Drill press and belt grinder for a newbie.

G

Grandalen

Joined
Dec 11, 2016
Messages
15
Hey guys,

I am just looking around to buy my first drill press and belt grinder for my workshop.
I came across these on ebay, and i was hoping to get some input on what to choose.

First is a 12'' Craftsman drill press:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/222243516404?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

And a 12'' WEN drill press:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/222400653230?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Which one of these would you choose, and why?

And i've been looking at this grinder:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/381025189482?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Is this fine for just starting out in knife making?
I would like to get a 2x72 grinder, but i just can't justify spending that kind of money on a grinder at this point.


Cheers,
Kim.
 
1/3rd HP will be very limiting... but people do use belt sanders like that to make beginner knives. But mostly I see them going for the Craftsman model with the 2/3rds HP motor.
 
Without seeing in person, hard to say.
I expect either drillpress is China made of similar quality & ok for drilling small knife size holes.
Fwiw. Wen, while its been around decades, always been known as household duty tools and awkward designs.
Frankly, I am surprised the brand still exists and seem to rebounded recently. Craftsman a shadow of its former self, at least is a larger recognised name.
 
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I would look at the Ryobi or delta drill press available at lowes or home depot and the viel 1x42 belt grinder either one is a step above what you are looking at. I have a Ryobi 10 and a delta floor drill press and the viel is only for sharpening now, I made a bunch of knives on this before upgrading to kmg and a polar bear forge 2x72.
 
I have a very old Craftsman 15 1/2 inch drill press, it's a pretty solid piece of equipment and does everything I ask of it and gets used every time I'm in the shop. My buddy has an old 12 inch Craftsman that is great and gets used constantly.

That said, I wouldn't by craftsman now, as the above posts say they aren't what they once were.

I would also stay away from a grinder like that. I started with a 1x42 and 2 weeks later was ordering a 2 x 72.
 
Thanks for the feedback. Could anyone point me in the right direction when it comes to 2x72 grinders? Preferrably the cheapest one you can get.
 
Grandalen said:
Thanks for the feedback. Could anyone point me in the right direction when it comes to 2x72 grinders? Preferrably the cheapest one you can get.
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Polar Bear Forge Sling Grinder is probably the absolute cheapest frame you can get you will still need wheel,motor,bolts etc but if you can find those fairly cheaply (lightning wheels are cheap) frame itself is like 200..lightning wheels are gonna run about 40 and if you dig you can find 56C TEFC motors on Craigslist from $50-200
 
jrrector said:
Polar Bear Forge Sling Grinder is probably the absolute cheapest frame you can get you will still need wheel,motor,bolts etc but if you can find those fairly cheaply (lightning wheels are cheap) frame itself is like 200..lightning wheels are gonna run about 40 and if you dig you can find 56C TEFC motors on Craigslist from $50-200
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I did my entire PBF SlIng build for just under $400. I did buy a new 1.5HPmotor. so if you can find a cheaper one, it could be a bit cheaper.
 
Kevin McGovern said:
I did my entire PBF SlIng build for just under $400. I did buy a new 1.5HPmotor. so if you can find a cheaper one, it could be a bit cheaper.
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i still need to finish mine its been sitting in my garage since christmas...i got the combo by accident and now got to con the wife into letting me get a wheel....until then ill just borrow my buddy Stephan Fowlers' (yes the runner up to the zweihander FiF epidsode) KMG 2HP VFD.....
 
jrrector said:
i still need to finish mine its been sitting in my garage since christmas...i got the combo by accident and now got to con the wife into letting me get a wheel....until then ill just borrow my buddy Stephan Fowlers' (yes the runner up to the zweihander FiF epidsode) KMG 2HP VFD.....
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well that sounds just AWFUL!
 
Not sure what the used tool/craigslist market is like in Norway, but if you can find some "old steel", you'll likely get a much better (and maybe larger) drill press for even less than the new ones you posted.
 
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