First Grinder

H

hogworthy

Joined
May 19, 2014
Messages
103
Any recommendations on a first grinder?

Money is a MAJOR factor so I was considering building one. I looked at the "grinder in a box", but I think I can save even more if I did it myself.

Tips and thoughts???
 
I made one myself similar to a KMG, and I ran all the numbers too trying to determing the best method. I save a bit compared to GIB, but not all that much. I think the GIB is a good option and the next one I make will likely be a GIB.
 
My first and one that I still have is a Coote,
www.cootebeltgrinder.com Norman Coote is a great guy to work with and very helpful. I bought mine in 96 and she runs fine today. Feel free to PM me if you need any help or have questions?
 
If you have $1000 to spend, the Little Buddy or LB 1000 from Wilmont Grinders is an excellent beginning grinder and can grow with you as your skills and production increase.
 
When starting out making knives the cost of a grinder... Any grinder seems huge and I know what you mean. I don't know what kind of guy you are. If you pick up a hobby or craft and fool around with it for a month and then your on to something else. But look at it from my perspective. I started with 2x48 and then a Coote and then I found a great deal on a Wilton . OK now we are up to about $1500 spent and then I moved to a KMG Variable speed another $2000. see where I am going with this. Take it from me Buy once and cry once . Buy twice the grinder you think you will ever need. That way if your flighty you can sell a good grinder all day long for a lot more than a POS , Now take that $3500 I spent total and I would be rollin with a TW-90 .
 
Thanks for the info... everyone!!

Marko3,

I know what you're getting at. I built a forge from scratch and it ended up being as good or better than anything I could have bought. That's the only reason I thought of building a grinder, but I look back at how much time I invested in putting that forge together and all the little trips to the hardware store (boy did it all add up). Although I saved cash money in the long run, if I got paid even minimum wage to cover the hours invested in building that forge I would've broke even at best.
I guess I'll start squirreling away for a grinder... do you ultimately recommend the KMG??
 
What tools do you have now? Do you have a stick welder, drill press? Do you live by a scrap yard? If you do just weld whatever you can find together that will give a ridged frame, from there just buy some bearings on the cheap and a old motor off craigslist. For wheels I started off with some free plastic forklift roller wheels, bought new they might have costed me $40 in total. It certainly wouldn't look like the prettiest machine but it'll work. I wouldn't throw my limited money into a 2-3k machine until I was better off financially.
 
Bob, What rpm motor and drive wheel size did you finally decide on? Just curious. Did you double your speed with the jumper in the Kbac drive? Are you running faster than 3600 Surface feet per minute? I am toying with the idea of building a Polar Bear Forge kit and keep my KMG also. Thanks, Larry
 
-- I have a stick welder.

-- I have multiple motors lying around. I need to take a closer look. I know one is at least a 1 hp that came off an old air compressor.

-- I live near a HUGE scrap yard that I hit of for parts all the time.

-- I could afford to purchase proper wheels.

So, I guess I'm asking what setups do you recommend. I definitely want to go 72" to save money on belts in the long run. Two wheel would be the easiest to setup as a first grinder, huh?

Oh, BTW, you guys rock. This forum is a plethora of information and opinions just ripe for the asking.

Thank you to everyone SO much!!
 
LARRYZ10 said:
Bob, What rpm motor and drive wheel size did you finally decide on? Just curious. Did you double your speed with the jumper in the Kbac drive? Are you running faster than 3600 Surface feet per minute? I am toying with the idea of building a Polar Bear Forge kit and keep my KMG also. Thanks, Larry
Click to expand...

Larry, the motor is a 3450rpm Weg 2hp and the drive wheel is 4". I never tested it with the jumper on 2x because I rarely run it maxed out anyway. I am still contemplating going to a 5 or 6 inch drive wheel to get more speed when polishing with a cork belt though.

Bob
 
I built a NWG and am Very happy with it. I went even farther and used a treadmill motor to run it( got it for free on Craigslist) and now have variable speed which is the only way to go now that I have it. The most expensive components are the wheels, and I used sunray to build my contact wheel. I am a hobby maker and turn out about 2-3 knives per month. If you are thinking of this as a hobby then that set-up will do just fine, if you are trying to go into a higher level of production for some kind of income I would look at investing some money in a professional set-up.

Steve
 
My goal is to make about one knife per week.

What was the total cost of building your own NWG if you don't mind me asking?
 
I had about 5-550 into it including tracking, contact and a drive wheel. The motor that I got from the treadmill is not enclosed and will eventually succumb to the dust produced, but to be honest I'll just get another one when that happens. I like to tinker and fabricate things so I really enjoyed making it all myself. I hollow grind all my knives and if you plan on doing that particular grind do not be in too much of a hurry to produce a great final product. I made a lot of prison shanks before I felt comfortable putting my stamp on them and accepting money. Its an artform and takes a while to become competent.

Steve
 
smitchellknives said:
I made a lot of prison shanks before I felt comfortable putting my stamp on them and accepting money. Its an artform and takes a while to become competent.
Steve
Click to expand...


No prison shanks yet, but I've broken a few so far... I'm learning though. I've only forged 2 knives so far (never tried stock removal) and I can already see the huge advantage to a belt grinder as opposed to files and sanding by hand.

I just want to cut down on the "after forging" shaping of the blade. The last knife I made (no masterpiece by the way) took me about 2.5 hours to forge from 1/4" stock and I spent 3 times that grinding and filing and shaping. It's fun, but just too time consuming... I'm ready to start forging the next knife!!

But you are correct, I will not be producing anything I would be willing to stamp for a while.
 
I started making knives at 12 with only hand tools, and did it that way until I had the cash saved up to buy a fully loaded Burr King 960, which was the week I graduated high school.

Now mind you, it takes longer to save up the cash as a teenager--- bucking hay bales, mowing lawns, and shoveling out barns than it does an adult with a "real job." So it wouldn't take most folks 6 years! ;) :) (plus there was a pick-up and a 4-wheeler that had to come first! :D).

But I think that approach, generally speaking, is a very solid one... It gave me time to learn how to use hand tools, and then when I stepped up to a grinder I went right to a Cadillac. :) :cool: It gives you a chance to see if you really even like making knives!

The one thing I would change... would be to go to a 3 wheel grinder, but the BIII and KMG didn't even exist at that time, let alone the Wilmont, TW-90, Uber Grinder, etc.
 
A craftsman 2x42 will work, but it has it's drawbacks. The most economical 2x72 is the GIB, which I am just finishing up. As people noted, craigslist, ebay, or kijiji sourcing motors keeps the cost down. I priced out making my own GIB from locally sourced steel, and in Canada, I couldn't get the steel and cut it out cheaper. Scrap steel might have been an option, but then time to strip and clean it becomes an issue. I was flat broke most of last year and had to watch my pennies. Things are much better for us this year, so I now have a 2hp variable speed grinder nearly complete. I scrapped the step pulley design I was going to use and bought a proper VFD.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top