I need some advice on grinder/sanders

Jack142

Jack142

Joined
Aug 26, 2002
Messages
433
I just started building knives from knife kits from Jantz or Texas supplies. I reground the shape of the tang for finger groves on one knife,but mostly just shaped the handles and assembled the knife.
Anyway, I was thinking of buying a delta 4" grinder / a 6" disc grinder combo. The 4" grinder has a 36 " belt and has a flat platnum on it.
Now I am a greenhorn so please excuse me if these seem like dumb questions
does anybody know how good is this machine ?
what grit belts should I be looking at getting ?
I also see there are differant kinds of belts like sil-carbide or zirconia. What should I be looking at buying ?
I been using my dremel tool a large course wheel grinder and hand sandpaper and files. I been useing mostly 220 sandpaper and some 600 grit for final polishing. I also been using those small dremel tool polishing wheels with some white and red polishing sticks. I dont even know what "grit"? they are ?
I want to use this delta sander to make the work a little easier. I can get the grinder for 60 bucks at tool king.
I'll have more questions later on
Thanks John
 
Get Wayne Goddard's book "$50 Knife Shop" first. It will give you the low down on various types of grinders, including homemade. This book will be one of the best uses of $20 you'll ever have. He'll sell directly to you and sign it too.
http://www.goddardknives.com/video.html
 
RARanney's got it right; Wayne Goddard's book is excellent. Meanwhile, let me add that the grinder you're talking about would be better than nothing - but for the work you describe probably wouldn't help a whole lot. Shaping handles is done more with a slack belt and by hand than on a platen. You will use the platen to get things flat, which will be a bonus, believe me! And for flat grinding blades. You'd use the disk for truing up bolsters and scales, and blocks, if you use em.

So let's assume you have it. The belts you want will be 60 grit for rough shaping, then 220 and 400. That should do it. A good proportion for me seems to be something like "the next higher grit is double the last", so if you bought one 60 grit belt you'd use two 220s and four 400s. But let me hasten to add everyone has different ideas about belts! One thing almost everyone will agree on though, is belts is one place not to "save" money - buy the best belts you can find; you'll be ahead in the long run.

And just to make the leap of faith that once you start making your own blades you'll never escape (not so great a leap, either :D ), let me say that you will eventually require a variable speed 2 hp 2 X 72 grinder. So save yourself and all of us the angst; whip out that credit card and have Rob fix you up with a KMG1 and point you at the motors.

Just do it! :cool: :D

Dave

Hey, so I helped you spend way more than twenty bucks! It's my job.
 
I'm doing just fine with a 4 x 36 from Sears. The biggest problem I have is blowing five bucks per on belts that don't last more than the rough shaping of a 12" 440C blade... I haven't really been able to find Trizac or any other good quality belts in 4 x 36, but I do ok...
 
Please don't pay so much for belts!:)

Send Kim for a quote: discount_abrasives@yahoo.com

He sells Zironia, AO, SC, cork, and non-woven belts in just about any dimension for great prices. He stands behind his work. I'm really happy because I use 2x42 which the knife places don't carry (In fact they are a bit condensending if you don't use 2x72). From Kim I can get anything, fast.

OK I sound like an ad, but I've been really happy.

Steve
 
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