Looks like I"ll be pulling the trigger on an AMK 77 grinder

Ok...this is my latest final decision, and I guess it will be my final, final decision as the checks going in the mail today. After much more contemplation, exchanging about 6 or 8 emails with Brett Mathews (owner-builder of Esteem grinders), and input from those more knowledgeable and skilled than I, I have decided on the Esteem.

There were a few things that after considering, put the decision over the top in comparison to the AMK-77 that I was going to get. The Esteem has all steel construction and weighs in at about 160 pounds, verses an aluminum frame on the AMK. Structurally there's nothing wrong with an aluminum frame, its not as if its going to fly apart. The difference is in mass, and the more mass there is, the more vibration dampening there's going to be, as another poster pointed out. The Esteem comes with a 2hp Leeson motor, the AMK with a 1.5hp motor of unknown origin (well...we all really know the origin, don't we?). The work rest that Brett supplies as a standard feature is an articulating model on 3 axis and will remount for horizontal use. This is by far the nicest standard workrest of any of the grinders that I've looked at, and it does not come at an additional cost as the website seemed to indicate. And finally there's Brett. I've talked to him on the phone a few times now, and have exchanged several emails. Brett has got to be one of the most conscientious, caring, customer oriented individuals that I've ever had the pleasure to do business with. Others that have dealt with him have been quick to point out the same thing and I wholeheartedly agree.

The grinder is ordered with all of the features that I'd originally wanted except for the 12" wheel which Brett does not offer, though he did point me to a good source. He advised that I just go with his 8" wheel for now and see if I even like hollow grinding, as some folks don't. He also said that the 8" wheel would be easier to learn on. Makes sense, and the 8" wheel is very reasonably priced. I won't mind adding 12" contact wheel down the line. So the grinder will come with a 2hp Leeson and KBAC-27d VFD, a tilt base, small wheel attachment, and 8" contact wheel with an additional tooling arm. The price is within $100 of what I would have paid for the AMK as it turns out.

Onward and Upward.
 
You made the right decision.
 
I didn't pay attention to this thread, lots of valid points.


The black paint hides a lot, but now I see that AMK frame is made of 80-20 prefab aluminum rail.
https://www.8020.net/

I think that the comments on rigidity are quite valid.


The only way that the low end grinders can reduce the price is to use less or cheaper material to charge you less.
It's possible that they are also gutting out the machine and not passing that $ onto you in lower prices.

I guess it was in a different thread I mentioned, the AMK photos with the red contact wheel is a castor wheel not a contact wheel.
It's not at all balanced.

He spent more on the flag in that photo than on the contact wheel.



The photo that points out a switch could have been mounted in the VFD is really valid too.


I'm really suspicious of the use of the word "engineer" in this thread
 
12345678910 said:
I'm really suspicious of the use of the word "engineer" in this thread
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Yeah, I was trying to be nice ;)

To the OP, I think you're really going to like the Esteem. I've never heard of anything but high praise for this machine.
 
TonyRV2 said:
Ok...this is my latest final decision, and I guess it will be my final, final decision as the checks going in the mail today. After much more contemplation, exchanging about 6 or 8 emails with Brett Mathews (owner-builder of Esteem grinders), and input from those more knowledgeable and skilled than I, I have decided on the Esteem.
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Good choice! You won't be sorry.:thumbup:
 
I want to thank everyone that responded to this thread both pro and con in regards to my original post. There were aspects of the purchase that I'd not originally thought about and the comments here were definitely helpful. And, as someone had mentioned, any grinder will be helpful in building a knife, but as it turns out, the choices that are available seem almost overwhelming. Then decision boils down to a unique mix of economy, mechanics, personalities, and personal comfort/choice. And I thought all I was doing was buying a machine. I'll take pictures to post once its delivered and tuned up so I can always remember that one day when everything was shiny. :rolleyes:
 
When I was researching grinders I was in the same boat as you. I was getting mixed feelings on every make and model of grinder currently available. I knew that Don Hanson owned and used just about every grinder made so I called him up and asked his advice. He went over the pluses and minuses of each one but when I asked him if he could only have one grinder in his shop which would it be, without hesitation, he said, "hands down, the Bader B-III". On that advice I bought one with a 1.5 HP variable speed and have never looked back. If you're reading this, thanks again Don.
 
Did you happen to find out what the recommended amps for the breaker were with this motor/vfd set up? I'm looking at the same set up (down the road) and will be running a new 220 circuit in my shop.
And thank you for keeping us all up to date with your grinder journey. I have now changed my mind about 20 times and I'm sure I will continue to do so.
 
E.Carlson said:
Did you happen to find out what the recommended amps for the breaker were with this motor/vfd set up? I'm looking at the same set up (down the road) and will be running a new 220 circuit in my shop.
And thank you for keeping us all up to date with your grinder journey. I have now changed my mind about 20 times and I'm sure I will continue to do so.
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I feel your pain Mr. Carlson. The motor that Brett supplies with the grinder is a 2hp Leeson motor. However, when the VFD is plugged into a 120V source it will only run the motor at a maximum of 1.5hp which means a 20A circuit would be adequate. I also plan on eventually running 220 out to the shop so that I can take advantage of the motors potential. I will say though, that according to Brett, that 1.5hp operation is plenty for grinding knives and that he himself runs his personal grinder on a 120V circuit and it has never bogged down on him. So I guess what it comes down to is a matter of personal choice and what's available as far as power. To change the VFD from 120V to 220V is just a matter of changing one jumper and putting a switch from the 120 to 220 position, according to the KBAC-27d manual.
 
