took the motor & gear reduction box out of a humidifier to build a rod drier.

Dave von Doehren
PRRODS......If man built it , man can fix it.and if man built it man can break it !

I am not endorsing the Lee Valley as the solution, but used it as a picture of a good solution. The belt sander is an excellent sharpening tool. I use it to dress many tools and knives. Rarely wood (bamboo nodes) and lately feet.

I recommend the belt sander .... I will let you pick your tool - homemade or otherwise.

What is important is a source of good belts.

For a supply of belts and a lot of other supplies that can be applied to rod builders do a search for Jantz knife builders supply out of Oklahoma.

Aaah, knives. I could tell some stories....