Building a 2x72 Belt grinder -Thoughts?

Matt - understand the HF $70 drill press ($60 shipped with 20% coupon) is good - for the price. While it's not nearly as good as a $500 floor press, it will do most of what you need for knife making. I "think" it goes up to 1/2" drill, but it doesn't have much power up there. I use it a good bit - at times it's just more handy than the floor drill press I've got.

I would really give Craig's List a bit of time for a decent used press - even better an old press. You could well find a decent floor press for $100 or so.

edit: Here's an example of what can be found on Craig's List - too bad it's local here rather than NJ.... and it sold in just a few hours.

http://mobile.craigslist.org/tls/4955733105.html

That is pretty much the same floor press I've got - Dad purchased it new many many years ago (40? - and it's much more beat up), and I got it from Dad's estate.

Ken H>
 
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For $463.50 :D you can build this one which I hopefully will be finishing this week. http://dcknives.blogspot.com/p/2-x-72-belt-grinder.html
He's using a very high quality VFD, (looks like to me) But thanks to Ken H, he directed me to a 2hp 3phase motor and vfd both for around $250 shipped. Both I'm pretty sure are Chinese but, they have great reviews, and warranties on both.
Steel I got from the local steel yard, long board wheels for platen, and a 4" aluminum drive wheel.
I suggest taking the time and money to build something like this before buying a Grizzly. Just last week I posted about wanting a Grizzly but when everyone here informed me that a better grinder can be built for less. I jumped on it!

+1 on the HF press. I got mine for $60 something and it does everything I need it to do. HF has amazing return policies too. I get the 2 year plan on any bigger machinery and you can bring it back anytime within the 2 years whether the machine is broke or perfectly fine they'll throw you a new one no questions asked!
 
Hey guys, sorry I thought no one was responding but only recently realized to click on page #2 (how foolish of me). Well I'm really glad to hear the the HF drill press isn't a piece of junk. I'll probably still be checking craigslist like you suggested Ken. I am surprised at the great deals that can be had on anvils, and welders on craigslist! Anyway. Currently just finished my *first* real black-smithing area! So excited! I'll post some pictures below. Nice Colu41! I've looked at those grinder plans myself, they look pretty solid to me, but as I've said, I'm still very new so I'm not necessarily a good judge of these things. Probably gonna take a little while for me to start building a grinder, I currently have "other priorities" i.e. saving up for and getting a drill press etc. But still working on some knives and just trying to enjoy it!
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Hey Matt - you got a nice twist on the RR spikes. It's fun pounding those things into knives. To get any real hardening you need to use a brine quench, or perhaps even better a special quench liquid made with dish detergent and salt in water. I don't remember exactly how it's made, but something like that.

edit. Just found it, called "magic quench": http://magichammer.freeservers.com/robb_gunter.htm

Ken H>
 
Hey Ken,
Wow! I just finished reading about that quench method and it's really cool! I never knew it was possible to truly harden Mild steel. Not that it appears to last long but still it's pretty cool. Thanks for the tip about the quenching. Curious, I know that this was about 2x72 belt grinder, but, how do you personally quench any knives you make out of 1095? I've just been using canola oil and it's worked pretty good so far but I'm always interested to learn knew things.
Thanks!
 
Matt-D said:
Hey Ken,
Wow! I just finished reading about that quench method and it's really cool! I never knew it was possible to truly harden Mild steel. Not that it appears to last long but still it's pretty cool. Thanks for the tip about the quenching. Curious, I know that this was about 2x72 belt grinder, but, how do you personally quench any knives you make out of 1095? I've just been using canola oil and it's worked pretty good so far but I'm always interested to learn knew things.
Thanks!
Click to expand...

A railroad spike isn't exactly mild steel, but then again, it's really not exactly "harden-able" either. There is some carbon in an "HC" designated spike, and although it denotes a "high carbon" content, the reality is that the steel is closer to 1040 or so, which really may as well be mild steel. I know there are very small handful of makers who claim they can get an edge retaining hardness on RR spikes using some kind of magical heat treat method or "goop", but I don't buy it.

Can you get a spike harder than it was? Sure. Can it take a shaving sharp edge? Sure. Can you get 58-59 Rockwell on it? Not without adding some carbon!

EDITED TO ADD: I realize that Ken's link doesn't claim any Rockwell hardness in the 50s (though I believe I recall ONE maker who claimed he could get a spike that hard), but rather hardness in the mid 40's. While I suppose this is "harder" that mild steel might initially come, and while it is of course better than mid to upper 30's, It's still not really what I would personally consider "hard" for a useful knife that you didn't plan on sharpening after every use.

I also realize that hardness surely isn't everything (geometry, steel type, alloys/structures, etc... obviously play a major role), but I just think that the wonders of RR spike knives have been mildly exaggerated over the years. ;)
 
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Yep, I agree 100% that a RR spike is NOT steel to make a "real" knife, but folks do seem to like them. I've only made one for a buddy who wanted a RR spike knife. I had a lot of fun forging it, and it turned out "ok" - and he never uses it for anything other than a wall hanger anyway. I've wanted to make another and use that "Super Quench", then test Rc just to see what I am able to get from it. I'd like to "think" I could get.... 50Rc?

Ken H>
 
Hey guys, Of course no one (generally) makes a RR spike knife to be a top of the line, or even a good performing knife (I suppose you could by perhaps forge welding some 1095 but otherwise I doubt that it will be a good performing knife) but still it's just a cool way to make a knife. People also generally like the idea of a knife made out of a RR spike and are willing to buy it. I believe (according to the RR specifications) that HC RR spikes are between .2% to .3% carbon but don't quote me on that. It is an interesting quench method. I don't think I'd end up using it though since it's fairly complex and and also because they're just RR spike knives (kind of decorations? but still usable) and real HC steel is fairly cheap anyway, so why waste my time on mild?
 
very , very nice is all i can say your a true gifted craftsman,,,,,,,,,,i bet your knives are a just as good!
 
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