Got $300. Need to Blow It.

Status
Not open for further replies.
D

dzlvs8

Joined
Jun 13, 2013
Messages
948
So I may potentially come into some extra money and I am debating whether to buy a Northwoods madison barlow, Case Hobo Trapper, and some other knives.....OR.. I might be interested in some new shop equipment. I am curious of what I could do with $300 that would best improve the my knife making capabilities/possibilities or ease of manufacturing.

Here is my current equipment (I operate with very little) NOTE: My shop is in the bedroom of my apartment:

Oscilating Drill Press (aka a wobbly spindle sander)
A bench top drill press (slowest speed is mach one)
Craftsman 1x42 grinder (that needs to be started like a flintstones car)
I use the band saw at work for cutting blanks, but I dont like having to rely on that.
Shop Vac,
Bench Vice
Tumbler (that I've never had an interest in using).
Gas forge (no PID control).

I was thinking about getting a new grinder, but the advantages of a quality 2x42 vs my half broken 1x42 don't warrant spending $300. I wont be producing better knives with the 2x42 UNLESS I can find something that spins at a more appropriate/slower speed (not 1750, like my Craftsman).

What in your opinion would be the best way to blow the money on shop equipment that would give me more capabilities?

I am most curious about maybe a variable speed motor setup to run my 1x42...or maybe just a slow enough 2x42 that is under $300???

If someone can suggest a specific setup for doing this, or suggest other items that would improve the machine shop in my bedroom, it would be appreciated.
 
About the only way to slow down the Craftsman is with a VFD, and if they make one for the low HP motor, it probably won't have enough power to do much good. The VFD wll run about $350. To slow it down you'd really need to get a 3PH motor and a VFD then hook it up with belts after removing the sanding disk.

Take the $300 and put it away and save up for a piece of equipment you really want. If you want the Madison (I have one, love it), sell off some other knives you don't use to pay for it.
 
Hawk45 said:
The VFD wll run about $350. To slow it down you'd really need to get a 3PH motor and a VFD then hook it up with belts after removing the sanding disk..
Click to expand...

Yeah, that's exactly what I want to do. Motor+pulleys and just drive the existing 1x42. I'm curious if I can do this for well under $300 or if there is just a 2x42 that runs at an appropriate speed that
s under $300
 
A grinder and a gas forge in the bedroom of an apartment...how about a couple good fire extinguishers, an exhaust fan, dust collection...
 
Mahoney said:
A grinder and a gas forge in the bedroom of an apartment...how about a couple good fire extinguishers, an exhaust fan, dust collection...
Click to expand...

Took the words right out from under my fingers. I'd say an apartment manager would have a piece of paper for you if they knew...

-Eric
 
LucyCustomKnives said:
Took the words right out from under my fingers. I'd say an apartment manager would have a piece of paper for you if they knew...

-Eric
Click to expand...
Actually, I'm not stupid. So it's ok. So it's all safe. As a matter of fact, TODAY the city had a housing inspection and they were ok with it. Obviously the gas forge stays outside. Also, fire proof mats are pretty important with the grinder. See, if you're not stupid, you can do some pretty surprising things. Grinders can cause sparks and fires, but stove ARE fires. But the stove is made safe...so is my grinder. The only bad thing about it all is the dust from wood handles. Steel dust doesn't get anywhere, but the power sanding of wood, I try to keep to a minimum.
 
dzlvs8 said:
Actually, I'm not stupid. So it's ok. So it's all safe. As a matter of fact, TODAY the city had a housing inspection and they were ok with it. Obviously the gas forge stays outside. Also, fire proof mats are pretty important with the grinder. See, if you're not stupid, you can do some pretty surprising things. Grinders can cause sparks and fires, but stove ARE fires. But the stove is made safe...so is my grinder. The only bad thing about it all is the dust from wood handles. Steel dust doesn't get anywhere, but the power sanding of wood, I try to keep to a minimum.
Click to expand...

I don't think anyone called you stupid, no reason to take it as such. Simply observing that most apartment managers are so fearful about any possibility for litigation stemming from their liability to provide a fire free building that they will usually knee jerk and toss someone out on their kiester if they see something that looks hazardous in that regard. WE know how to safely use the tools of our trade, but the general public has no idea what most of these tools even are. Still, always have fire suppresion handy.

