John Leblanc

SAR

SAR

Joined
Aug 15, 2005
Messages
710
Is a great guy and makes a hell of a Horizontal grinder. I was able to go to his shop to pick it up in person, I was also very impressed with the quality of inter-frame folders and intergals he makes.

I am going back to his shop soon he is going to walk me through a interframe folder build:D

Great stuff

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Those are great looking machines!! Congrats Spence!!

What are those levers for? The ones that have the ball on the end.

The one under the motor controller and the one on the right side of the motor??

-Rob


Ah-haa!...I think one is a brake..? (under the controller) How cool is that!!!
 
Rob, you're right, one is a brake.
The other sets the belt tension via pulleys run underneath the system.
 
Man that is nice !!Just saw your location SAR . I live 50 miles away I'm in Natchitoches.
 
Dang that really is nice. How much money is one of those bad boys? The four wheel sizes are a bonus too.
 
Man oh man, would that thing ever look good in my shop :thumbup: Very nice machine Spencer :thumbup: I want one ...... :) There are several features I like about it, one being the work surface that looks to be adjustable for height. Am I seeing that right Spencer ?
 
David Wesner said:
Man oh man, would that thing ever look good in my shop :thumbup: Very nice machine Spencer :thumbup: I want one ...... :) There are several features I like about it, one being the work surface that looks to be adjustable for height. Am I seeing that right Spencer ?
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Sure is adjustable and you can remove them as well to use the wheels free hand.

Rob I had a chance to look at his vertical grinder and it is not as nice or robust as the KMG or versatile

He has been building this Horizontal since 1990 and said he builds about 40 to 50 a year and 80 verticals.....the guy is hitting 71 years of age. His wait time is about 2-3 weeks for either one. He said he will build them for as long as his health allows him.

He pulled out a photo album showing pictures of himself and guys like the Foster brother, Jimmie Lyle and Bob loveless. He also showed me some of the most beautiful inter-frame folders I have ever handled, he said at the time Ron Lake and himself where the only makers building this style of knife.

Glen give me a call we can hook up one day, I go full time 01Jan07.

Thanks
Spencer
 
Spencer, would you tell me what the width and depth of the machine are, please? Thank you.
 
The actual base is 20"wideX22"deep with the rest inplace it varies from 25x25 and goes out to 27x27 make sense.


Spencer
 
Cool machine, what size belts does it take? 2x72? I've got a Frink horizontal grinder and would be lost without it, but that machine has a couple of features I would love to have on mine.:thumbup:
 
Yes it is a 2x72, and it does have a few more features than Robs, but remember of those features is about another $1000.00 dollars. Cost of this unit is $2400.00 not cheap.

Spencer
 
Not cheap, but damn is it nice.

I got mine a few weeks before Spencer, only really got to run it maybe an hour before going on rotation in Africa, but I love it already.
Hardcore smallwheel is now obsolete.

I've looked at Robs, and spoken with him at the last 2 Blade shows, and have been really tempted by his.
Robs can actually get into a more acute angle than these JL grinders due to being 3 wheels instead of 4....

I think the decision maker for me was 2 different diameter rubber wheels at a time, and the height adjustable tables...
 
WHat exactly is a grinder liek this used for? Obviously it must be something very special to warrant a good chunk of change being spent.
 
It is used mainly in edge profile, if you have done lots of contour work or even you edge's and get that bump, bump marks this eliminates all of that. Take the rest away and you can do texture work as well.

Its not really a must have but it just makes the shop and maker that much more effinient, that alone justifies the need Sal. Plus with this you can use all of the belt vs wearing out one spot.

Spencer
 
I've wanted one of those ever since I first saw one back in the early 90's... I may just have to order one now... Not sure where to put it though!!! :D
 
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