Contact wheel size.

coachcampana

Well-Known Member
So,I was looking to purchase a contact wheel, 10 to 14inches, to help with some handle shapng as well as trying my hand at some hollow grinding, and just because I want one. I have a kmg grinder, and kmg sells wheels for it but they are very expensive. I've found some other sites selling contact wheels, but I'm unsure as to their quality.

What size would you folks recommend for someone the mainly does belt knives and some folders? Also, where would you fellas purchase?

Thanks!
 
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8" wheels are by far the most popular, followed by 10". This probably due to cost. Get the biggest you can budget.
 
You can also make curved platens of any radius you like. I have made them with rock maple and they do actually last a while. If they start to erode away a little and lose their shape, you can quickly sand them back into shape with a disk grinder or something like that.
 
I have two grinders both with 8" wheels that came with them. I think 8" is the most common and like Boss said I think it's cost related.
personally I'd prefer a 10"on at least one, maybe a 14" if I could grind a knife on it first to see if I like it.

I pretty much only hollow grind and on an 8" wheel you have to be careful not to walk the grind up too high on the blade. you can ruin a blade by doing that, changing the geometry of the hollow, the edge can end up thicker by grinding to high.

But those are what I've always used, 8 inchers.
like you said, contact wheels are a lot of coin, so I just got comfortable using 8s.
 
I started out with the 8" and used it for many years in making hunters. I then made a clown of the machine I had and decided to go with a 10". I haven't used the 8" and as matter of fact have loaned it out to a friend.
Frank
 
Frank....you had me scratching my head an laughing for a min. there. I know you meant to write you made a clone of your machine,
I read that a few times trying to figure out how you turned your machine into a clown.....you almost had me.o_O:)
 
I started with an eight. Different grinder went to a ten. Last eight years have been using an eighteen.

Rick Menefee is building a new grinder with a 21 1/2 inch wheel. I want to see what that is like. Your grind goes from top of blade yo the edge . No hump just grind.
 
I think I'd actually need a bigger shop, and I ain't kidding...it's tight.
A few more years and I'll be moving to a bigger shop.
 
Jawjacker, i actually bought the wheel directly from Beaumont Metal Works on Columbus OH. They made my kmg grinder and i just didnt want to chance buying something from ebay and it not working. But man, i did look long and hard at those!
 
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