Home Built Surface Grinder

I'll take a look at your FB page. BTW Kevin - aren't we all grateful to OneArmed for starting this thread and providing info where to source that linear slide track which seems to be the heart of this version of surface grinder. I'd been looking at building one for a couple of yr, since I'd first seen Travis's SG. I just couldn't find a way to make the track. Once OnceArmed started this thread I was ready to go.

Kevin, you've done good work also - several folks have added to info for building so it's now more of a "group" effort. Thanks to EVERYONE who's built and posted info.
 
Absolutely. That's the reason I want him to contact me. As I've been going along with this build on my Facebook and other places I've tried to give credit where credit is due. I certainly haven't tried putting out there that this was my idea. The reality is I have a lot of other responsibilities including a full-time job and three young kids. So my time is pretty short when it comes to documenting things. I'll try to do a better job giving credit going forward. Again thanks to one armed for starting for starting the thread and making it possible for me for me to build this thing.
 
WOW! I haven't checked in awhile! Man! I am really proud of everyone!! You guys have done fantastic! So cool that this started many, many months ago with an idea in my head. Tired of hand sanding(with ONE ARM, no less!! BLAH!) I first saw Wuertz creation a couple years back. Loved it, but WAY out of my price range. Fast forward a bit, and after making not only many, many knives, but also sone other tooling, I finally said, "I can build one of those!" After months & months of research, and a couple weeks to build, here's what we got!

I'm surprised no one else has built their own adjusting table. For those still looking, go back to my origional photos. I really think my adjusting table kicks the other styles in the NUTZ! LOL! And I built didn't even have my mill when I did it! I could build a professional looking one now!

Again, awesome stuff guys! Thank you for taking the next step, as I did! Thank you for passing the knowledge on to other builders. Ken, Currenthill, Kevin, Toni.... I am so very glad to be a part of this with you all.

Next is my 2x72 grinder build. I'm looking at that cam over. Thank you Kevin & Ken for emailing me. I will have a few little tricks in it. I'm most excited about the tracking system! Wait & see.
 
Here's kind of a wrap up video of the whole build. It's got some information I'm sure you all know, but it's for my YT channel. Also a video showing the tolerance I'm seeing. I'm not convinced this will be typical, as it's way better than i expected, but I'm stoked regardless.


 
Shucks Kevin - that looks to be about as accurate as anybody needs for knife making. Some folks say you need less than .001" for folders, but even if you had .001" difference in that total length, in a folder length it would be less than than .001", perhaps only 1/2 thou. Good job - I do like the 3" contact wheel you're using with 3" belt.

I'm "making do" with 2" wheel 'n belts which seems to be working "ok". On a 2" wide chef knife I'll do a quick hand grind on the bevel for about 4" from heel toward point for 1/4" to 1/2" up from edge. That allows the 2" belt to grind good on rest of blade, and that portion is going to be ground away during bevel grind anyway. I just did a .118" AEB-L blade, and put a taper to .042" at tip.

Kevin - an all around good job.
 
Ken H> said:
Shucks Kevin - that looks to be about as accurate as anybody needs for knife making. Some folks say you need less than .001" for folders, but even if you had .001" difference in that total length, in a folder length it would be less than than .001", perhaps only 1/2 thou. Good job - I do like the 3" contact wheel you're using with 3" belt.

I'm "making do" with 2" wheel 'n belts which seems to be working "ok". On a 2" wide chef knife I'll do a quick hand grind on the bevel for about 4" from heel toward point for 1/4" to 1/2" up from edge. That allows the 2" belt to grind good on rest of blade, and that portion is going to be ground away during bevel grind anyway. I just did a .118" AEB-L blade, and put a taper to .042" at tip.

Kevin - an all around good job.
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thank you sir. Did you taper on the SGA?
 
great results ! i wonder if accuracy would fluctuate with grit size ? that was done @ 36 grit only ?
 
Kevin McGovern said:
Here's kind of a wrap up video of the whole build. It's got some information I'm sure you all know, but it's for my YT channel. Also a video showing the tolerance I'm seeing. I'm not convinced this will be typical, as it's way better than i expected, but I'm stoked regardless.
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Awesome videos! In the first video where you explain how to do it if your grinder doesn't turn horizontal, could you just angle the cross feed table, rather than building a separate arm?
 
bmilleker said:
Awesome videos! In the first video where you explain how to do it if your grinder doesn't turn horizontal, could you just angle the cross feed table, rather than building a separate arm?
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You know, I don't see why that wouldn't work. The only thing that might be an issue is if the compound table was not lined up with the axis of the contact wheel. I think you would really want that to be in line. Since you can see I had to relieve my tool arm anyway, that introduces a variable of "did I make a nice level cut?" So using a separate plate with a riser to get it lined up, probably wouldn't be any more of a variable come to think of it. Since the compound table is wider than the tooling arm already, I think I would go with a separate plate that is wide enough to accommodate it as well.
 
