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The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
Price is$300$250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
Craftsman 2x42
- Thread starter Maqua
- Start date
- Joined
- Dec 24, 2005
- Messages
- 1,254
Alot of guys start out with a grinder like that..It will profile blades and flat grind them, I would get a ceramic platen liner for it (+/-12$).The main problem may be getting quality belts in 2x42..Don't use the ones from sears or home depot..Try true grit they have a great selection of belts online. Get the best butt spliced zirconia or ceramic belts that they have, it will make a huge difference...Good luck.
- Joined
- Sep 19, 2001
- Messages
- 8,968
Mine is being serviced, I bought it 3 months ago and it's been out almost a month. All that happened was the switch went out; they didn't give me a replacement part, they shipped it off. If my ceramic platen isn't on there when it comes back, they will have problems.
- Joined
- Dec 16, 2004
- Messages
- 678
I got mine as a last floor model. It has been a good purchase but it really runs too fast! It will burn epoxy pretty quickly, as well as wood and micarta.
That could easily be do to my poor grinding skills though. I had no trouble getting good belts.I can not remember where I got them off the top of my head.
That could easily be do to my poor grinding skills though. I had no trouble getting good belts.I can not remember where I got them off the top of my head.
- Joined
- May 3, 2006
- Messages
- 673
It looks like a nice grinder. I might have to get my self one. If you get it let us know how you like it.
A Ceramic platen is something that is made to shock the bejezus out of you.
Ceramic Platen Liners:
Epoxy these to your platen to improve your flat grinds, help your belts run cooler and they have even been reported to improve belt bump due to having a lower coefficient of friction as compared to the standard metal platens and don't generate as much heat thereby not affecting the butt splice as a metal platen does.
These Platen Liners are 3/16" thick, and are made from a high temperature ceramic material with a low coefficient of expansion.
http://www.elliscustomknifeworks.com/
A Ceramic platen is something that is made to shock the bejezus out of you.
Ceramic Platen Liners:
Epoxy these to your platen to improve your flat grinds, help your belts run cooler and they have even been reported to improve belt bump due to having a lower coefficient of friction as compared to the standard metal platens and don't generate as much heat thereby not affecting the butt splice as a metal platen does.
These Platen Liners are 3/16" thick, and are made from a high temperature ceramic material with a low coefficient of expansion.
http://www.elliscustomknifeworks.com/
- Joined
- Dec 24, 2005
- Messages
- 1,254
If you are burning anything eg:wood, micarta, epoxy it is more likely due to using a wore out belt and pushing too hard...Use a fresh sharp belt and it should cut aggressively with out burning...:thumbup:
- Joined
- Apr 19, 2007
- Messages
- 8
Maquahuitl,
I have one of the older models and I really like mine And it has met all of my expectations for a low cost belt/disc sander.
Mine is configured differently than the new one and I think that has at least one advantage while the new one has another advantage Photos of mine follow
A friend has the new one so I have compared both!!!
Click on the above photo to see an enlarged photo
Click on the above photo to see an enlarged photo
These photos show a jig I built to allow me sharpen my knives at a uniform angle through out the length of the edge But thats another story
Notice the different shape of my belt sander; it is a 3-wheeler, where the new one is a 2-wheeler. Mine sits deeper while the new one sits higher
But the big difference that I see that affects knifemaking is that when making a tapered tang, I can hold my knife by the blade tip and sand the tang, on the new one, the guard on top of the new sander would prevent this. So, if you cant dangle the blade onto the belt, and you arent going to make any distal tapers
Next, I did not check my friends machine for this but what about slack belt use for shaping handles. Can the platen be removed and how much room is there to work; all very important!!!
However, on the plus side, the new ones have a longer front and therefore; a longer platen. I can only flat sand the bark (scale) off a 10 blade, while the new ones probably allow up to 15 of blade
Finally of a lesser point, but maybe very important; the new one does not have any dust collection system. Any thing coming off the belt will be thrown onto the bench top; be it hot steel or sawdust
My friend was grinding steel and the hot sparks burned the bench top, it did not catch fire, but the wooden top started to glow from the wood embers
And dust, its God Awful!!! The old ones have a dust collection system and hook-ups for a vacuum and if you could compare with and without a vacuum running, you would know the difference. If you are going to be working in an enclosed space, such as a garage or workshop, the dust will cover EVERYTHING!!!
