Hogging ?....

T

Trick

Joined
Mar 3, 2001
Messages
351
After reading the grind time post the other day and also all the old posts people said to get a 2 horse, a 1 1/2 wasn't enough, I am starting to realize something I think. You guys must really lay into the steel when you are grinding. I have always been told to let the tool do the work, don't force anything. (in general) So my beginning grinding I have not put much weight into it. Tonight I did and finally started grinding some metal. But it would turn brown or blue almost instantly. I am dunking in water very often before I even feel heat in my un-gloved fingers. I can barely even begin to slow down my horse and a half. Can't imagine how much leaning I would have to do to bog a 2 horse. :eek:
So anyway, the question is, do y'all put some weight into the steel or let the belt do the work? I just can't understand some of the grind times listed if not. I ground on some annealed L6 for a couple hours tonight and don't have it profiled yet. (Cheap belts may be most the problem) :rolleyes:
 
Hehe, some of the best work ever produced is done by hand. Anything in between hand and the most awesome uberific alien-technology grinder is just gravy. The difference between 1.5hp and 2 is mostly in the head, IMHO. Some really nice work comes off Grizzly machines. Just temper what you read that many of us tend to get the chest-beating, Tim Taylor MORE POWER syndrome going. =)
 
I will say that for profiling and cleaning up damascus billits and other rough work I wish I'd gone with a 1 1/2 horse. My one hore starts heating up and after a while of heavy grinding starts shutting down and triping the 15 amp breaker I've got in line with it. Oh yea, grinding on a Coote 2x72" with step pullies. The belts I use are molstly the zircona ones and get them cheap from GL Pierce.
 
Part of the horse power thing depends on the style of grinder. On my KMG I have a 1 1/2hp motor, I can bog that down fairly easily without too much force. On the other hand I have a grizzly which is a 1 hp motor, and that is very very hard to bog down. The KMG is a more rigid machine and their are more spinning parts so their is more friction, so it needs the bigger motor. Also if the steel is changing colors it is not really a good thing, slow down or change to a fresh belt. I posted one of the faster grinding times in the other thread, and I don't really push that hard, but I use fresh course belts, and relatively fast speed. I do slow down as I get closer to finish size though. For instance yesterday I rough ground two blades both from bg-42, one 10" bladed double edged hollow ground fighter out of 1/4" stock, and one flat ground 2 1/2" utility knife out of 1/8" stock. They took me about 20 minutes each, even though I removed much more than twice the metal on the big knife. The more you grind the easier it is to grind fast, and fix everything up in the end.
Kyle Fuglesten
 
I have three grinders. Two are 11/2HP, and the other is 1HP. All are variable speed.
The only time I even come close to bogging down a 11/2HP, is when it is set up with the vertical front platen(Burr King), and and that is a rarity. If it starts to slow at all, I just let up on the blade for a second, no big deal.

The only time I push hard at all, is when I am profiling on the contact wheel. If you are trying to profile on a platen, that could explain some of the excess time spent.
When bevel grinding, I pretty much take it easy and let the abrasive do the work.
As for belts, cheap belts are really a false economy. You can pay 2-3$ for belts and spend lots of time and belts grinding, or you can spend a few $ more and get good 3M, or Norax belts, and spend less time at it, AND, have your belts last 10 times longer.
When I first heard of the 3M 977 belts for coarse grits, it was from D'Holder, and he said he had just ground the bevels in 40 DP hunters. :eek: I got a couple to try, and although I have never done 40 blades with one belt(I don't doubt Holder though, you have to see him grind to believe it)I can easily get 20 from one. I then use it for profiling till I start to feel guilty, then use them for handle material.
Who is saving $$ here. ;) :D
 
Yep, I am profiling on the 10" on my coote. I am not bogging it down, but it starts to slow the way I have been doing it. I got the belts given to me to get me started. I plan on ordering good belts soon.
I am getting ready to go grind some more. :)
 
I use a 36 grit belt to take the rough off sometimes 60 grit. I did not see what grit you were using.

For new guys looking in I also am a bit of a safety freak. I grind edge up which I consider the opposite to the safe way. For that reason I would suggest any new grinder take the time to get the feel of the grinding process before leaning into the belt too hard. I am still causious of the fact that the edge can catch and spit back at you.

Having said that I also agree a nice new belt is always faster. With the 36 grit you do have to take deep scratches into account and drop down to the finner grit when getting close to the drind line you want.
 
Ya gotta watch that "annealed" L6 too. That stuff likes to air harden, and is not the easiest stuff to work with. If you get that L6 too hot when grinding, you will soon find it too hard to drill through.
 
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