variable speeds on grinders ??
- Thread starter SeanMK
- Start date
rhinoknives
Well-Known Member
I can't give you the speeds but as the first posted said, You will have one more option.
I find that different belts cut best at different speeds. Mostly, the finer the grit the slower speed works best!
You will have what they call Adjustable Speed with the pulleys and I have that on my KMG grinder currently.
Variable speed gives you the whole range of the motor's capabilities, I have that on my Hardcore grinder and my disk grinder. This is the best if you can afford it now? I used step pulleys for about 3 years before I sold enough knifes to get the Variable speed setup.
I hope this explains this a bit for you.
Laurence
www.rhinoknives.com/
I find that different belts cut best at different speeds. Mostly, the finer the grit the slower speed works best!
You will have what they call Adjustable Speed with the pulleys and I have that on my KMG grinder currently.
Variable speed gives you the whole range of the motor's capabilities, I have that on my Hardcore grinder and my disk grinder. This is the best if you can afford it now? I used step pulleys for about 3 years before I sold enough knifes to get the Variable speed setup.
I hope this explains this a bit for you.
Laurence
www.rhinoknives.com/
The advantages of your grinder having variable speed are many.
Different materials require different speeds to get the job done most effectively.
Another consideration is the "stage" of construction. As Laurence stated, the closer you are to the finishing stages (finer grits), the slower you want to go.
Shaping handle materials (woods, plastics, etc.) generally works best with lower speeds.
Major grinding of your steel is best done with a combination of faster speeds, higher pressures (necessitating a strong-enough motor), and grinding belts suited to the purpose.
Not that it can't be done in a different manner, just that it's considerably more inefficient both in time and abrasive selection.
Sometimes quick metal removal becomes a secondary issue due to the operation at hand. More on that below.
Irregardless of material being worked, sanding/finishing operations call for the finer grit belts and lower speeds.
Irregardless of material being worked, detailed profiling such as done with a small wheel attachment will need to be done at lower speeds.
For example, you may prefer a fast speed for the initial profiling, setting bevels, etc.
Now you're advancing in your knife design and want to use a small wheel to make some finger grooves, tight radiuses and curves, etc.
Even though "metal removal is metal removal" and you've programmed yourself to "hog it away", you're asking the machine to perform the same task with a different setup.
Given the same belt speed, that small wheel will be turning at higher RPM than a larger contact/idler wheel.
So the compromise is to slow the machine down. You're removing metal at a slower rate, but the bearings in the small wheel will definitely thank you.
Essentially, different speeds for your grinder allows the machine to do more things without compromise; it becomes more versatile.
As to the difference between a 3-step pulley vs. a 4-step pulley, the others have stated the obvious.
The 4-step will provide both a faster top speed and a slower low speed.
Different materials require different speeds to get the job done most effectively.
Another consideration is the "stage" of construction. As Laurence stated, the closer you are to the finishing stages (finer grits), the slower you want to go.
Shaping handle materials (woods, plastics, etc.) generally works best with lower speeds.
Major grinding of your steel is best done with a combination of faster speeds, higher pressures (necessitating a strong-enough motor), and grinding belts suited to the purpose.
Not that it can't be done in a different manner, just that it's considerably more inefficient both in time and abrasive selection.
Sometimes quick metal removal becomes a secondary issue due to the operation at hand. More on that below.
Irregardless of material being worked, sanding/finishing operations call for the finer grit belts and lower speeds.
Irregardless of material being worked, detailed profiling such as done with a small wheel attachment will need to be done at lower speeds.
For example, you may prefer a fast speed for the initial profiling, setting bevels, etc.
Now you're advancing in your knife design and want to use a small wheel to make some finger grooves, tight radiuses and curves, etc.
Even though "metal removal is metal removal" and you've programmed yourself to "hog it away", you're asking the machine to perform the same task with a different setup.
Given the same belt speed, that small wheel will be turning at higher RPM than a larger contact/idler wheel.
So the compromise is to slow the machine down. You're removing metal at a slower rate, but the bearings in the small wheel will definitely thank you.
Essentially, different speeds for your grinder allows the machine to do more things without compromise; it becomes more versatile.
As to the difference between a 3-step pulley vs. a 4-step pulley, the others have stated the obvious.
The 4-step will provide both a faster top speed and a slower low speed.