All other things being equal, I love the disk and its of tremendous use, especially in sanding small pieces like the guards and since the table tilts, you can easily make dado joint on your guards
I buy my supplies from both sources
http://www.trugrit.com/
Tru-Grit Inc.
http://www.supergrit.com/
Supergrit Abrasives (Red Hill Corporation)
The only problem Ive had with mine was the bearings on the free wheels (I have two free wheels) wore out. I have thousands of hours on mine (bought it 6 years ago ) so it did not surprise me that they wore out. Sears wanted about $15 a bearing ($60 total ) and would have to send the sander away I bought the bearings from a machine shop supplier for $3 a bearing ($12 total ) and replaced them myself in an hour
God Luck,
Bruce
I have one of the older models and I really like mine And it has met all of my expectations for a low cost belt/disc sander.
Mine is configured differently than the new one and I think that has at least one advantage while the new one has another advantage Photos of mine follow
A friend has the new one so I have compared both!!!
Click on the above photo to see an enlarged photo
Click on the above photo to see an enlarged photo
These photos show a jig I built to allow me sharpen my knives at a uniform angle through out the length of the edge But thats another story
Notice the different shape of my belt sander; it is a 3-wheeler, where the new one is a 2-wheeler. Mine sits deeper while the new one sits higher
But the big difference that I see that affects knifemaking is that when making a tapered tang, I can hold my knife by the blade tip and sand the tang, on the new one, the guard on top of the new sander would prevent this. So, if you cant dangle the blade onto the belt, and you arent going to make any distal tapers
Next, I did not check my friends machine for this but what about slack belt use for shaping handles. Can the platen be removed and how much room is there to work; all very important!!!
However, on the plus side, the new ones have a longer front and therefore; a longer platen. I can only flat sand the bark (scale) off a 10 blade, while the new ones probably allow up to 15 of blade
Finally of a lesser point, but maybe very important; the new one does not have any dust collection system. Any thing coming off the belt will be thrown onto the bench top; be it hot steel or sawdust
My friend was grinding steel and the hot sparks burned the bench top, it did not catch fire, but the wooden top started to glow from the wood embers
And dust, its God Awful!!! The old ones have a dust collection system and hook-ups for a vacuum and if you could compare with and without a vacuum running, you would know the difference. If you are going to be working in an enclosed space, such as a garage or workshop, the dust will cover EVERYTHING!!!
All other things being equal, I love the disk and its of tremendous use, especially in sanding small pieces like the guards and since the table tilts, you can easily make dado joint on your guards
I buy my supplies from both sources
http://www.trugrit.com/
Tru-Grit Inc.
http://www.supergrit.com/
Supergrit Abrasives (Red Hill Corporation)
The only problem Ive had with mine was the bearings on the free wheels (I have two free wheels) wore out. I have thousands of hours on mine (bought it 6 years ago ) so it did not surprise me that they wore out. Sears wanted about $15 a bearing ($60 total ) and would have to send the sander away I bought the bearings from a machine shop supplier for $3 a bearing ($12 total ) and replaced them myself in an hour
God Luck,
Bruce
- Joined
- Dec 16, 2004
- Messages
- 678
That is entirely possible Thanks for the heads up!
- Joined
- Oct 18, 2001
- Messages
- 20,978
BruceJensky - that rig is intense! :thumbup: 
I still use my 1x42 Delta Sander...!!
I still use my 1x42 Delta Sander...!!
I own one. It was a big step UP from the little 1 x 30 and it made enough knives to pay for itself many times over. I only use the disc sander part now.
You will be happy with it for long enough - and you will want more soon enough. I would classify it as a good stepping stone. The quality is marginal but it's worth what you pay for it. The only failure I had was the motor start capacitor blew. Sears wanted $65 for the part. Radio shack wanted $8.
When I get enough room to set up teaching a few courses, I'll have it in the lineup of machines for the students to try.
Rob!
You will be happy with it for long enough - and you will want more soon enough. I would classify it as a good stepping stone. The quality is marginal but it's worth what you pay for it. The only failure I had was the motor start capacitor blew. Sears wanted $65 for the part. Radio shack wanted $8.
When I get enough room to set up teaching a few courses, I'll have it in the lineup of machines for the students to try.
Rob!
hardheart do you by any chance have a photo of your grinder with the ceramic platen liner because i am thinking of putting one on my craftsman