Angle grinder choice?

Another thing to consider is getting a drill press as your first piece of equipment. You probably can get one for around $75. Check out the thread: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...whats-going-on-and-talk-a-bit-about-your-work!
Look at the first post. In the thread the OP uses his drill press to make lots of holes around the profile of the blade to make using the hack saw more manageable.
Plus you really need a drill press to make straight holes for pins. Just a thought.
 
So I'm still a young knife maker but here's my two cents. I started by cutting out the knife profile by using a HF 4 1/2" angle grinder. Once I got it close I moved on to the HF 1x30 to smooth it out and have used it as well to cut in my bevels. You can get both of those on sale or with a coupon for somewhere around $50-60 bucks. I also purchased the HF 4"x36" and 6" disc combo and have found it to be completely worthless for doing knife work even with ceramic belts. It is just too weak and underpowered for metal work, unless I suppose you're more patient than I am. But again, if you're looking for a minimal investment to get started the HF 4 1/2" angle grinder will work just fine for you as well as their 1x30. Even if you don't stick with knife making, they're good tools to have around the garage and I've used them for many other projects. While I covet some of the more specialized equipment out there I don't regret my decision to purchase them.

Personally, I wouldn't want to use an angle grinder to do bevels because I just can't see how you could even get decent looking, smooth/flat grinds with it. That said while I haven't used a 2x42, I can only imagine it would be a huge step up from a 1x30 and probably well worth the expense. A portaband may be in my near future as well because I think it would be a lot cleaner and safer than working with an angle grinder.
 
That's a good point about the drill press; I never really put much thought into that. I have seen pictures of people drilling out a lot of the profile then finishing with a hacksaw. If I could get rid of a lot of the metal with the drill, then an angle grinder might not even be necessary right now. All of the 1x30s I see say sander, not grinder. Even the HF one, which isn't sold in Canada, says belt sander. Is that what I would be looking for? I found this thing online from a Canadian store. Even though the cost is depressing, it looks like the same thing as the HF 1x30:

http://www.princessauto.com/en/detail/combination-belt-and-disc-sander/A-p8532293e

If that 1x30 would do the job (slowly I'm sure), I could find a cheaper drill press for less than $100 and I wouldn't be much over $200.
 
I saw that grinder at LeeValley, but the only motors I found online were over $100, even for a 1/3hp motor. I really appreciate the help though.

Other than having the terribly-chosen brand name of "powerfist", would that 1x30 from PrincessAuto in my above post do the job?
 
BobJackson said:
I saw that grinder at LeeValley, but the only motors I found online were over $100, even for a 1/3hp motor. I really appreciate the help though.

Other than having the terribly-chosen brand name of "powerfist", would that 1x30 from PrincessAuto in my above post do the job?
Click to expand...
Do the job, hmmm. That's a interesting question. I'm sure it will remove metal, will you be happy with it? Probably not. The 2x42 Craftsman would be the least I would want to start with, as I think a 1x30 would just be frustrating. Look at Aron Gough's grinding jig. You might want to start with it, make a few knifes and in the mean time save up for a 2x72 which is what you will need to truly "DO THE JOB".
 
That's an interesting grinding jig you linked, and it looks really helpful. I was originally planning to put an edge on the blade with files, the 1x30 (or any sander/grinder I could afford) was mainly for cutting out the shape. Well, originally I was looking at angle grinders for that purpose, hence the title of this thread. But after hearing other opinions and options my thoughts have changed a bit.

The method of drilling out the shape of the knife with a drill press (which I think I will be getting now, because I never really thought about putting mounting holes in the handle) and then finishing the shape with a hacksaw and files will be my best option I think. Then I can put together a jig for sharpening.

Thanks again to everyone for the info and advice.
 
This is a bit off-topic from the original...topic, but I was wondering how a drill press would hold up being kept outside over winter (under cover of course). In my mind, it would just be the moisture that would potentially harm it, but I'm not sure. Would covering it tightly with a thick garbage bag or something similar help? It's usually about 0 to -5 celsius here in the winter, and gets down to about -20C for about a week (if this might make a difference).
 
Hello again. I found this 2x28 grinder/sander online and I was wondering how it compares to a 1x30.

http://www.princessauto.com/en/detail/combination-2-in-belt-sander-and-6-in-grinder/A-p8532285e

It's got the same horsepower, but has a 2" belt instead, and the belt length is only 2 inches shorter. Is the main issue with 1x30s the lack of power, meaning a wider belt with the same power behind it would make no difference?

I was using a borrowed bench grinder today and it worked alright. It was slow going, but if I could take off the larger bits of metal with that, it would save the belts on the sander. That's one reason why I'm thinking this bench grinder/2x28 combo might be a benefit over a 1x30.

If anyone has any input on this it would be really appreciated.
 
rcetroy said:
Personally, angle grinders scare the hell out of me. Just google angle grinder injuries. Make sure you have all the proper safety equipment including a full face shield that covers your neck as well if you decide to proceed. If it were me I'd stick with hand tools until I had the funds and space for a portaband and belt grinder etc.
Click to expand...

This post probably saved my life. I've not been using proper PPE or equipment checks.

Thank you
 
Yeah, in almost twenty years of blacksmithing, knife making, and metal fab, the angle grinder has been the only tool that required doctor visits...four times now. Three for grit in my eyes, once for reattaching a finger because the piece I was working on wasn't in a vice. Dumb? Yeah, but two of those eye visits, I was wearing goggles and still got grit in my eye.
Oh, and I'm not at all impressed with my Metabo- very vulnerable to overheating if you run it hard.
Best angle grinder ever- Hitachi. Can't even tell you how much work I did with that thing, got it used at a pawn shop and ran it mercilessly for seven or eight years....and one of these days I'll probably fix the switch and run it another eight years.
 
I guess what I was asking about in my last post was technically a bench grinder multi-tool. I've been looking online for reviews or videos about using these specifically for knife making, but only a few semi-relevant things came up. I see a lot about people starting out with a 2x48, but with this thing (the bench grinder/2x28 multitool sander linked to a couple replies ago) being only a 2x28 belt, what kind of a difference should I expect between it and a 2x48? (I live in Canada and anything like a 2x48 or 2x72 is way out of my price range).

With my first blade that I'm working on, I drilled out the pattern and then finished the cuts with a hacksaw. Then I used a bench grinder with a two different (course and even more course) wheels. The grinder was OK, but wanted to skip around sometimes. Will a 1x30 or the 2x28 I was talking about be significantly better, or more smooth, than a bench grinder? One of the main things I was thinking of was using the edge of the belt away from the platen (on the 1x30 or 2x28) to help with rounded areas. The bench grinder is not very good in dealing with even moderately curved spots.
 
I can understand your struggle with being a budget-conscious Canadian.

My first purchase was a Kalamazoo 1x42, and a bunch of belts from lee valley. I paid about 300 for it new. It's great for small work, and sharpening, but since I was interested in kitchen knives specifically, I found it lacking for stock removal.

I Am on my second mastercraft 4x36 grinder. I love it, You can get the unit on sale for 99 bucks almost anytime. The Diablo belts available at Home Depot are good enough for steel if you treat the, nicely. I beat the first unit to death. Stock removal, to handle shaping. The little disc sander was very helpful squaring up scales before gluing. I replaced it with a duplicate, and use mostly for handle work.

The machine is not without weakness : the timing belts are fragile, and I went through many ($20 each, buy several from a repair shop, crappytire does not stock them) and the main pivot can get pretty sloppy.

These two machines did a ton of work for me until a used 2x72 came along on kijiji.
 
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