Disk grinders

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golfer1

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Nov 24, 2016
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I'm trying to spec out a disk grinder and wondered if you could help with a few questions.
1. I looked at the Neilson system which really looks nice. Certainly would go with their plates. What are your thoughts on their motor system?
2. How many different plates do you use?
3. Do you recommend 220v or is 110 enough.
4. Is 1 hp adequate?
5. Do you recommend a adjustable work rest? Beaumont offers what appears to be a good one. What ae you thoughts?
6. There are a number of units out there, what should I be looking at?
Thanks you in advance for your help and best wishes.
 
By plate I assume you mean disc. I only have a flat one and it's all I want. 115v and 1hp is plenty sufficient. I don't have a workrest. I would like one for squaring things up or for doing beveled joints on multiple materials, but I don't need one for how I use the disc to flatten bevels prior to hand sanding. I don't know which workrest to tell you to get because I will just build my own.
 
1hp is more than enough for this. I would get two Nielsen discs with no taper to start. Beaumonts work rest is well thought out but have been reviews that sometimes the table is warped. Check out trugrit they have a pretty slick disc grinder setup with a workrest and a miter slot
 
Don''t go to all the effort and expense of putting one together without making it 220V.
You need that for variable speed - and you need variable speed.
 
That's not true. You need a VFD to do variable speed and a 3 phase motor. Mine is 115v in and out.

Trugrit also sells them that way.
 
I have the Rod Nielsen unit with 6 discs and a variable speed. This many discs allow me to go from one grit to another without having to remove and waste partly used sandpaper. Not being a very strong person the variable speed allows me to still have the go ahead. It is a very smooth running unit and probably doesn't take more than 20 seconds to change from one disc to another. There is a neat table available from Lee Valley that I have but seldom use. Rod certainly can direct you on this.Discs are far more flexible than you think and very useful in making folders.
Frank
 
Karl B. Andersen said:
Don''t go to all the effort and expense of putting one together without making it 220V.
You need that for variable speed - and you need variable speed.
Click to expand...

For 1.5hp motors and below, a VFD like the KBAC 24 will convert incoming single phase 110AC to outgoing 3 phase 220VAC. There are other VFDs that will do this as well, but I can't think of the brand/model designations at the moment. You just have to double check the nameplates/specs based on what VFD your buying.
 
I really like the idea of the Neilson plates and spoke with him today about an order. A couple other questions though:
1. Do I really need 3450 rpm or is 1750 adequate. May be moot as I think the 1.5 hp variable speed is the way to go.
2. I don't find that many machines, Beaumont, Pheer and Tru Grit. Are there others I am missing?
3, What is the best type of abrasive to use on the disks?
 
As far as I'm concerned there is no need for the work rest. I'm not even sure what I would use the work rest for if I had one. A disc grinder is simply a motor/drive combo and a disc. Nothing fancy! I have a 1hp 3ph Leeson motor with a KBAC 24 VFD and a Beaumont 1 degree disc. The motor is 1725 RPM and I rarely run the drive over 50%. 3400 rpm is overkill and they claim 1725 motors are more durable. The drive takes 110v and turns it into 220 3ph output. It runs like a champ. I'm debating getting a Nielsen disk also. Not sure if I would get another motor and drive, or just put the new disc on this motor. Nielsen did a group buy special in the past, I'm wondering if he would offer it again?
 
I have been using the Neilson plates at a hobby-frequency for about 4 months.

I have a 1hp motor. Don't recall the brand. I rarely use the high (>1500) rpm range, but I have a KBAC-24D VFD that has jumpers allowing it to go too-fast. Running on 110/115V input.

For abrasive, I use Rhinowet redline paper and trim it to size, using 3M feathering adhesive to stick it to the disc. Is it the best? Maybe.

As to the disc type, it depends on what you intend to do. If you do primarily long bowie knives, the beveled disc is a must. If you do folders, a flat disc is fine. The issue is if you expect to run your material past the centerline of the disc.

I don't have a work rest, but I can see the usefulness for sure. I can freehand the bevels on a chef's knives well enough, but getting a small slipjoint flat could be very tough.
 
J. Hoffman said:
As far as I'm concerned there is no need for the work rest. I'm not even sure what I would use the work rest for if I had one. A disc grinder is simply a motor/drive combo and a disc. Nothing fancy! I have a 1hp 3ph Leeson motor with a KBAC 24 VFD and a Beaumont 1 degree disc. The motor is 1725 RPM and I rarely run the drive over 50%. 3400 rpm is overkill and they claim 1725 motors are more durable. The drive takes 110v and turns it into 220 3ph output. It runs like a champ. I'm debating getting a Nielsen disk also. Not sure if I would get another motor and drive, or just put the new disc on this motor. Nielsen did a group buy special in the past, I'm wondering if he would offer it again?
Click to expand...

I was thinking it would be nice to set up at 45 degrees to finish miter edges on 2+ material scales.
 
I have the tru grit set up and share a vfd with my belt grinder. I use the rest for squareing up the front of hidden tang blocks and for mitering dovetail bolsters. Working a blade, I not have it on. The little lugs that hold the rest get in the way some, but I have learned to work around them mostly.
 
I definitely want to get a disk grinder with a tool rest a VFD. after this last knife I'm making with bolsters I want to do some dovetail joints on them I would rather do on a disk grinder than my 2x72. It will be a toss up between the Beaumont and the Trugit tool rest for me, unless I get a mini mill beforehand, then I'll make my own.
 
I don't currently have one, but a friend of mine (who is has his master smith certificate from the ABS and is widely recognized as one of the best blade makers in the states as evidenced by the many awards he has won at various blade shows) can't talk enough about how much he likes and uses his variable speed disc grinder with a work rest.
He says that he used to spend 45-60 minutes hand sanding a blade after rough grinding, but now only spends about 5 minutes using his disc sander.
~billyO
 
Over 2 years ago I bought a 65 dollar 10" disk sander from Harbor Freight. It's one speed and 3/4 hp I believe. I bought it primarily for making wood swords (bokkens) out of strand-woven bamboo flooring. It works well for that with coarse grit sanding disks. I've also used it to get the basic shape of all my knives and rough out knife handles, but it's not suitable for bevels IMO. The sanding plate wobbles a bit and it sometimes needs help getting started, but for the money and rough work, it's not too bad.

-JL
 
I most often use the Rhino Wet sandpaper but the Sia brand is a very good brand also.An open coat ceramic seems to do best. I believe my motor is a 1Hp 1750RPM but I usual run it about 25% output. I'm pretty sure a 1/2 - 1750 would work fine if you don't go to a variable speed. Rod's hub and discs have all been balanced.Frank
 
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