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Bader III accessories

C

cjensema

Joined
Dec 29, 1998
Messages
288
I'm planning to buy a variable speed Bader III..... Can you Bader III owners out there tell me which accessories are most useful? I want to get what I need, but not waste money on things I won't use much. I was figuring on a platen, platen work rest, and contact wheel work rest.

Comments much appreciated....

Carl
 
definetly get those, and maybe a small wheel attachment, with a few small wheels. it's needed for going into tight curves, and the belts will last longer than sanding sleeves on small sanding drums.
 
I agree with magnum. You really need those small wheels for a variety of tasks and you can use them with belts having much finer grits than are available with sanding drums. If you are an experienced maker you will want to consider a 10" contact wheel as well. Baders usually come standard with the 8" wheel although I believe you can substitute the 10" version for a modest price increase. When I began I started with the 8" wheel and made small knives with the 8" grind. I eventually decided that I needed the 10" and got that separately. Now I am glad to have them both.

Fox
 
I agree with magnum and fox. The small wheel attachment is a must. I found that I used the 3/4" small wheel the most but several sizes are nice. The 10" contact wheel is nice too.

Also, if you're doing a lot of flat grinding, you may want to consider bolting a piece of 2" hardened tool steel to the face of the platten. That way it will stay flat much longer without dishing...when it does begin to go, take it to a machine shop and have it "surface ground". This isn't an official "Bader option" but you may find it helpful.



------------------
Cecil Self
SELF Knives
Arrow-Dynamics Cutting Tools
www.arrow-dynamics.com
 
Not to say anything negative about the Bader, I never would, Bader makes a good grinder, but I bought a variable speed Hard-Core grinder from Tru-Grit earlier this year with a 10 inch wheel for less money than a comparably equipped Bader cost. Give them a call and ask for pricing, you will be surprised.

Small wheel grinder? Although Hard-Core (and Bader) offer one, I made one with a 1725 rpm bench grinder and an idler wheel. I placed a 2 1/2 inch length of heater hose over the shaft of the grinder and presto! Instant small wheel grinder with a 2X48 inch belt. I can post a picture if you folks want.

All of the attachments are nice but I have found that it is much easier in the shop not to constantly be changing setups on your grinder(s). I also bought the flat platen assy for the Hard-Core but change out of accessories (on any machine) is time comsuming and after a while, isn't worth the effort. If you only have one machine then you may be forced to do this but even with minimum effort I was able to have a comparable setup with what I already have in the shop.

C Wilkins
 
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