Looking to start dabbling in knifemaking

Kitten Party said:
i looked into those and I think I could stretch the budget but they are all sold out :(
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Send Chris an email. His front page says more are in stock, I think he forgot to update the sales page to reflect that. Great grinder for the money I really can't say anything bad about it. No tracking issues, and a true work horse. Take a look at my website, and every knife you see was made on the LB1000 so that should speak for itself :D
 
Kitten Party said:
I think I might purchase the grizzly...I would like to get quality but it seems as though its really the only sub 1k option unless your willing to spend a lot of time buying all the parts individually and devout a good deal of your time to manufacturing one. Please correct me if im wrong but my time is also valuable so that is also part of the equation. If somebody is compelled to talk me out of it though I would welcome that. I looked into the oregan blade maker and that is the same price as the grizzly for just the chassis after shipping...Hmmmmm
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I'm going to correct you... :D Unless you're running your own business or planning on IMMEDIATELY producing an income using your new grinder, your time contribution is a pretty insignificant factor, IMO. I see a lot of guys getting hung up on how much time it might take to build a machine vs buy a "turn key" machine, and I'm not sure I really understand it (at least from a hobbyist perspective). I mean, even if it takes you a month to put something together, you're talking about a machine that will not only last you for the next 25 years or more (hopefully, with general care and maintenance), but something that will will also shape your ability to learn grinding and produce your knives.

Also consider that having the options to expand to other tool arms and accessories will not only save you more time for certain processes, but it will also allow you to do more in general. A variable speed machine, for instance, means (IMO) a shorter learning curve for grinding technique, less overheated blades and handles, and a nicer overall product. That's worth a ONE TIME labor investment and a small additional cost, don't you think?

Speaking for the Oregon chassis... you really don't have to manufacture anything anyway. You bolt the chassis to a bench, then wire up the motor and bolt it down behind the machine. Shouldn't take more than 1 short night in the shop. The LB1000 takes a little more assembly as I recall, but it's a little nicer of a machine, and the additional time investment is marginal.

This is all my opinion anyway.
 
The polar bear forge options are the cheapest way to get into a decent grinder. The Oregon blademaker is the best bang for the buck currently, if you don't want to piece it together.
 
Just a few numbers to mull over:

Grizzly Grinder: ~$615, give or take, including shipping.

Oregon Blademaker Grinder: ~$600 shipped for chassis and wheels (flat platen setup)
Drive wheel: ~$40
Chinese VFD: $115
3 phase 2hp Ironhorse Motor: $152
Misc wiring: $20 to $40?
Total: ~$950 give or take. Motors and drives can be found cheaper, especially used, but you have to search around.

You're still under $1k, but about $300 more than the grizzly. Again though, you're getting a machine that will now accept a small wheel holder, any size contact wheel, has a tilting platen, more work rest options, and variable speed, not to mention twice the power from the motor. Worth the extra 50%? I would say so, but in the end, it's your call.
 
Kitten Party said:
Can I tell my fiance that internet people told me to spend all that money when she finds out??
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Sure! Just write me into your will, and I'll come pick up the machine when she's done with you... :D

At the end of the day, it IS an investment. You do get what you pay for, and generally that comes with it's own return on investment, whether it's ease of use, quality of product, versatility/capability of the machine, efficiency, etc... Everybody has heard of buy once, cry once, but I think there's kind of a middle ground there too, of buying something in between the cheapest and most expensive, and still getting a really good product that you can grow into before you grow out of it.

Then again, you can still make knives on either machine. :D
 
Well I think you have pushed me over the edge along with everything I have been hearing, I guess maybe people with experience actually know better than me :D Looks like I'll be saving up a bit and selling the rest of my knives to fund that soon. In the meantime I think I am going to use an angle grinder to cut off some of the material on either side of the 4x36 to make it usable and keep learning as much as I can. I checked out your channel, lots of good info on there!
 
I second the opinion on getting a VFD from the get go. I bought the Pheer 427 and couldn't be happier. Same price range as the other starter grinders mentioned...$1k range including the motor and VFD with a flat platen. I added a small wheel attachment later. Jose Navarro is great to work with. I've heard good things about the Oregon Blademaker and the LB1000 too. I feel like any of those 3 will be more satisfactory than the 2 wheel, fixed speed Grizzly.

Sent from my SM-T310 using Tapatalk
 
Thank you for linking me to your thread bro, lets bounce knowledge and ideas off each other as newbies :)

-Jim
 
I have been looking at the motorless KMG with 10" wheel and trying to find my own variable speed motor to slap on there.... seems like a good "economical" way to get an A+++ rig for under 2k

EDIT: I've also been struggling with the urge to get straight to grinding blade stock vs taking the time to learn some other skills such as tool design and welding to build my own. knife to a gun fight makes some great points above about it maybe taking a full month to learn to build a grinder but saving hundreds of dollars and gaining valuable skills in the process.... luckily I have some time to think about it as I'm not moving into my new house for a couple weeks still, need to build a fence for the dog first, and then need to redo the garage before i start filling it with tools. But this is the exact stuff I want to figure out now while I have time to plan it all out!
 
