Advice please

R

RDL715

Joined
Oct 21, 2001
Messages
2
Hello all, doing some searches on the web has led me to what seems to be one of the better information sources I've found! This forum... I've been a knife and gun nut since i was about 10 years old, 30 years have passed, about 15 of those have seen an unfullfilled desire to make my own custom blades.

I have limited space to work with, and a relatively small budget, what i need is some advice. I have about 1,000.00 put away to get started, i could bump this if i had to, but prefer to stay around that figure, at least for starting out, I currently have a decent assortment of hand tools, and a few power tools, no drillpress etc... at this point forging is not an option :( Given the above basic details, what would you guys recommend for for starting out? I've been looking at the Grizzly line, they appear to be reasonably made and are priced such that i could probably manage there 1x72 belt sander, a drillpress and possibly some other items. I'm going to be traveling south from my home in a few days and may stop by the Missouri Store and grab some gear from them. Well enough rambling.....

Questions:


1 does Grizzly make fairly long lasting products?
2 what would be the most versatile and usefull tools
to purchase?
3 anyone anywhere near Wis that might be able to help me
get started on the right foot?


One other point, as i mentioned gunsmithing is another interest, I'll eventually be looking into a small milling machine, metal lathe, etc....


Thanks for your time, and ANY advice will be appreciated.


Rob
 
I started making knives with the following equipment:

1) 2 x 42 craftsman belt grinder @ $200.00
2) Harbor Freight Bench top drill press @ $49.00
3) 2 swamp cooler motors (free) with arbors to hold 6" buffing wheels.
arbors were @ 5 bucks a piece.
4) old skutt ceramic kiln for heat treating. given to me by a friend.
5) Harbor Freight Vert/Horz band saw @ $149.00 on sale

I made knives for 2 years with less than $500.00 invested in equipment. Saving my profits and purchasing new equipment as I could afford it. I now have a 6 x 12 surface grinder, an old vert/horz milling machine, a 2 x 72 JL grinder, an 8" buffer, a mini lathe, a KM9D paragon kiln and a small toaster oven for tempering (this was a good investment as it keeps the wifes oven from smelling of oil) I also just completed a 26'x 23' shop also paid for with knife profits.

Use judement when purchasing from Harbor Freight. I normally won't buy thier stuff unless Ive seen it operate. Buy the best equipment you can afford you will be better off in the long run. Make yourself a list of the must have stuff and stick to it.
 
I started off with files! Then I got a Sears 2X42 fo X-Mas. Then I bought a drill press from the hardware store for cheap ($75 Canadian.) Oh, I got a cheap vice too and mounted it on a board so I can secure it to a bench. This is my current equipment line-up! Here' what I can offer for advice:

A 2X72 is WAY better than a 2X42. But, a 2X42 is WAY better than a file! :)

A drill press is more important than a grinder. I wrecked material using a hand drill. A drill press will drill very straight, accurate holes as often as you want. I also chuck 5" (diameter) buffing wheels in my drill press and use it as a buffer. It does the job for now.

Get an inexpensive drill press for now and get a grinder. Then you are set. Don't forget a good assortment of belts.
 
I started with a Sears 1x42 belt grinder, a Stanley bench grinder (modified for buffing) and a older than dirt General bench top drill press.

After a year the drill press fried (really it caught fire and fried), so I took some profits and bought a Delta 16 inch vs drill press.

About a year after that the 1x42s motor burned out. Not being able to afford a real grinder I got a Delta 1x42.

The next tool was a Crapsman bandsaw, followed by a Crapsman wood Lathe. Then came my furnace. Next was a Ryobi 14" cutoff saw.

It was not until May of this year that I stopped using my 1x42 (10years). It was replaced with a BIII 2hp VS.

Next on the list (in this order) is a new Millermatic 135 Mig Welder, air compressor, blasting cabinet, metal cutting bandsaw, new buffer, surface grinder, mill, mini lathe, and new Powermatic Pro Series wood bandsaw.

A good drill press is the most important tool you can get. Next would be a good grinder (Griz or Frinks for beginers, Hardcore or Bader if you are seriuos), then a good buffer (baldor). After that a cutoff saw is really nice. A wood bandsaw is important. You can buy your wood from the suppliers, but will generally get ripped off. Buy derictly from the importers and resaw it yourself. You can save 75-90% by do it yourself.
 
If you would buy a Sears 2x42
buy the belts from Supergrit.
They have 3M or Norton belts
in ceramic for about $2.50 each.
 
Rob,

My top three recommendations would include a drill press, grinder, and vises.
For the drill press, a small bench top model will suffice. The key is being able to check it out before you purchase it. Check for spindle play (up and down) and runout, if possible.
I have three vises, inlcuding a panavise for delicate work, a standard vise with table for heavy work, and one I made specifically for blades that rotates the blades 360 degrees.
If you want to work on a budget, the Grizzly is the way to go. I don't think you can beat it for the money. However, if you do a search on the Grizzly you will find mixed opinions, so be warned, it needs to be modified to work well. If you only have room for one, I suggest that you do something similar to what I have done, which is to buy the grinder without the motor and have a machinists (I would recommend Rob Frink; he did mine and has done other work for me and other guys) shaft it for you. The benefits are variable speed (via pulleys or a DC motor), the ability to hollow grind comfortably, and you have the option of adding a disc to the other side. Check out my shop pictures to give you an idea of what you can do at http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=4292355849 .
If you are just getting into it, you should probably save your money and forego the buffer and buffing supplies. I used to use a buffer, but stopped because I prefer a satin finish and I was finishing to a high grit anyway. I use diamond polishing compound to bring out the lustre in the knives. The result is a better finish, IMO.
Spend the rest on extraneous supplies, such as sandpaper, steel, epoxy, handle material, etc. because it adds up quickly. When you can, purchase one of the horizontal/vertical bandsaws from Harbor Freight (free shipping).
 
I appreciate time and answers, I searched the archives for grinders, (shoulda done it before my post :P ) its amazing how many times the same question is asked, (grizzly or?) a sub forum for newbies seems like it would be a GOOD thing :) , with a sticky or two referenceing grinders, and choices for getting started...

The archives pretty much answered the grinder questions, I think i'll exercise a little more patience in making my selections, If I buy a Grizzly it looks like I would end up doing some fabricating and modifications to get it dialed in, perhaps the effort and $$$ spent on a grizzly might be better invested....


Thanks all, This forum definately gives its users an 'Edge' :)


Rob
 
You have plenty of advice to think over and I will only add this, don't buy the griz, buy a Coote grinder.
KEN (WWJD)
 
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