Contact wheels.

Guindesigns

Well-Known Member
Ok I'm so close to be able to open my shop to start making knives at my own shop. I'm trying to go as bare boned as possible and work my way up since I'm self funded right now. I have my kmg and all but need to know what size contact wheels I need. I have a 10 inch now but what else do I need for sharping and handles and what not do do serrations in the contact wheel matter? Also I have a grizzly but found out tonight putting it together for the first time so key parts are missing so i decided to make it a buff/polisher what is good for that. And where can I get a surface block USA has been out for a while now and I'm ready to get and go. I need more steel dust in my blood. Lol. Thanks. Any help is help.
 
You already have the 10in wheel. That's going to be your workhorse. A serrated wheel removes material faster, but a smooth wheel give you a better finish. I have never owned a serrated wheel and have never missed having one.

I would suggest a small wheel attachment with a 3/4inch and 1inch small wheel. You have a flat platen arm, too? If so, you already have two 2inch wheels, also. 3/4, 1, and 2 inch wheels will do just about all the inside radius work you need to do.

A surface plate can be found on Amazon. Grizzly sells them. I've been using a 12 inch plate (3 inches thick) since I began. If I had it to do over I'd have gotten a bigger plate that is also thinner. Still, I get by just fine with this one, or else I'd have replaced it by now. For general purpose knives a surface plate isn't necessary, in my opinion. You just need a flat level surface to use a height gauge on and a piece of granite countertop or headstone would work just fine. Honestly- you're going to use the plate to scribe lines and then you are going to pick that knife up and grind it by eye. A couple of thousandths of measuring accuracy isn't going to make up for grinding something by eyeball. And if you get to the point where your work requires hair splitting accuracy you can always buy a surface plate, but you don't need one to start.
 
You mention you have your KMG 2X72 grinder - does this have a VFD? If not, that is p
over I'd have gotten a bigger plate that is also thinner. Still, I get by just fine with this one, or else I'd have replaced it b
erhaps the MOST important thing you need for knifemaking. For sure more important than other size big contact wheels.

Other than VFD, what John says about small wheels.
 
I don't have the vfd I have the pulley system. It's what I learned on and didn't have the money for the vfd when I bought it. I plan on getting a small wheel attachment with at least a 1" n 2" wheel.
 
A word on VFDs, I made knives for years on a Square wheel grinder, running full wide open...belts screaming fast forward all the way.
Then I got a Bader III with variable speed, it was like going from a fast 67' Volkswagen to a high end Mercedes Benz.
For 13 years I drove a 79' F100 with no air, no power brakes or steering, heck it didn't even have an am radio in it, now I drive an F150 4x4 with a twin turbo engine.....the motto here,,,they'll both get you where your going, but one will out perform the other in every way. I would skip buying wheels and put that money towards a VFD. trust me and what others are saying here. It would be nice to try one first if you know someone close that would let you grind a blade, they have some on display at the blade show but I don't think they would let you put steel to them.
 
I don't have the vfd I have the pulley system. It's what I learned on and didn't have the money for the vfd when I bought it. I plan on getting a small wheel attachment with at least a 1" n 2" wheel.

That's the same with me - First grinder I built was a pure KMG clone with a 3 step pulley system. Always said that's all that was needed, the 3 speeds available with pulleys. Next grinder I built was with VFD and 3 ph motor..... I had to eat crow because it was so much difference. No comparison.
 
I'm going to give a point of view from the other side of the fence. If you already have a grinder with a pulley system, then you can already grind a knife. If you don't have a small wheel attachment then even with a VFD you still won't have the ability to grind small radii. My way of thinking has always been to buy the tool that I don't have first, then worry about upgrading any existing tools that I already have later. Now with that said, I don't have a VFD on my grinder yet. Would I like one? Yup, I sure would. Can I get by without it? Yup, I sure can. Can I get by without my small wheel attachment? Nope!
 
Brandant makes a VERY good point - and anybody looking at his folders can testify to the quality of work he does.
 
I’m going to throw out my ludite opinion now. My personal train of thought goes along the lines of BradantR, get the things you don’t have first.
You didn’t mention a drill press, but to me that is second only to the grinder, and not far behind if not equal to. Quality counts there as well. Personally, I don’t have a small wheel attachment, that’s next, but I make due with an expanding rubber arbor and the corresponding abrasive rolls, in my drill press. Not the best, and hard on the drill, but it gets me by.
Where there’s a will there’s a way, but good tools smooth the learning curve considerably.
I hope my blabbing contributed, in some way.
 
You can do a lot with minimal tools! When I started I worked with a right angle grinder to the cutting of blanks. I used files and sandpaper to finish things up. I already had a 4 x 24 belt sander and as a carpenter I learned how to do things on it that most have never seen done with a simple belt sander. I already had a decent drill press, (not top of the line but decent) but has paid for itself!

However I am going to tell you something I have learned over the years. If you just got to have the tool now! Then you can go with something like HF. However if you want a tool that will last and is gonna be something that works well for you then, buy the absolute best you can afford!!! A quality tool will pay for itself many time over!

The quality of the tool can allow someone who is not a seasoned veteran to be doing work like a seasoned veteran. Sure there is gonna be a learning curve, but if you don't destroys the tool while you are learning. Well you will have a quality tool that will allow make that work even better!!

In the early days every penny I made went back into supplies and tools!

The 10"wheel the Grizzly sales can be pocketed by a good machine shop to accept bearings. I took mine to the machine shop along with the bearings had them press the bearings. I also told them I wanted them to run the wheel and if there were and balance issues to balance it!! Told them I had to have it today could they work me in!! The guy told me to have lunch and he would have it for me in an hour!! It cost me $40.00. The best $40.00 I ever spent!!
 
You're right Cliff - the Grizzly 10" wheel can be used. That is my 10" contact wheel, but why go to all that trouble now the Chinese wheels are available for less money? I ordered a 12" contact wheel for less than I've got in the Grizzly 10" and I did the bearing pockets myself.
 
Ken, you suck! :eek: Just kidding but you shop does make me envious!!!! :p I have heard of a three or four car garage but a 3 or 4 building shop, well it does make me drool. I would be making stuff all the time if I had the ability to do lathe and CNC work!! Of course that means another wing on the house!! You do amazing things Ken!! OK now that I have swelled your head to where it won't fit in your hat anymore. I will just sit here and be jealous!!! LOL :D
 
For a surface plate if you can't get Granite or the throw away's from counter tops a 1/4" piece of glass works good. That's what I'm still using. Surface plate is on the list though! VFD is a great item especially for the small wheel kit as the bearings cant take super speeds without blowing out. I don't know how low an RPM you can get the pulleys down to.
 
If you want to improve your ability to learn how to grind get the vfd... if that is not the priority get a small wheel attachment... i am using electric conduit on my old motor and gluing sandpaper to it for my small wheel grinding for now
 
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