I've re-worked several finished blades(all have been 154CM/ATS-34) over the years using my belt grinder with no problems. The answer is to keep the steel as cool as possible while grinding. Re-working has varied from minor profile re-shaping of the blade portion to removing serious metal, as in completely flat grinding a finished blade that has been sabre ground. First thing is......use only new belts. I use zirconia oxide belts from 40-80 grit, then Silicon Carbide(wet/dry) belts from 120 to 320 grit. I"ve also a couple of 80 grit Cork(wet) belts, plus a couple more cork in the 600 grit range for re-sharpening. New belts run MUCH cooler and using the SC and Cork belts allows me to keep them wet and cool. I both spray the belts with a hand sprayer, and constantly dunk the blade in water. Second thing is......it's a pain in the butt to do. I NEVER grind more than 30 seconds,often a lot less if I'm at a thin portion of the blade. I never let it get hot. I change the water in my Dunking container a couple of times to make sure it stays cold. Have even added ice cubes in the summer. After I'm done on the grinder I mirror polish it by hand up to around 1500 grit. Its' a slow process, and I've only done it when my frustration level at a certain blade exceeds my laziness quotient or my disgust at my original work. It CAN be done though.
