Help me stock up

mioduz

mioduz

Joined
May 28, 2012
Messages
300
I am planning on getting my first 2x72 grinder this weekend. I plan on practicing my grinding on cheap mild steel at first.

I am looking for advice from you guys that grind all day long.

Once I'm done playing around with the junk steel what type of blade steel do you recommend for a novice. I will probably invest in a small furnace but which steel is easiest to work with and easiest to heat treat. I've been told d2 is a great all around steel to work with.

Next question is where is the best place to stock up on belts of good quality? What grit/specialty belts does everyone use. Help me stock up on all the stuff I need

Thanks
 
I purchase my belts at Tru-Grit partly because they are local, partly because they have a terrific selection, and partly because I like them.

My main advice is buy cheap belts to start. You will probably ruin at least a couple belts learning the ins and outs of your grinder, and getting it tuned in (this may take different amounts of work depending on which unit you purchase).

Especially if you are practicing on mild steel, you have no need to use more expensive ceramic belts for the time being. Any decent "value" brand aluminum oxide should get you started on finding out what not to do, and when you accidently knock the belt off track and crash it into the work rest, ruining the edge, you'll only be out a couple dollars instead of almost ten.

I would go 50 grit at lowest to start, maybe even 60 grit. Then you want to hit 100 200 300 400 ranges. You could also pick up higher grits but that is personal preference. I find 400 is sufficient for most of my machine work, and I switch to hand finishing on higher grits.

I wouldn't start with D2 as a shakedown steel for your new grinder. It grinds best with expensive ceramic belts, and you don't want to be messing up those belts while you're getting up to speed, as it can get expensive.
 
Tru Grit is my choice for all my belts.

You can get 36 and 50 and 120 XK760 VSM ceramic belts for $3-5 ea and Hermes 220 and 400 for $2.75 each. They are good belts and not very expensive.

Personally I would ad in at least on Gator in 120 and 240. They are more expensive but are amazing
 
skip the junk steel
ugley knives that still cut well are great knives. mild stel will not teach you anything about edges or HT ( be it your HT or if you send out )

i love supergrit.com for most of my cheaper belts but theyb dont carry gators so i have to get them elswear
 
I shop around for my belts but found that I usually always order from Pops knife supply. He has great service. Forgot to add he usually also has the cheapest prices on belts from what I have scene.

Im with butcherblock on this one, skip the mild steel. No point in wasting belts on something that has no possibility of turning out. Get yourself some 1084 which is easy to HT and grinds pretty easy.
 
quint said:
I shop around for my belts but found that I usually always order from Pops knife supply. He has great service. Forgot to add he usually also has the cheapest prices on belts from what I have scene.

Im with butcherblock on this one, skip the mild steel. No point in wasting belts on something that has no possibility of turning out. Get yourself some 1084 which is easy to HT and grinds pretty easy.
Click to expand...


Pop's all the way for belts!
 
putting together a list of stuff I want to get. Am I totally off base thinking that I need a much higher number of Lower grit belts, and the higher grit belts wont wear as quickly?
 
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When I started out, I was told to buy some 1084 from NJ Steel Baron and a pile of belts from Pop's. Best two pieces of advice I received. One of the first knives I ground out turned out AWESOME. Had I done it in mild steel, I'd have been upset I couldn't finish it. (I did screw up the next four trying to replicate it.) :)
 
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