Help me spend some money ...

T

Tom N

Joined
Mar 21, 2017
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4
Hello all .... yet another newbie here wanting to pick the brains of the folks who have been there done that ...

I am just starting off in my knife hobby and am looking to purchase a new belt sander. I will be sharpening knives 1" to 8", scissors and lawn mower blades at first with hopes of making knives within a couple of years ( will be retiring and have more time to devote to me)

I have done a fair amount of reading and have narrowed my search to these three:

- Kalamazoo 1SM 1" Belt Sander
- Trick Tool 2x36
- Viel S5 sander-grinder

I know everyone is busy, but I would like to very kindly ask you for your opinion on which one you feel would be a good match for me.

Thanks for your time and efforts in advance ...

Tom
 
I have a 1x30 belt sander, and belts for it are very hard to find. I would stick with the 2x36 for a broader selection of grits.
 
Tom, here is my 2 cents for what it's worth. None of the machines you listed are ideal for what you want to do. Using a machine to sharpen presents a problem, that being heat build up which can ruin the heat treat of any blade. To keep the heat down you want a machine that you can control the speed and even better a machine you can run slow and wet. If you can afford it, I would suggest you invest in a 2"x72" variable speed belt grinder. Not only would this be ideal for sharpening, but the grinder is the heart of a knife making shop and when you wanted to start making knifes you would already have a big part of the expense of equipment out of the way.
 
Thx for the response NC Biker .... I know these newbie questions can be quite tiresome at times ...

Any models/brands come mind that I should look at? Or, maybe I should rephrase this to ask, are there any models/brads I should stay away from? I would really like to stay in the range of 500 if at all possible.
 
There are a lot of grinders to choose from these days and everyone has their favorites. $500 is not enough in the budget for variable speed, but would get you a basic frame that you could add a motor and VFD (variable frequency drive) to as you saved the money. There are lots of threads here on "which grinder to buy", so use the custom search in the stickies and be prepared to do some reading.

Here is an interesting video of a fellow that sharpens using a Coote grinder set-up:

[video=youtube;XSF3VF9aIp0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSF3VF9aIp0[/video]
 
+1 for NC Biker comments. Esteem makes a very good grinder - there are lots of add ons you can buy later with that style of grinder.
Tim
 
Tom, are you at all handy with metal work? Or, just making things in general? If so, you might wish to make your own grinder. In the $500 to $600 range you can build a very nice complete variable speed 2X72 grinder, VFD and all. Of course, the VFD will be a NEMA 1 (not dust proof) and will require filters over air inlets, or mounting in a box.

Ken H>
 
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