$#$%*& Delta sanders

R

riposte

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Nov 26, 2006
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Ok.. so I got some D2 from ib2v4u (thank you!) pre-cut in 9" lengths. so I unboxed my dads 4x36 delta belt grinder, bought a few 80g AO belts, penciled in a pattern and started grinding.

1 hour and 1 wore out belt.. I have.. maybe 2" of the back profiled........

so.. im frustrated (to say the least)

I show my dad the progress.. he (and I) are wondering on the ceramic belts.. or is there a better belt for grinding?

I show him pics of the KMG... ask him to keep an eye on some 3 and 4" square when he's digging around in his backyard... he asks how much to just buy one.... I tell him >1k "we can make one of those"


now.. the big question is.. we have some spare motors.. 1.5hp, 2hp 1750 rpm 5/8's drive.

i'm assuming the 2hp is prefered, but what step size step pully should we get? Or what size pulley to start with (both motor and KMG shaft would be nice..

and.. are the ceramic belts worth the cost over AO? is there a better belt for D2 steel?

Thanks
 
It's probably the belt, I just bought a delta 1x42 sander and a knife maker friend of mines strongly recommend the Norton Blaze, which is $5.35 a belt vs. $0.90 for Aluminum Oxide. Before you build the KMG copy machine, try and find some premium belts. I couldn't find to many choices for 4x36, but there are places out there that make custom belts, then again, for serious knife making, I don't think a 4" belt is ideal.
 
I have been making knives on my 4x36 for a year, and that D2 seems to me to eat belts faster than CPM154. I have not tried premium belts yet. I am afraid to cause the belts are so short they burn out quick either way. Kinda a double edged sword. They might last longer than cheapie belts, but you do not get the speed to really take advantage of the ceramic (so I have been told). I am almost done building my own belt grinder. 3450rpm with a 6" wheel, direct drive, VFD. I don't think I will have a problem with achieving sufficient belt speed.

But anyhow, back to the 4x36. With it you are not gonna crank out knives all that fast, patience is key there. Oh yea, get a 50 or 60 grit belt for hogging. You will definately be there forever trying to remove serious metal with an 80. Don't press so hard, let the belt work. You press too hard and you will knock off all the grit. I use a 50, and go to 120 then 220 when I am done removing metal, then it is scratch removal after that.

Pulleys? Get the 3 step ones from Beaumont MW. They have the 5/8 bore for the motor and the 3/4 for the drive shaft.

Oh, and don't put away the 4x36 after you get another grinder. It will help you to get rid of those 2" grooves you will make while getting used to the uber bad grinder you want to build.
 
Seriously? the 80 grit belt i bought cost $6 for a plain jane AO (local)

so mail ordering a ceramic for 8.00 + shipping sounds GREAT.. (or sweet talk dad into helping make a KMG for 'his' shop)
 
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Oh yea I forgot stuff is stupid expensive up there. Heh, $20 for a pineapple at the grocery store... Get yer belts on the internet. Plan ahead and get enough to hold you over till it is worth it to pay shipping for another batch.
 
D2 can get sharp and does hold a good edge, but due to these characteristic, it's also been known to be more brittle, which is why it's more popular for smaller blades. Some bigger knives use spring steel, which is more malleable (softer), but doesn't hold as long of an edge. O1 and A2 steel are considered by many knife makers as a good steel and are fairly easy to work with.

I think more importantly though then anything if your main concern is to get it sharp and hold it, work on your edge geometry. You can grind that edge razor thin, and it'll be sharper then anything, but dull easy, or you can leave it thicker and it'll hold it's edge longer, you have to find what balance works for you. Also heat treat and temper makes a big difference in the edge too. I had some bad heat treated A2 before where I could get the edge really sharp, but as soon as the fine edge wore away, I could feel the rough grain structure.
 
I don't really care too much about brittle.. I want a knife that will stay sharp as long as possible with a 15-20 deg bevel.

these will be mostly hunting/skinning/butcher knives.. i don't hack when I butcher so I don't hit bone hard (if at all)

planning on Bos for heat treat...

I realize an EDC is a dif steel.. which will be a diff post :D
 
If you use a steel that will hold an edge for a long time, you have to expect this steel to also eat belts like candy. D2 will eat belts. I would buy at least zirconium belts.
 
you might consider getting an angle ginder or a bench grinder for roughing out you shape they are fairly inepensive to buy and the wheels are cheaper then belts
 
yep get some belts
i get my blaze from mickley and my gators another place (depends on where i can find them )
everything other i get from www.supergrit.com cant hurt that there right up the road from me :)
so far as a 2hp motor heck i aint got one an i do fine 1.5 variable speed control on my KMG is all i have
 
For rough profiling and hogging off metal

Try a hand held angle grinder / disc grinder

or mount an abrasive steel chop saw / cutoff wheel on a buffer/bench grinder
It hogs metal off quickly and cheaply

Even when you have your KMG clone done, the abrasive wheels are fast and cheaper than belts.
 
good idea on the angle grinder... but with D2 being air hardened.. well.. ill just give it a try :D
 
Blaze belts. I tried a bunch and these things are the cats meow. I dont throw them out until they tear themselves apart. A new blaze won't even allow sparks, it just spits out a constant stream of metal into my bucket. Well worth the money...
 
Farmer Phil said:
If you're going to build a grinder you might want to check out Tacy Mickley's plans,
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=496583. It's for a no weld grinder compatible to the KMG. Many have built it (with and or with out welding). You can also get belts and parts (like 3 or 4 step pulleys) at his web site, http://www.usaknifemaker.com/store.
Click to expand...


Yeah.. that is the plan.. I gotta call usaknives since their checkout system is not allowing me usps mail..
 
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