Let see your old KMG grinder (vibration test)

Nathan the Machinist

Nathan the Machinist

KnifeMaker / Machinist / Evil Genius
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Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
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Feb 13, 2007
Messages
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This is mine:

[video=youtube;0pRg5hpHM8A]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pRg5hpHM8A[/video]

This particular specimen was built during the early paleolithic era. It is built like a brick shithouse.

There are newer grinders, there are better grinders, but I don't think there is a more solid grinder.

It's funny to me when people get theirs and paint it. If mine had a color I wouldn't be able to see it.

This grinder has thousands of hours on it and is just as smooth today as it was when I got it.

I like how I can run it forward, then switch to reverse and the tracking stays steady, which is helpful when sharpening and grinding lengthwise and cleaning up the plunge. The aluminum wheels wear down over time so I've sleeved the 2" wheels with steel.

I saw a video this morning of a really nice new grinder someone had come out with and I thought it might be nice to also celebrate the old classic Knifemaker's Grinder.

Let's see your old grinder. Your grinder and your shop can't be dirtier than mine. :D
 
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I have two. This is the oldest of the two with a new platen I made. Never felt the need to buy anything other grinder. They are solid machines.
Scott

newplaten_zpsf6yuhtk7.jpg
 
This might be redundant because I posted this a few weeks ago...this is a 2010 KMG running at 4500 SFM. Larry[video=youtube;C5ZMEHY6QtM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5ZMEHY6QtM[/video]
 
just ran downstairs and took a vid for ya

5.5 inch drive wheel and the 3hp 1800rpm motor is run via VFD in frequency doubler mode to get me up to 5200sfpm on the belt, which is pretty screaming fast (as you can hear) At that speed it's pretty scary... but still perfectly dead smooth.

[video=youtube;j_JU2S9Rsn4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_JU2S9Rsn4[/video]
 
When I read the OP I was going to brag a bit about how my KMG clone would balance a quarter at full speed.... but that's only 4,000 sfpm. Ya'll have me beat by a mile so I'll just sit in the corner and be quiet :)

Ken
 
Justin.Mercier said:
just ran downstairs and took a vid for ya

5.5 inch drive wheel and the 3hp 1800rpm motor is run via VFD in frequency doubler mode to get me up to 5200sfpm on the belt, which is pretty screaming fast (as you can hear) At that speed it's pretty scary... but still perfectly dead smooth.

[video=youtube;j_JU2S9Rsn4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_JU2S9Rsn4[/video]
Click to expand...

Nice little show :)
 
Nathan the Machinist said:
This is mine:

[video=youtube;0pRg5hpHM8A]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pRg5hpHM8A[/video]

This particular specimen was built during the early paleolithic era. It is built like a brick shithouse.

There are newer grinders, there are better grinders, but I don't think there is a more solid grinder.

It's funny to me when people get theirs and paint it. If mine had a color I wouldn't be able to see it.

This grinder has thousands of hours on it and is just as smooth today as it was when I got it.

I like how I can run it forward, then switch to reverse and the tracking stays steady, which is helpful when sharpening and grinding lengthwise and cleaning up the plunge. The aluminum wheels wear down over time so I've sleeved the 2" wheels with steel.

I saw a video this morning of a really nice new grinder someone had come out with and I thought it might be nice to also celebrate the old classic Knifemaker's Grinder.

Let's see your old grinder. Your grinder and your shop can't be dirtier than mine. :D
Click to expand...

Nice to see the old girl is still smoothe. It has probably paid for it self a few times by now :)
 
That's nice, but mine it's better, i can even bolt on it a bucket full of ceramic media and use it as a vibrating tumbler ;)
 
This is my KMG . Just like Nathan says it's a great heavy duty machine . Like him I am happy and actually very grateful to own it . I was using full speed grinders before and this upped my game .https://vimeo.com/168755629


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
It hard to believe I was using a belt sander in a vice to make my first two shanks . Just getting a good platen was a upgrade . I have added everything as I went with the exception of speed control . Which I feel is the most critical part of the way I finish my knives ., er shanks .. Another thing . My disc is exceptional upgrade from my homemade one. This disc is tapered like Nathan's but billet instead of steel . I was broke when Nathan's were available . It has a small 1/2 horse motor but it has eyebrow raising torque which for whatever reason I lost in the conversion on my homemade job . The rest is what sell it for me. I do two piece handles almost every one I make . So dovetailing and just squaring everything up is cut down to 1/3 the time. For the new guys .. This stuff takes time to get ..unless you have a lot of coin . Try not to make the mistakes we all have done. Buy the best machine once . You have to have Variable . If you don't you only will wish you did . I got a nice mini mill that was done over by little machine shop . Better than harbor freight but now two years later I'm buying a bigger machine..if I got it out of the gate I would not have burned more money. We'll take care guys
 
