Hello from Alabama.. and a sander question.

E

exKenna

Joined
Oct 28, 2009
Messages
3
Hi guys, first post here. Looks like a great place to hang out so I'm looking forward to listening and learning from everyone.

Although I'm new to knife making I'm not entirely new to metalworking. I have a small business consulting and supplying CNC cutting tools to machine shops. I also have some experience fabbing inconel and prototyping.

Anyway, I wanted to pick up an inexpensive belt sander with a disc on the side and I've read a lot of good reviews on the Delta SA180 being a nice $100 tool to start with. Alas, when DeWalt bought out Delta and Porter Cable they discontinued it and it doesn't seem to be available anywhere.

One day I might be in the market for a KMG or such but not this year.
Can anyone suggest an alternative to the SA180? Or do you have a better suggestion?

TIA,
Curt
 
Welcome
The 2 X 42" from Sears is a real popular starter ginder for around a 100 bucks
Stan
 
Hi welcome to the forum , fill out your profile. There might be somneone close to you to help you out. I did but no one knows where moose jaw IS .I would look at the coot for $400 in the 2x72. you wont be happy with the 2x42 and the belts are expensive,.kellyw
 
Thank you Stan. It never occurred to me to look to Sears. When I think Sears I mostly think of socket sets and riding lawn mowers.

I've been told Grizzly stuff is decent for an import. And the Ryobi BD4600 has been mentioned.
 
I looked at both the Delta and Sears and bought the Sears. While messing around in Sears last Thursday I saw the 2" X 42" sander for $109.95. One warning. It doesn't have a lot of power at 1/3 hp. Having spent a lot of years cutting, grinding, and welding various metals for a living has probably colored my thinking on tool power. I consider it OK for hobby knifemaking which is what I do. It will get you by until you can afford better.

I did build a complete new platen, work table, and mount for mine which improved things considerably.
 
As you have a shop and metal working experience why not look at the No Weld grinder. There is even someone here offering as a kit. You can simplify with some good welding also.
With a little shopping and your own work you could have a great machine for low cost. Step pulleys would give some speed control. If you need a disk what I would do is built the body of the machine as to the plans only substituting welds for most of the clamp bars. Then when building the tool arm make it so it mounts a set of pillow block bearings. Machine a shaft to ride in the bearings and accept a Grizzly 10" wheel for the belt and Grizzly 12" disk on the other end of the shaft. The sander belt would be a drive belt when using the disk. Another option is to make a seperate tool arm with the bearings and have the shaft mount a pulley in line with your stack of pulleys on the machine. Then use a belt that is tightened by pulling out the arm. You just can't use that pulley groove when you select your drive combination. I did this and it worked fine, Still have that tool arm laying in my pile, but, have built a disk and drive my KMGs with a VFD, so no longer use it. To find the parts on Grizzly go to the tool that uses what you want then go to the parts list and select.
 
I was reading in the for sale section. DO NOT order a kit from wilfurley. Bad reports on quality and delivery. If he makes it right I would gladly retract this statement.

The vast majority of the people in this community are very stand up and trust worthy. I would trust most with my money or material knowing I would be taken care off. A small percentage fail and I hate it because it harms the trust so many of the good people here share.
 
exKenna, you didn't say what part of North Bama you're in. Look up the Alabama Forge Council and find out when the closest group to you is meeting. The Northern group is primarily bladesmiths that do some ornamental iron, most of the forgemasters up there are ABS MS or JS. Down in the Southern half the groups are primarily ornamental iron guys that sometimes do blades. You'll find out there's a big difference in techniques and steel treatments based on the background. There's also more than a few stock removal guys up there that are very good. I'd really recommend going by the forge council first.
 
Thanks guys and especially to Will. I'll check out the Forge Counsel.. just need a starting point and that was it.

About the sander.. just struck a deal with a seller on Craigslist. It's a Delta 1X42 with the disc on the side, model 31-340.

Pickin er up tomorrow for $50.00 Now I need a drill press and a couple odds and ends. Oh yeah, got a smokin hot deal on some Grobet Swiss files off Ebay.

Damn, wish I hadn't sold that Logan lathe 2 years ago.. :grumpy:
 
No problemo Curt..... there's a few "good" knifemakers up your way.... you'll know why it's funny after you get to know who they are :p

I'd really talk to a bunch of them about grinders and see what they think. Those guys have used just about anything that will spin a belt and can tell you the pros/cons and tricks to using all those various tools.

Most importantly remember, it's not the tooling but the man using the tools. You'll find the further you progress down the path the further your tooling will regress. Some truly world class blades are made with nothing but files or are made without electricity. Just a matter of "do" instead of "want". I wish you luck on the journey and feel free to email me if I can help in any way.
 
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