Kevin McGovern said:
Here's kind of a wrap up video of the whole build. It's got some information I'm sure you all know, but it's for my YT channel. Also a video showing the tolerance I'm seeing. I'm not convinced this will be typical, as it's way better than i expected, but I'm stoked regardless.


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I love it! Nice videoclips!

My conclusion after using it for a while now: Building this SGA gives you an amazing price-performance ratio. It's a very effective tool for a knifemaker, the more I use it the more I know I wouldn't want to be without it.
 
Kevin McGovern said:
You know, I don't see why that wouldn't work. The only thing that might be an issue is if the compound table was not lined up with the axis of the contact wheel. I think you would really want that to be in line. Since you can see I had to relieve my tool arm anyway, that introduces a variable of "did I make a nice level cut?" So using a separate plate with a riser to get it lined up, probably wouldn't be any more of a variable come to think of it. Since the compound table is wider than the tooling arm already, I think I would go with a separate plate that is wide enough to accommodate it as well.
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I am trying to understand why the compound table needs to be lined up with the axis of the contact wheel. Maybe I am just having a hard time visualizing it and what would happen if it wasn't. Are you thinking that it should be lined up to evenly push into the contact wheel? Maybe this is why yours came out so accurate?

This is something that I NEED to make early this year. I have a KMG and just trying to figure out the attachment of the table. I like the simplicity of one tool arm.
 
bmilleker said:
I am trying to understand why the compound table needs to be lined up with the axis of the contact wheel. Maybe I am just having a hard time visualizing it and what would happen if it wasn't. Are you thinking that it should be lined up to evenly push into the contact wheel? Maybe this is why yours came out so accurate?

This is something that I NEED to make early this year. I have a KMG and just trying to figure out the attachment of the table. I like the simplicity of one tool arm.
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yes. Think about the force of the compound table and the counter force of the contact wheel/ belt. You want a point load situation where those points are pushing directly into one another. If it's not in line, you are introducing a force that is working against a cantilever (in this case, the linear rail). In my mind, that is introducing a stress, that while I can't be CERTAIN will negatively impact precision, I wouldn't want to risk it. I think using a 1/2" thick aluminum plate to mount the cross feed table on will be more than ridged enough. In fact, I considered it, but then remembered that my grinder tilts. ( I knew I built that into the grinder for a reason)
 
currenthill said:
I love it! Nice videoclips!

My conclusion after using it for a while now: Building this SGA gives you an amazing price-performance ratio. It's a very effective tool for a knifemaker, the more I use it the more I know I wouldn't want to be without it.
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I agree, it is totally worth it just in the belts and time saved using a welding magnet and flat platen. Thanks again for all the help via messages.
 
If you don't have a horizontal grinder, you want to mount it like I did. Here is my video of my "first" surface grinder build.


Actually, I prefer it being at this 45 degree over horozontal. And easier to mount a can to collect the shavings. LOL! As if I do that!

Kevin, once again I love your build man. Like I told you, I may need to make another one to be as pretty as currenthill's & yours. But it works so good, the looks are secondary. And I still want to see someone else make their own cross feed adjustment table. Ken is the only one who did after I posted this.
 
One Armed said:
If you don't have a horizontal grinder, you want to mount it like I did. Here is my video of my "first" surface grinder build.


Actually, I prefer it being at this 45 degree over horozontal. And easier to mount a can to collect the shavings. LOL! As if I do that!

Kevin, once again I love your build man. Like I told you, I may need to make another one to be as pretty as currenthill's & yours. But it works so good, the looks are secondary. And I still want to see someone else make their own cross feed adjustment table. Ken is the only one who did after I posted this.
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Since I have to keep my new space clean ( and divorce free) I think I'll make a chute out of a 90° 4" vent pipe fitting to detect Sparks into my bucket. They are kind of going that way anyhow. I've been thinking of making a longer, rectangular trough for the grinder, and if I make one that swivels, it will catch the Sparks even though I'm moving back and forth.
 
Kevin McGovern said:
If I had known how long it would take to get the rail, I might have. I'm no machinist though.
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Oh neither am I Kevin-Far from it! I'm just a guy with a passion for building things, and happen to be pretty handy & able to teach myself how to do things. Just like you! Remember, I built my surface grinder using only a cheap 8" Harbor Freight drill press to machine & drill everything! Oh how I could improve it now with my mill! But what for?

I hear ya about how long things take to ship from there! Well, you know how rare products made from "Chinesium" are. LOL.
 
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