Kalamazoo 2 X 72?

Bill DeShivs

Bill DeShivs

Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
Joined
Jun 6, 2000
Messages
12,890
Anyone have experience with these? They can be had for $550. A 1 HP motor with VFD can be bought on Ebay for $230. A $780 variable speed grinder with 8" contact wheel and flat platen with work rest is a great deal.
 
Hi Bill,

I use a Kalamazoo 2x72 right now, modified for sword grindin'. The reasoning was that it was the only two-wheel 2x72 I could find that was NOT direct drive, as I wanted a v-belt drive system for slow, super-torquey operation. The machine's simplicity makes it easy to modify and ok to douse in water for wet grinding.

As it turns out, Kalamazoo quit making a v-belt 2x72 system in favor of direct drive, but they were very nice and made me an "old-style" machine after an explanation of why one was needed! :)

Here is a vid showing how I run the grinder in reverse, with an upgraded 1hp motor and foot switch.

[video=youtube;ghZ9CH3FvwA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghZ9CH3FvwA[/video]
 
Interesting! Thanks.
Coote makes a 2 wheel grinder without motor-and it's less expensive than the Kalamazoo!
 
Like I have always said "it's not how you do it" and you sure are getting it done, Mecca !!!!!!!
Frank
 
Ya Bill, I've heard that the Coote grinder is nicer, but I'm happy with the Kalamazoo. :)

Haha thanks Frank Niro! You have to optimize for whatever the pursuit may be, I say, and suspect that there is no substitute for special technique and raw grinder time.
 
Mecha, that is clutch, bro. Is that grinder mounted to a barstool!?!?!?


Pure awesome.


Looks like you got a good head of lather going with whatever that liquid concoction is you're spraying on the belt, too... Does it make shaving titanium smoother? Like, triple-blade pivoting-head closer?:D

Good stuff, bud.


Bill, I've struggled with spending money on cheap (non-NEMA4) VFD's, as I'm convinced I'll torch them in no time. Has your experience led you to other conclusions?
 
Matthew- I have NO experience with VFDs- other than in a very large industrial setting. I know nothing about their use in a knife shop-though I am interested in them.
My work does not consist of a lot of blade grinding- less than 20 per year, so I wouldn't worry too much about over-use. I was hoping some of the makers that use them would give some input. My usage would mostly be lightly reginding existing blades.
 
I've carefully steered away from any of them that aren't entirely sealed (NEMA 4 spec), which unfortunately increases the price tremendously. I'm convinced they won't last long in the dusty environment of a knife shop.

--NOW--

I have to buffer this statement carefully. Paul Letourneau has been using a KMG grinder for close to ten years, using a cheap VFD and motor purchased from Surplus Center. It is NOT sealed. To my knowledge, it has never failed. He ground more knives last year than I've ground. Ever.


What does this mean? Beats the shit out of me. Perhaps I'm just taking a difficult path. Dunno. I do know, however, that luck rarely works in my favor in circumstances like this.
 
Been looking at this same sort of set up myself with the Kalamazoo 2 X 72 or the Grizzly 2 X 72. Will be interested in seeing what this thread reveals along those lines?
Thx!
 
Matthew Gregory said:
Mecha, that is clutch, bro. Is that grinder mounted to a barstool!?!?!?


Pure awesome.


Looks like you got a good head of lather going with whatever that liquid concoction is you're spraying on the belt, too... Does it make shaving titanium smoother? Like, triple-blade pivoting-head closer?:D

Good stuff, bud.


Bill, I've struggled with spending money on cheap (non-NEMA4) VFD's, as I'm convinced I'll torch them in no time. Has your experience led you to other conclusions?
Click to expand...

It is indeed a barstool, minus the seat part: access from all angles, easy to clean of titanium shavings and move out of the way!

The lather is just Simple Green which has several positive effects on slow-speed grinding, and the use of which is one of many invaluable pieces of information shown to me by Dr. Dan Keffeler. The grinder setup is a modified, simplified and ghettoized version of his sword grinding demo, optimized for titanium alloy!
 
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