Grinder

Joetrain

Joetrain

Active Member
I was thinking about selling my canoe to buy some new tools. I was wondering if it would be worth my time to buy a craftsman bench sander for around 150 bucks or if that would be a waste. Any thoughts about using that kind of tool to grind down a knife? I really don't have the money for any of the really nice ones.
 
Dont take my words to much I am still on my first knife.. But once I had my knife profile the way I wanted it I took it to my bench grinder which is a craftsman and took small cuts and got the angle on the blade then cleaned it up with a file and went to sandpapper worked fine for me may not be the best way to go about it but it worked for me.
 
If it's the grinder that I'm thinking that you're talking about it's marginal for a grinder. If you invested that money now into that grinder, it will be gone. If you put it into the bank as the first deposit on an account that you can save money for a good grinder in, it won't satisfy your desire for a good grinder now but it will start you out on saving for that grinder you will want to replace the Craftsman with later.

Doug
 
i would buy yourself a 1x30 from harbor freight for $50. there are lots of belt choices for metal and wood.
 
I have a Craftsman 2 x 42. The best thing it has done is let me know this knife making is something I want to get more serious about it.

Had I not spent the $150 on the Craftsman and discovered how much fun it was to grind something that sort of looks like a knife, I wouldn't have taken the plunge and started building a NWG grinder. (For me, it would have been hard to sink $800+ in a 2x72 if I had never put a piece of steel to a grinder before. I hope that makes sense.)

I say buy the Craftsman and a minimal amount of good belts in the various grits (not the AO belts you'll see at Sears.) Yes, you'll quickly see the limitations of the Craftsman but at the same time you can still make knives that you can be proud of. You can then decide if you want to take the plunge and spent the money on a 'real' grinder. I anticipate using the Craftsman even after I complete my 2 x 72. (the disc grinder alone is pretty handy by itself.)
 
i have a craftsman 4x36. go to http://www.supergrit.com/products/products_belts.asp, they have 4x36 belts from 24grit to 1000grit. zirc, ceramic, and silicon carbide wet/dry. go to lowes and get a 4 1/2" ceramic tile with one side rounded and epoxy it on so you have a good flat platen. I know it is not 2x72, but for $200 you get sander you can learn on with a good flat platen and 25 belts.
scott
 
leozinho said:
I have a Craftsman 2 x 42. The best thing it has done is let me know this knife making is something I want to get more serious about it.

Had I not spent the $150 on the Craftsman and discovered how much fun it was to grind something that sort of looks like a knife, I wouldn't have taken the plunge and started building a NWG grinder. (For me, it would have been hard to sink $800+ in a 2x72 if I had never put a piece of steel to a grinder before. I hope that makes sense.)

I say buy the Craftsman and a minimal amount of good belts in the various grits (not the AO belts you'll see at Sears.) Yes, you'll quickly see the limitations of the Craftsman but at the same time you can still make knives that you can be proud of. You can then decide if you want to take the plunge and spent the money on a 'real' grinder. I anticipate using the Craftsman even after I complete my 2 x 72. (the disc grinder alone is pretty handy by itself.)
Click to expand...

I would agree that this is a good way to get started. If you have the money? Get the Cootebeltgrinder.com
and get the 2 x 72" You can also still use the craftsman if you up grade at a latter date.

Unfortunately Craftsman tools seem to be of poorer quality every year. I won't even shop there anymore.
The last time I went to a Sear's store I had to show the young lady there how to look up the tools I wanted in her own catalog. You can't rely on the people that work there anymore to have any clue of what they are doing or selling.

Laurence

www.rhinoknives.com
 
If I were you, I'd put that money towards a NWGS. Sell a couple more things and scrape together a little more money, and you should easily be able to set yourself up with a good (and upgradeable) flat platen grinder.
 
rhinoknives said:
I would agree that this is a good way to get started. If you have the money? Get the Cootebeltgrinder.com
and get the 2 x 72" You can also still use the craftsman if you up grade at a latter date.

Unfortunately Craftsman tools seem to be of poorer quality every year. I won't even shop there anymore.
The last time I went to a Sear's store I had to show the young lady there how to look up the tools I wanted in her own catalog. You can't rely on the people that work there anymore to have any clue of what they are doing or selling.

Laurence

www.rhinoknives.com
Click to expand...


