Knife Maker question!

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Triforge

Triforge

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Sep 3, 2012
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Is a belt sander the same thing as a belt grinder? If not can anyone recommend to me a good affordable belt grinder
 
All grinders are sanders, but not all sanders are grinders, in my mind.

Belt Sander is when working with wood, and Belt grinder is when working with metal.
As far as affordable...
That's a complicated question.
You could get a depressing, little, Chinese 1 x 30.
A Craftsman 2 x 42.
And then up from there, Grizzly, GIB, Kalamazoo, Pheer, KMG, Badar 3, Burr King, etc, etc.
 
I recommend abandoning all notions of making knives. You'll be richer in the end for doing so.

But since I doubt you'll follow that advice, read the stickies, where this question is addressed in some detail.
 
I had this exact problem when I started out, but wasn't smart enough to ask about it. So I ended up with a bench grinder. I still use it for cleaning up my profile after I've cut the blade out, because it's a lot faster and generally more precise than trying to use the belt sander/grinder for said purposes. Many places will indeed list what we call grinders as sanders, and very few outside of knife circles seem to list belt grinders as grinders at all.

I made several knives, including kukri and wide-bladed swords, on a 100 dollar 1x30 belt sander (Rikon). The Harbor Freight ones vary WIDELY in quality, and the ones that I had just don't track well at all. I wouldn't get one of those. If you simply must get something cheap, the Craftsman 2x42 is probably the least expensive option, but if you find yourself sticking with the hobby, or turning it into a craft, you might be better off just buying a better quality grinder to start with. I've got a Pheer on order, which is probably about as inexpensive as you can get for a decent higher powered one that will run off of standard 110V household outlets if you don't have a 220V outlet set up, especially if you don't want to worry about figuring out how to get a motor and set it all up. If you're reasonably handy, and don't mind searching for your own motor and such, there's the Grinder in a box kit (GIB). There's also the aforementioned KMG from Beaumont, which is highly recommended, but seems to be a little more pricey than the Pheer I opted for. I'll probably end up with one once I get a bigger shop than my 1-car garage.

I think it's probably worth getting something with a reasonably long platen and accessible slackbelt area, particularly if you plan on making larger blades. I make mostly short swords and big choppers, so that becomes very important to me. Good tracking is a must, and it's nice to have a reasonable amount of power. Good luck to you!
 
It's belt-sander if you're sanding wood, and a belt-grinder if you're grinding metal.

I've made a fair amount of knives and have never been bothered by not having a bench grinder. I can remove metal on a simple 2x42 more quickly, more accurately, and to a far higher finish than I ever could with a bench grinder.
 
Say I made a knife with a kydex sheath. Blade length 3.5 handle 3.2 g10 handle d2 steel spear point saber grind. How much can I sell for?
 
crimsonfalcon07 said:
I had this exact problem when I started out, but wasn't smart enough to ask about it. So I ended up with a bench grinder. I still use it for cleaning up my profile after I've cut the blade out, because it's a lot faster and generally more precise than trying to use the belt sander/grinder for said purposes. Many places will indeed list what we call grinders as sanders, and very few outside of knife circles seem to list belt grinders as grinders at all.

I made several knives, including kukri and wide-bladed swords, on a 100 dollar 1x30 belt sander (Rikon). The Harbor Freight ones vary WIDELY in quality, and the ones that I had just don't track well at all. I wouldn't get one of those. If you simply must get something cheap, the Craftsman 2x42 is probably the least expensive option, but if you find yourself sticking with the hobby, or turning it into a craft, you might be better off just buying a better quality grinder to start with. I've got a Pheer on order, which is probably about as inexpensive as you can get for a decent higher powered one that will run off of standard 110V household outlets if you don't have a 220V outlet set up, especially if you don't want to worry about figuring out how to get a motor and set it all up. If you're reasonably handy, and don't mind searching for your own motor and such, there's the Grinder in a box kit (GIB). There's also the aforementioned KMG from Beaumont, which is highly recommended, but seems to be a little more pricey than the Pheer I opted for. I'll probably end up with one once I get a bigger shop than my 1-car garage.

I think it's probably worth getting something with a reasonably long platen and accessible slackbelt area, particularly if you plan on making larger blades. I make mostly short swords and big choppers, so that becomes very important to me. Good tracking is a must, and it's nice to have a reasonable amount of power. Good luck to you!
Click to expand...

Yeah I'm gonna go with a cheap one first, making ten blades. (specs above) I wish to sell them for 100 each then I can afford a Pheer
 
Knifetten said:
Yeah I'm gonna go with a cheap one first, making ten blades. (specs above) I wish to sell them for 100 each then I can afford a Pheer
Click to expand...

You're straight out of your mind if you think you're going to jump in with zero experience and make money on your first ten knives.
 
...can't say as i'm not curious to see these as well. as for your previous post, it's kind of hard to tell how much to sell your knives for without us seeing and evaluating them. there's a huge difference in what i can sell my 3.5" D2 knives with G-10 handles for and what someone like Bob Dozier will get for one of his... sizes and materials don't neccesarily set the price for the blade automatically. there are a few other factors in there as well, like fit, finish, fourm and function to name a few.
 
fnifekitten congrats on your business plan!!
Whats your makers mark?
FILL OUT YOUR PROFILE!
O ya put up some of those 50 you made... might be hard to find a buyer at 100:thumbdn:
 
It looks like knifetten is either:

a) trolling
b) between 12 and 15 years old
c) both

At any rate, read the stickies, and THEN ask your questions, if you have any left.
 
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