Harbor freight 1 by 30 belt grinder

Sgt John said:
I would say to give it a shot. Right before I purchased my 2x72, I actually got that 1x30 cutting bevels in pretty well. I used a file guide to set my plunges in straight and even, established decent geometry for the bevels, and then used a magicut file to hone in the full flat or sabre grind. My recommendation is to slow down your process by using files and sandpaper. That 1x30 will make a mistake in less than a second (3260 fpm) that you will take 8 hours trying to fix; trust me on this one. Whatever you do, take your time and enjoy yourself. I found draw filing and hand sanding to be rather soothing.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the tips thats what ive been hearing is you cant go quick with the hf 1 by 30
 
Jamesmyers14 said:
If I get my grades up I might get some liner from my grandma which I could but a sears with
Click to expand...

Are you referring to the 2x42 Craftsman grinder? Not much of a step up there man. I'm just trying to be honest with you here. Every beginning knifemaker goes through these things. Files and sandpaper, 1x30s, The Craftsman 2x42.... In my personal opinion, none of these machines or methods ever got me far. The small grinders didn't even give me experience or get me acclimated to a real 2x72 belt grinder. The only thing these things ever did for me were to make a big mess in a fast way. The craftsman is extremely fast, and the belt selection is limited. I never made a clean, serious knife with that machine, even with the pyroceramic liner and all the modifications. It's a start, but that's about it. I spun my wheels at the starting line, and I can't/won't believe that alot of guys stories are not the same.

as soon as I got my 2x72 Coote machine with a 1.5hp motor, I got moving. My setup with this machine isn't even optimal, but my knives are professional, presentable, and marketable. I can't say the same if I tried doing this with anything else.

My advice to you is to save the hell out of your money, and get a decent 2x72 machine. Coote makes a great one that can be had for $500-$600. All these other methods are just going to cause you frustration.
 
Josh Mason said:
Are you referring to the 2x42 Craftsman grinder? Not much of a step up there man. I'm just trying to be honest with you here. Every beginning knifemaker goes through these things. Files and sandpaper, 1x30s, The Craftsman 2x42.... In my personal opinion, none of these machines or methods ever got me far. The small grinders didn't even give me experience or get me acclimated to a real 2x72 belt grinder. The only thing these things ever did for me were to make a big mess in a fast way. The craftsman is extremely fast, and the belt selection is limited. I never made a clean, serious knife with that machine, even with the pyroceramic liner and all the modifications. It's a start, but that's about it. I spun my wheels at the starting line, and I can't/won't believe that alot of guys stories are not the same.

as soon as I got my 2x72 Coote machine with a 1.5hp motor, I got moving. My setup with this machine isn't even optimal, but my knives are professional, presentable, and marketable. I can't say the same if I tried doing this with anything else.

My advice to you is to save the hell out of your money, and get a decent 2x72 machine. Coote makes a great one that can be had for $500-$600. All these other methods are just going to cause you frustration.
Click to expand...
500 to 600 yikes think I could find a used one
 
In this game, a $500-$600 machine is probably the cheapest you're gonna get for a professional grade piece of knifemaking equipment. That's just a standard two wheel machine with a 10in contact wheel and a flat platen. You're going to need to mount a good 1 to 2hp motor to it, and those are not very cheap brand new. I scored a nice old 1.5hp for $65. I wasn't brave enough to wire a cord and switch to the thing myself, so it cost me another $50 or so to have an electrician set me up. You have to find something to mount the grinder to, so that's another bit of money to spend for a cart/table/stand etc.

Most of us have been in your position. I did it, and I'm still buying stuff. I just had to realize that the files and sandpaper route, and the smaller and faster machines were not getting me professional results, marketability, etc. and I had to get myself determined to make that change. I had to bust ass and save for a few months, but I got there. If the passion for this craft is there, you'll find a way.

When I made my first couple of passes on my new 2x72, I actually started enjoying knifemaking. The only thing the other methods did for me was frustrate and discourage me. I have a friend that started out with one of the nicest 2x72 belt grinders out there. He had no experience with any other machine, and his first handful of knives were very cleanly ground and marketable. He's already paying for his machine with the knives he's making from it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top