I'm with laurance on this. You can pick up a coote grinder for a decent price and if you decide to upgrade even more you still have a quality machine to either sell or keep. I have a coote as my second grinder. I bought a kalamazoo 2x48 first sold a few knives and went with a coote. It's a real good machine that I feel is overlooked by a lot of people because its a two wheel. As it stands now I use a wilton that I found on craigslist but I would not consider selling my coote unless it was crazy good deal for me.

Good luck with your journey in knife making it is a rewarding job/hobby or whatever you want to call it.
 
Let me reword mine... I already had the craftsman that I had for wood working. I am currently saveing for a coote I may be on my first knife but love it taking my time my ocd is coming out.
 
I agree that the Coote may well be the best of the two wheel offerings. It isn't in the same league as the KMG, Bader or Bee - but it's a poor craftsman who blames his tools. :)
 
starting this hobby without deep pockets generates mass negative pressure. yes a coote or a kalamazoo would be neat, it is still over twice what i spent on a sander and 25 belts, and i would still need to buy a motor and pulleys and drive belts and sanding belts and ..... I still havent bought steel or oil or........
and no I dont want to use an ole leaf spring and quench in fry oil; although i read on another forum where you use that and do a 13 day heat treat cycle you can get a knife you can shave with in the morning,then hollow out a tree with to use as a canoe, then tie it to a branch use it as a spear, then use it to fillet the fish you speared, except you have to grind it using a burr king kmg.
 
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Scott,
I guess that was a attempt at humor?
1084 & 1095 steels are both Leaf spring steels and with some knowledge they can be made into very excellent and serviceable knives & quenched in fry oil.

I'm sorry you are perturbed about the upfront costs of a decent grinder etc

I personally made a few by using hand files and sold them and went through a Cr@psman 2 x 48 and a few other china made attempts at tools until I had made and saved enough to get my Coote grinder then after more saving and selling was able to get a Hardcore Products 2 x 72" Variable speed. http://www.hardcore-products.com/ I purchased through www.trugrit.com ..

My point here for Joe and any other new maker or want to be maker is that we always seem to be able to put the money for things we really have passion for!

I was dirt broke and just out of the hospital from a back surgery, I went to a book store and purchased the book.

Custom Knifemaking : Ten Projects from a Master Craftsman by Tim McCreight...

That was almost 16 years ago and I have been a full time maker for 13 years and I have never looked back or regretted any hardship I endured because I had and have a passion for making custom knives.

Cheers and good luck to you all.

Laurence

www.rhinoknives.com
 
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just a bit, although i did not make up the 11 or 13 day heat treat schedule and what the knife could do.
i am finding that the steel(1084,52100,O1) for the blade is not expensive and is not the major cost when you factor in all other supplies. i understand that nothing is easy or given to us in this life.
yes i find ALL belt sanders very high priced once you add KMG or "industrial grade" to the name. however, they are used by such a small market that there is no market pressure to bring the price down. the Wilmont 2x72 Lil buddy for $999 ready to plug in the wall seems to be the best deal for a 3 wheel out there right now
that might be a good idea for a thread or stickey, BASIC KNIFE SHOP for $100, $500, 1500, $3000, and no price ceiling.
like several others, I bring stuff to the office so I can use an industrial band saw, drill press, MIG welder, hardness tester. and I also have industrial scrap bins to look thru for angle iron, cold rolled flat stock, "excess equipment"(wire, terminals, screws, nuts, bolts, work benches, chairs, storage stuff) and rare finds( 1" thick 5" diameter piece of 440C, 3/8"x 2" x 5" of cpm9sv)
i guess i am taking the flu i have out on the rest of ya. i enjoy the forum and the conversation and dont mean to be a party pooper.
scott
 
Scott,
There is plenty of pressure to bring the cost of all of these "Industrial machines" to the lowest price possible by new makers with no funds.

As far as your Flu goes, We all have our turn in the barrel once in a while and I wish you a quick recovery.

Laurence

www.rhinoknives.com
 
I know, that why the Lil buddy exists, it was designed to be out the door for less than $1000, be a usable grinder for anyone, and still make a profit for the builder. That said, Burr King and the other "names" have enough industrial business that they really dont care whether i buy their machine or not.
 
I think the GIB kit also deserves honorable mention for low cost entry, though like anything, may require some "shopping around" to realize the most savings potential.
 
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