Hermes RB515Y 2x72 Cork Belts

Cork Belts are used to achieve a polished look when grinding. To use any cork belt, they need to be broken in.

How to break in a Cork Belt (Bob Dozier Method):

1. Use a piece of scrap steel to apply some pressure to the belt while it is running on a grinder. Be careful not to scrape the abrasive cork off of the belt, you just want to wear the tops of the cork and round them off. You want to ensure that you break in the edge of the belt as well as this will soften the edge, this helps especially for when you are trying to polish the ricasso. This process can be particularly messy and smelly. Do this for about 2min.

2. Use the side of a ceramic mug and apply pressure to the belt as its running on the grinder for 10min with significant pressure and the grinder on high speed.

3. Apply green compound once and the belt is ready to use.