Marko3 said:
It hard to believe I was using a belt sander in a vice to make my first two shanks . Just getting a good platen was a upgrade . I have added everything as I went with the exception of speed control . Which I feel is the most critical part of the way I finish my knives ., er shanks .. Another thing . My disc is exceptional upgrade from my homemade one. This disc is tapered like Nathan's but billet instead of steel . I was broke when Nathan's were available . It has a small 1/2 horse motor but it has eyebrow raising torque which for whatever reason I lost in the conversion on my homemade job . The rest is what sell it for me. I do two piece handles almost every one I make . So dovetailing and just squaring everything up is cut down to 1/3 the time. For the new guys .. This stuff takes time to get ..unless you have a lot of coin . Try not to make the mistakes we all have done. Buy the best machine once . You have to have Variable . If you don't you only will wish you did . I got a nice mini mill that was done over by little machine shop . Better than harbor freight but now two years later I'm buying a bigger machine..if I got it out of the gate I would not have burned more money. We'll take care guys
Click to expand...

Lol I thought I was the only one that tried the belt sander thing ;)

Look at my 2x72 thread I think I'm going to get back into (trying) To make knives .
Awsome grinders I don't know if my old single speed Wilton square wheel would do that :)
 
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Nathan the Machinist said:
I like how I can run it forward, then switch to reverse and the tracking stays steady, which is helpful when sharpening and grinding lengthwise and cleaning up the plunge.
Click to expand...

Ok now you've got me interested into how you do this :) when I try to make mine go in reverse it won't track right... I was told that to track properly in reverse I would have to toe the tracking wheel in...
 
As a one time owner of a Wilton ....well we both know that's not going to happen




Teppojutsu said:
Lol I thought I was the only one that tried the belt sander thing ;)

Look at my 2x72 thread I think I'm going to get back into (trying) To make knives .
Awsome grinders I don't know if my old single speed Wilton square wheel would do that :)
Click to expand...
 
It will track the same in REW/FWD only if the wheels axis are parallel and their centerlines lay on the same plane. That's not always the case, and the tracking wheel will "recover" the misalignment, placing the belt back in track. Of course if the direction is reversed it will fail.
Imagine you have 2 steered wheels in line: going forward you turn left, backward you turn righ. A center wheel correction works only in one fixed direction, to go in the opposite you should correct the opposite way.
 
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razor-edge-knives said:
Ok now you've got me interested into how you do this :) when I try to make mine go in reverse it won't track right... I was told that to track properly in reverse I would have to toe the tracking wheel in...
Click to expand...

I don't know, I've never really thought about it, mine just works?

Try swapping your two 2" wheels. If something is wonky that may make it better or may make it worse.
 
Nathan the Machinist said:
I don't know, I've never really thought about it, mine just works?

Try swapping your two 2" wheels. If something is wonky that may make it better or may make it worse.
Click to expand...

According to his previous postings in various forum, his first belt sander was home modified/built, then recently, he bought a TAG...Unless razor-edge-knives got a KMG I don't know of....maybe he is trying to compare his TAG to a KMG?
 
victorf said:
According to his previous postings in various forum, his first belt sander was home modified/built, then recently, he bought a TAG...Unless razor-edge-knives got a KMG I don't know of....maybe he is trying to compare his TAG to a KMG?
Click to expand...

Yeah you are right, sorry didn't mean to derail the thread... As I was reading through the OP I noticed this and it caught my attention because on KMG's website they say not recommended to run in reverse. KMG's are built well no doubt about it!!
 
Marko3 said:
As a one time owner of a Wilton ....well we both know that's not going to happen
Click to expand...

HA ha yea but I was way better then that belt sander and zip tie , the tracking was..... a little shakey lol .

The Wilton was just so fast for a kid lol only one speed HAUL ASS lol.

The vibration and tracking made my plunges hmm less then "desirable" ;)
 
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