Disk or surface?

Ken H> said:
I'd say Both, since the disk grinder is so easy to make, and you've got the motor 'n VFD the only cost is the disk and stand for it. You'll have a couple hundred max in the disk grinder by the time you rig up a stand, tilting work rest, etc. The Reeder SGA is so neat and you'll use it more than you'll realize. Yes, it's a specialized piece of equip, but darn useful.

Or, spend $300 for the https://trugrit.com/product/tg92-base-with-disc/ using your motor 'n VFD and have a really NICE setup.
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I’m thinking of going this route. I have a spare KBAC 27d, so I could buy this and a three phase 220v motor. What horsepower is recommended and what frame will I need to bolt down to this unit?
 
A.McPherson said:
I really don't know... I know some guys make ones that flip so they can use them both ways.
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That's what I do... But I very very rarely use my disc grinder (maybe for flattening some scales or something, but even then it doesn't get them perfectly flat), a SGA would be much more beneficial to me... I make fixed and folders, stock removal
 
razor-edge-knives said:
That's what I do... But I very very rarely use my disc grinder (maybe for flattening some scales or something, but even then it doesn't get them perfectly flat), a SGA would be much more beneficial to me... I make fixed and folders, stock removal
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Arggghhhh. Thanks for muddying the waters. Lol.
 
Blackdirt cowboy said:
Arggghhhh. Thanks for muddying the waters. Lol.
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Well you may would use it more than me... I'm just saying, scale flattening is the thing I would use it for the most and even then I lap on a granite plate afterwards most of the time or it won't be perfectly flat. For bolsters (mating the two pieces) I use my mill, that gets it dead flat - but I'm not using glue on the folder scales so there is no filler and any gap (even .0005") you can see.
 
To get scales flat on a disc, once you think you have it flat mark the material with a pencil then turn the grinder down to slow and then get all the pencil off.

Then mark with a pencil again and take to your sandpaper on the surface plate.

If you do it this way it takes only a couple of circular 8's to finish getting it flat.

If you skip the "slow step" on the disc it will take more time on the flat plate.
 
I'm on the other side of the fence from most. I have a disc with one of Nathan's disks and a surface grinder attachment. I use the sga on every blade. The disc rarely.
 
Blackdirt cowboy said:
I’m thinking of going this route. I have a spare KBAC 27d, so I could buy this and a three phase 220v motor. What horsepower is recommended and what frame will I need to bolt down to this unit?
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Anything over 1/3 hp is plenty for normal use. I think I've got a 3/4 hp on my disk grinder and it's more than I need for what I used a disk grinder for. One person said they wanted more HP because they used the disk grinder for grinding bevels from scratch. Stacy commented here with good sense (as usual):
Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith said:
One thing I see on most commercial disc grinders is 1HP motors. Why would you need that much power for a 9" disc grinder? Seems 1/3HP would be plenty, and 1/2HP more than sufficient.
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I built one before I ever saw the commercial unit. It worked just fine, but it's a bit of a hassle to change tooling arm out each time I used it. I wound up making my disk grinder, and with it sitting on the $30 ($40?) HF stand it's so much more convenient. For that $400 you can make your own. $200 for a new 3 ph motor and Chinese VFD (not that much dust flying around so I'd expect a NEMA 1 enclosure to last a LONG time), $100 for the disk, and $35 for HF stand:

https://www.harborfreight.com/29-inch-heavy-duty-tool-stand-95128.html
 
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