Dozier Grinder - new style

Daniel Koster

Daniel Koster

www.kosterknives.com
Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
Joined
Oct 18, 2001
Messages
20,978
I picked up one of these from Bob after the Blade Show...here's a pic:


DozierGrinder0725-02.jpg



The tool rest is my own frankstein modification. :D


I'll be adding more attachments with time...


Any questions?

Dan
 
Lovin it Dan! Especially the tool rest. I saw Dan do his demo and hung out with him for a while. Do you feel anything especially better than the KMG?
 
Some things better....some things the same....some things - just different.


For example, the Dozier runs on DC rather than AC like the KMG.

I had a PentraDrive controller and 2HP Baldor motor on the KMG too...so I feel I can make a fair comparison. :D

Both will bog down if you try hard enough. The Dozier bogs down more easily...BUT...ramps back up readily.

The AC KMG...when it bogs down literally rebounds...like a hiccup...slap on the face, etc. thinks a second, then ramps up from low rpm.

The DC controller just slows down and speeds back up. Much harder to make it actually "hiccup"...but it took some getting used to.



that would be an example of "different". ;)




Now...where the Dozier shines is slack-belt handle shaping. See that arm sticking up in the back? I can rotate it down, put a small wheel on it...and then it's slack belt all the way back to the drive wheel.



The KMG, imho, has a better flat platen setup. Neither is very good at allowing goofy-side profiling (hanging the blade off the platen to do inner curves...HAS to be done on the right side). But the KMG does have a little more room before you hit the tooling arm.



But the real shine comes from the ease at setting up an angled platen. The Dozier comes standard with and adjustable angle platen. I have two more tooling arms headed my way so I can have a flat tool rest as well as a couple angled rests.

Honestly, that's probably one of my top-three reasons for upgrading. I use the angled rest a LOT....and I don't have time to build special tooling arms...and if I'm gonna buy a reticulating arm...might as well put the money towards a new grinder.



The Dozier also is on a stand rather than on the bench. I can move it around....there's room for ducting around it...cleaner all around.



One huge difference is the direct-drive feature vs. the pulley/v-belt system of the KMG.


Don't misunderstand...I loved my KMG and worked it like a dog...:D

But I'm at a point where I need greater versatility...so I went with the Dozier instead.
 
dan when you say reticulating arm is that something like the rotary platen on the kmg. im sorry but what do you mean by reticulating arm. thanks
 
I love the KMG but Rob could produce a few options to take it to that next level. The Ed Caffery Platen is one of them. Ed is now making some unless Rob ever steps forward? Definately a great grinder but far behind it's potential.
 
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marekz

I could be wrong... But, I think that what Dan is referring to is that with the KMG the tool rest is fixed and that if you want to grind some serious angles with it you would have to use jigs or purchase a reticulating rest such as the MAP arm.

Allen
 
Allen's got it right...


jll346 - I agree 100%. I like Rob...and I loved my KMG...but for some reason Rob has resisted taking the KMG to "the next level". Maybe he doesn't see it as profitable....I dunno...I don't want to speak for Rob. R&D is definitely unprofitable downtime...*shrug*



Jerry - I put down 3 big ones for the Dozier....plus got some extra stuff coming....so yes, around 3-and-a-half total...and, for me anyway, no shipping costs. :D




I do agree that the KMG is a great bang-for-the-buck grinder....and is a great option for those not wanting to put so much $$ down upfront....and works for beginners as well as amateurs and pros.

The Dozier is definitely a pro-level machine...everything about it screams production. And that's what I need right now. In fact...I need 2. :D

Dan
 
I like your tool rest.
Do you have more control with the rest set at the angle?
 
NickWheeler said:
So do you work out of Tom's shop everyday now Dan? Just wonder'n. :)
Click to expand...

Yes. Tom and I have worked out an arrangement. :D
I'm full-time for the time being...till school starts up again.


lcf said:
I like your tool rest.
Do you have more control with the rest set at the angle?
Click to expand...

Yes - there's no comparison to freehand. It's quicker, easier and more accurate.

Just need to keep the platen flat (tends to hollow out a bit where the steel hits it - I surface-grind it probably every 50 blades or so).

Also, see how I ground the middle of the rest so that the sides extend past the flat platen? Makes it much better for grinding scandi grinds.

Dan
 
That is a great grinder for sure, I wish I had one like it.

Have you thought about putting a bellows seal around the cylinder's actuating rod, or maybe an oiled felt wiper? I know it doesn't get actuated often, but it will keep the internal seals/bushing/rod finish from being abraded.
 
Daniel Koster said:
jll346 - I agree 100%. I like Rob...and I loved my KMG...but for some reason Rob has resisted taking the KMG to "the next level". Maybe he doesn't see it as profitable....I dunno...I don't want to speak for Rob. R&D is definitely unprofitable downtime...*shrug*
Click to expand...

Great thread!

What is the "next level"?

The EC platen? It was introduced some 6 years ago...and is still avaliable....but for some, it has problems, ...for others it's the best thing since sliced bread. It reflects the original design goal for the KMG which allows and encourages an unlimited variety of specialized and custom tooling due to its versitility. Since no single tool will satisfy every application, the KMG was intentionally left somewhat "open" for user specific adaptations.

The MAP is another example of this concept.

To me, the "next level" is in your imagination. It's the unique and creative ideas that make you a craftsman and not just another guy tinkering in the shop. Like a painter's brush, or an Indian's arrow...the KMG is just a basic tool where it's ulitimate use is left to the user. The product concept reflects this ideology..starting from the very basics of setting the machine up. This is why the motor is not integrated in the chassis...which would limit your choices. You will ultimately decide how to configure the machine, and how to use it. You can mount it on a stand..or on a bench for example.

The KMG was designed right here, online, on Blade Forums, about 8 or 9 years ago..? (OMGosh, time flys!). Perhaps it's time for the "next level". What would that be?

Dan, your AC-DC comparison is fantastic! It's another aspect that makes this a great thread. I don't think we've ever had a side by side comparison like that before.
I like to run the KB drives with the Slip Compensation turned all the way down. It makes the motor run cooler in the long run by casually allowing for small changes in speed. With the slip comp set agressively, the drive will respond to very minute speed changes with as much electrical power as needed to maintain the set speed. It can be set too agressively such that the drive can actually shut down with an over current fault from trying to maintain the speed in a very small tolerance band. In knifemaking, since a 1-2% change of speed is somewhat negligable...it might not be worth the extra power to maintain it....so it's recommended to loosen up the drive's response a bit by turning down the slip comp. I wonder if this might be the "hiccup" that you've noticed? ...and if adding a bit more slip comp with smooth it out. Anyway, it's very interesting and terrific feedback! It's a luxury to have this kind of feedback!

Thanks again for the great thread. It's truly one of the best "grinder wars" theads due to the simple fact that you've done such a detailed and honest side by side comparison...and based on your own experience.

Sincerely, Rob
 
I'd love an angled tool rest on my KMG.

I'd also love if the flat platten attachment plate were redesigned so that there was excessive room behind the platten before hitting the plate and the arm. Same thing with my beloved rotary platten. I'd love to see it where the mounting plate disapears in the area between the wheels so that you can really manuver in that area better.
 
Fiddleback said:
Same thing with my beloved rotary platten. I'd love to see it where the mounting plate disapears in the area between the wheels so that you can really manuver in that area better.
Click to expand...

Yes, that's probably my main complaint with my current KMG setup.
 
I really like that tool rest in the Dozier grinder.
 
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