KMG Clone Project Photo Summary

Looks Great Ken, and thanks for the updated blueprints.

My grinder is coming along, I've got quite the hustle in the next 2 weeks to get it done before my shop time comes to an end.

Has anyone around here machined thier own idlers for these things? I've given it a shot myself, and if they work out I'm going to draw up blueprints/tutorial for them and try to have them added to the available plans. I've never used CAD and have too much on my plate to learn it right now, so if anyone feels like translating my drawings they would be welcome to do so.

Cheers
 
Mike,
If you mean by "idler wheels" the 2" wheels on the platen attachment, yes, I machined my own. Also machined several "small wheels" which work really nice. If you mean the tension/tracking wheel then no I didn't because my Taig is too small. I wish I a) had a little bigger lathe and b) knew how to do the CAD stuff.

Push to get your machine done as hard as you can. You can eat and sleep sometime later. You will have SO much fun with it that you'll ignore your wife and kids and maybe even quit your job so you can play with it full time. OK, so maybe that's an exaggeration but I love mine to death!
 
Thanks Ken, I am just starting to build one in my high school shop class and your photos really help. I am interested in how to turn the wheels, fitting the bearings in the wheels, and machining the pieces of plate square (we have a mill). Thanks again!
 
Outstanding Ken!!!
There must be a knife maker inside of you wanting to get out!!! :D
 
Gosh, my high school sucked. Being able to build a grinder AND machine your own idlers and wheels would have been awesome! Course, when your shop teacher is an old lazy potbellied plains hick-billy and the budget for the class could buy 4 or 5 candy bars, you can't expect too much. We did get to paint the ag trailer 3 or 4 times though. :jerkit:

--nathan
 
have been building my KMG look alike, with the help of a friend with lathe and mill. with 2 tool arms, (one flat platen and one for small wheel.) a 20"x20" 1/4" base plate. the guy that has been helping me get started in Blade work has one, and I got the envy bug.
 
Heh! I thought this thread died about a year ago! I've had a lot of fun with my machine since I got it finished. I'm just starting to make knives with it and it's performing beyond my best expectations. Also does a bangup job of removing bits of thumb, finger, etc. that gets in the way of the belt so be careful. I've rendered building advice to a number of folks. Here's a couple of threads from other forums that might help you guys who are now in the building process. http://forums.dfoggknives.com/index.php?showtopic=9334 and this one about wheels for Keith_H http://forums.dfoggknives.com/index.php?showtopic=9295

I enjoy helping others build their machines so if you have any questions about any part of the process feel free to send me an email or post in this forum or on Don Fogg's Bladesmith forum.

Sam, thanks for the nice words about the toys. The grandkids love 'em and so do their mom and dad because they don't need batteries like all the other toys.

K
 
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