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Well, I have the juice running to my shop to run a 220 from the sub panel, so that's not a problem. Go big or go home right? I was just wondering about the recommended breaker for the 220 circuit. I'm sure a double 20 amp would do the trick. Just want to be sure the breaker pops if something is overheating, but not under normal operation. I'll be sure to find out for sure when I'm done saving my pennies. Thanks again.
 
The KBAC-27d manual recommends 20amp breakers for a 220V line connection, so you'll be fine with that.
 
The plot thickens. I just pulled the trigger on an amk-77. for me tinkering around and buying this and that off of ebay and adapting and altering is not part of the fun factor. the amk-77 comes ready for making knives which is the point for us. and in the end it is a loop of sandpaper going around in circles.

However, if there is something about the electrical socket that could be hazardous please explain in laymans terms.

you can always spend more money but in the end it is a knife and not a nuclear reactor we are making.

Im gonna be straight up and say I would have got the grizzly if it were not for the flimsy small looking tool shelve. The whole buy this and buy that and add on game gets started and nickel and dimes you to no end.

Ill post about about the amk-77 and its characteristics after I get some blade time with it.
 
Living The Dream said:
However, if there is something about the electrical socket that could be hazardous please explain in laymans terms.
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Well, since I brought it up, I'll try to explain. There are two hazards associated with having that outlet mounted on the grinder. One is a fire hazard, the other a shock hazard. If you don't grind wet, you won't be subjected to a shock hazard, but during the process of grinding blades it sometimes becomes necessary to cool things down. This is where the water comes into play. Many makers will cool the blade by dunking it into a bucket of water, or in my case, I actually have water dripping onto my belt while it's running to keep things cool. I'm sure you understand that water and electricity don't play well together. The KBAC VFD come in an enclosed cabinet that keeps dust and moisture out, so there is not a shock hazard with it, but when you put an exposed outlet right where a lot of water could end up, you have a potential problem. The other problem with the outlet is that of metal dust building up in the outlet and igniting, metal dust is quite flammable. Why they put an outlet right where the most dust is going to accumulate totally baffles me. This is a hazard with all the other outlets in your shop as well, and you should do your best to keep them free of dust.

Now, there is a solution if your grinder comes with this outlet and switch. Take it out of line and run the power straight to the drive. If you have no experience with wiring motors, or following a schematic, I suggest you find a friend that does, or hire an electrician to do it for you. I'm assuming they put the switch there to disconnect the power to the VFD when not in use. With most grinders using the KBAC drive there is a toggle type switch that installs in the drive cabinet that you can use to shut the power off when your not using the grinder. This switch is an accessory kit that K&B sells. It's around $15 bucks and comes with the switch and every thing you need to install by following instructions and plugging a few wires into the circuit board of the drive. Another option would be to unplug the drive from the wall outlet whenever you're finished grinding. I would suggest you order the switch kit.

I hope this answers your question.
 
Living The Dream said:
However, if there is something about the electrical socket that could be hazardous please explain in laymans terms.
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As the KBAC drives come stock, there is no means to disconnect line voltage to the drive, other than switching of the breaker feeding the outlet, or unplugging it from the outlet. 99% of the time, this isn't a huge issue, but you really should be able to quickly and easily power down the drive if need be, without unplugging it, or having to run to a circuit breaker. Though the KB sealed switches are a little pricier than a standard toggle, they're only an additional $15 or $20 and take no time to install (often they come already installed if you choose the option from the distribuitor). In my opinion, they should be included with any grinder VFD package.
 
Congratulation on your purchase, LTD. If I had made the decision to purchase the AMK model instead of the Esteem, I would have swapped out the outlet/switch enclosure for a weatherproof one, something like this here.... waterproof enclosure
 
Thanks man I am still pondering on this. I got the single speed model without VFD. Bare bones for $1,299.00. I am considering the advice and may have that outlet changed to some type of water/dust proof box. Also considering moving that outlet box somewhere else. it is hard to figure it out with just a picture.

We use water grinding with our 1x42 but there has been no pools or puddles of water that I have noticed. Most of our equipment plugs into overhead outlets. It has been simple to grab orange electrical cord and jerking it out of the outlet when a belt breaks.

TonyRV2 said:
Congratulation on your purchase, LTD. If I had made the decision to purchase the AMK model instead of the Esteem, I would have swapped out the outlet/switch enclosure for a weatherproof one, something like this here.... waterproof enclosure
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i appreciate all your research. i too have been wanting a good belt sander. the kmg does look impressive but i'm no pro. or full time. i've seen the amk and like it. look forward to how it works out for you. thanks.
ok... the esteem.. i'm sold.
 
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got my amk 77 yesterday. took all of about 5 minutes to set up. First impression is that is a solid son of a gun. very sturdy. the aluminum frame is very solid. the thing doesn't move, shake or shimmy. changing belts is fast and simple. I wished it would have came with a small torx wrench in the size needed. No big deal but the size required I happen to be missing from my set. DURN KIDS!

I did find a torx head to plug into my 3/8 ratchet and I was off to mounting the tool rest which was solid , thick and heavy. The cutout for the platen and wheel was precise and well done. I smoked through a handle I was dry fitting and was amazed how fast it was. sawdust soon covered the shop.

The platen and 12 inch wheel stick out far enough from the front of the unit, I don't feel that the on off switch is threat of electrical shock. The electrical plug is handy to run a lamp.

love it so far. But I am just a beginner hobbyist. I would be glad to answer any questions anyone has about the unit.
 
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