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PNWJimbo said:
I have been looking at the motorless KMG with 10" wheel and trying to find my own variable speed motor to slap on there.... seems like a good "economical" way to get an A+++ rig for under 2k

EDIT: I've also been struggling with the urge to get straight to grinding blade stock vs taking the time to learn some other skills such as tool design and welding to build my own. knife to a gun fight makes some great points above about it maybe taking a full month to learn to build a grinder but saving hundreds of dollars and gaining valuable skills in the process.... luckily I have some time to think about it as I'm not moving into my new house for a couple weeks still, need to build a fence for the dog first, and then need to redo the garage before i start filling it with tools. But this is the exact stuff I want to figure out now while I have time to plan it all out!
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I agree on taking time, like I was saying in a earlier post, I shouldn't shy away from a challenge and hard work since to succeed in something new, challenging hard work is by definition a necessity. So for instance in my case, buying the grizzly is the impulsive part of me that doesn't want to put in the hours and be out of its element and I am aware of that. The key is to be aware of the motivations of the subconscious!

I already cleaned my garage, got a leg up on you :D
 
One way to pitch it to the fiancée is to point out that a good grinder is an investment. You can sell it for a sizable percentage of the initial cost if you get out of knifemaking.

What she won't know is that the grinder is like your first hit of heroin. You will be spending more on tools and equipment from then on. Many of us have been in this spending spiral for decades.
The guy who dies with the most tools wins!

Seriously, get a good grinder and add the necessary attachments and other equipment a little at a time. The most useful large purchases are a grinder, a metal cutting band saw, a good drill press, a disc grinder, and a HT oven. Things like forges and anvils, power hammers and presses, welders and plasma cutters, CNC mills, etc. are great, but not necessary to make good knives.

The best initial purchase a new maker can make is $100 worth of good metal files and $100 worth of quality sandpaper. You will use these on every knife you make. Using those two things, you can make a quality knife with no other tool besides a cordless drill and a ball peen hammer.
 
You can make great knives with a 4x36... took me a while to get used to my KMG.
 
For me, it all started with a couple of posts on this forum. Next thing I knew, I was building my own grinder, HT oven, etching machine, kydex press, work benches, buying drill presses, then a knee mill, a surface grinder, a lathe, built another grinder, then a disk grinder, and I've lost count of the dozens of other tools and gadgets.

You can (I HAVE) saved a lot of money by building my own tools here and there, and that in and of itself has been it's own experience.

The list of tools and needs NEVER ends, and typically only gets more expensive. Now I'm looking at CNC (probably building my own to start), but I'd also like to get into forging, which will lead to presses, and rollers, and anvils, and power hammers, and probably a new shop to fit it all in... :D Still not sure how I'm gonna pay for any of it, but maybe I'll have a fraction of it bought and paid for by the time I'm around 80 years old. HA!

Heck, I may not get any of it, but I'm still gonna use what I have, to make what I can, and keep getting better with each one. That much ANYBODY can do.
 
Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith said:
One way to pitch it to the fiancée is to point out that a good grinder is an investment. You can sell it for a sizable percentage of the initial cost if you get out of knifemaking.

What she won't know is that the grinder is like your first hit of heroin. You will be spending more on tools and equipment from then on. Many of us have been in this spending spiral for decades.
The guy who dies with the most tools wins!

Seriously, get a good grinder and add the necessary attachments and other equipment a little at a time. The most useful large purchases are a grinder, a metal cutting band saw, a good drill press, a disc grinder, and a HT oven. Things like forges and anvils, power hammers and presses, welders and plasma cutters, CNC mills, etc. are great, but not necessary to make good knives.

The best initial purchase a new maker can make is $100 worth of good metal files and $100 worth of quality sandpaper. You will use these on every knife you make. Using those two things, you can make a quality knife with no other tool besides a cordless drill and a ball peen hammer.
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Invaluable, concise and witty as usually, Stacy. I had been looking into everything (grinder, band saw, drill press, etc) except for the HT oven on my "must buy" list.
 
OK OK, Im going to pull the trigger on the oregon blade maker... I just need to find a deal on a motor and drive wheel, and look for a cheap VFD...

Im guessing that this motor would be a good value and workout with the setup? Im not really sure how to determine the proper drive wheel to purchase with this? Should I go with something lower HP like 1.5 or 2?
https://hgrinc.com/productDetail/Motors/Used-Baldor-Motor-/02171500064/

and doing a cursory search on VFDs I'm completly out of my depth on whats needed and compatibility. Not trying to be handfed info but I dont really know where to start/look with these.
EDIT: well I found some good info on these and think I will bue able to figure out what I need...
 
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