I used to keep a motorcycle in my dining room for goodness sake. Trust me... I've had to try and make do in an apartment as well... Good luck to you...

(To all; not just specifically you:) Remember that you can't read inflection on a forum so it's best to take what you read as intended in its best and most positive possible interpretation. Especially here on this forum...
(To you specifically:)You keep taking offense to things that are not offensive and knee jerk reacting to them. Especially when given advice from those who are far more exoerienfed than you. Again, taking everything in the best possible tone, and accepting advice in the manner intended and applying it appropriately will get you farther in your knifemaking.

-Erix
 
Last edited:
A portaband saw and a homemade stand or wall mount is a good investment. I've had luck with my cheap HF portaband, just had to buy some quality blades.
 
Put the money in the bank and save it until you can afford a better grinder. Lots of people do good work on the craftsman, but you will be happy if you buy a better one.

- Chris
 
With a little shopping around you could put together a 9" disc sander. Some guys do all of their grinding with a disc sander. I think from earlier shopping that I did, that I could make a reversible, variable speed job with and aluminum 1 degree tapered disc for just a little over $300. Now that was just a disc stuck directly on the shaft from the motor which is not ideal but lots of people seem to do it that way. One upside is that with a 9" disc, one can use regular sheets of abrasive paper. A down side that I have read about is that when changing grit, one often has to peel a still good piece off, thus causing waste. By the way reversible seems like a necessity while variable speed a luxury if it would come to having to choose between the two in order to stay within budget.

Good luck, hope it is helpful. I have not built such a tool yet and only give my opinion based on my own research thus far. Like anything, one can always spend more. My own personal recipe of what I want to build has an estimated cost around $1000 so far but that includes a new, 1.5hp motor with variable speed and quick change discs. Kick that up a couple hundred more for a fancy-dancy pre-fab workrest made to fit directly on the motor housing and maybe find a foot switch... but I digress.
 
never jsut blow $
save for the least a a griz 2x72 or build a grinder in a box
or get the knife you want

one path leads to making the other to collecting both ways get you knives
 
^ When you switch sides of the knife you switch the rotation of the disk. The spine should be on the work rest, or at least facing downwards when working on the knife.
 
What Andy said, except I think edge up or down is a matter of preference since I've seen it done both ways. I was seriously considering a disc sander set up as an alternative to a belt sander until the opportunity to build a kmg clone came along. I should mention that I have a 4 x 36 belt sander already that I have been getting by with and will continue to use for some things. Especially since I have a free source of once, lightly used zirc belts for it. :)
 
If it were me, I would put that $300 in the bank and continue to save until I had enough for first and last months rent and security deposit on a house, Preferably one with a garage, or at the very least a place to set an 8x12 shed, no matter how you try to justify it, a knife shop in an apartment bedroom is a bad idea
 
Andy Johnston said:
I have a large cement driveway I can work in when the weather warms up.
Click to expand...

Sounds like you better get a shed too, I heard they are going to cancel summer in the U.P. this year, The snow just finished melting down here in southern michigan this week. Crazy cold winter
 
LucyCustomKnives said:
I don't think anyone called you stupid, no reason to take it as such. Simply observing that most apartment managers are so fearful about any possibility for litigation stemming from their liability to provide a fire free building that they will usually knee jerk and toss someone out on their kiester if they see something that looks hazardous in that regard. WE know how to safely use the tools of our trade, but the general public has no idea what most of these tools even are. Still, always have fire suppresion handy.

I used to keep a motorcycle in my dining room for goodness sake. Trust me... I've had to try and make do in an apartment as well... Good luck to you...

(To all; not just specifically you:) Remember that you can't read inflection on a forum so it's best to take what you read as intended in its best and most positive possible interpretation. Especially here on this forum...
(To you specifically:)You keep taking offense to things that are not offensive and knee jerk reacting to them. Especially when given advice from those who are far more exoerienfed than you. Again, taking everything in the best possible tone, and accepting advice in the manner intended and applying it appropriately will get you farther in your knifemaking.

-Erix
Click to expand...
I don't know whats going on here. All I was saying is that while what I was doing could be dangerous, I am being safe. Stupid people do stupid stuff. Many people assume stupidity and I wanted to make sure we were all on the same page. I was worried about my housing inspection. I didn't know what they would think....as in if they trusted that I wasn't stupid.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top