Motor Speed

W

>>>---WW---->

Joined
Dec 11, 2020
Messages
6
Hi fellas:
I'm fairly new to knife making. I've been doing all my work on a 2x42 Dayton so far. But I've decided to jump up to a 2x72. So I ordered an OBM grinder and a 4" drive wheel. Now my problem is what motor to buy for it.

I'll be doing the majority of my blade shaping and cutting out blanks with an angle grinder and a band saw. So hopefully I won't be doing too much hogging with the 2x72. So, should I buy a 1800 rpm motor or something in the 3450 rpm range. I'm worried about the higher speeds burning handle material and also ruining the temper on the blades. Since I'm not going to be doing a lot of heavy hogging, do you think a 1hp to 1.5 hp would be sufficient ?

Thanks in advance for any advice you can give to this new knife maker.
 
Newbie here as well and I picked up the OBM 2x72 last year. You'll need to consider if you have 110 or 220 accessible. That aside, the VFD is a must as far as I'm concerned. I'd also splurge a bit for the tilting chassis. It wasnt an option when I got mine and I wish I had it. FWIW, I ended up with the 1.5HP and VFD. I have never felt like I'm missing the 2HP model. Could be my inexperience, but ignorance is bliss.
 
Thanks for all the replies so far. This is just a hobby for me so I'm trying to keep the cost down as low as possible and still be able to make a good knife. I'm not likely to make a business out of it. Just a hobby.
 
>>>---WW----> said:
Thanks for all the replies so far. This is just a hobby for me so I'm trying to keep the cost down as low as possible and still be able to make a good knife. I'm not likely to make a business out of it. Just a hobby.
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I will say as a fellow newbie with less than 2 years experience that a good knife can be made without a lot of cost. Not saying YOU can do it... but I'm not saying "I" can do it either! But it can be done. I started with a 1x30 and then went to a 2x42... and then to a 2x72 and am now looking at another. Depending on how hard the bug bites you, you may find yourself spending more on tools to make knives and more time invested in planning those tools than you do making knives. I'm going assume this is natural. If you really want to get started making knives, can do so with a file jig at a minimal cost. I made one last year just to have and used it to make one knife. It's painfully slow, but it will work.
Again, understand that the advice I am giving is simply from a newbie perspective who is only a couple years ahead of you... so take it for what it's worth.
 
Here is what not to do but of course I did it and am still doing it because it works good enough for me for now.

I had an 1800 rpm motor that I used with a 4” drive wheel (basically gives me 1880sfpm which is fairly slow in the grand scheme of things). Later I bought an 8” drive wheel (basically gives me 3775sfpm which is a pretty good sweet spot). I can change my drive wheel in less than 2 minutes so it’s no big inconvenience for me. I’ll do my profile, cleanup, begin my bevels with high speed then slow down as I get closer to finishing and handle work.
 
3fifty7 said:
Here is what not to do but of course I did it and am still doing it because it works good enough for me for now.

I had an 1800 rpm motor that I used with a 4” drive wheel (basically gives me 1880sfpm which is fairly slow in the grand scheme of things). Later I bought an 8” drive wheel (basically gives me 3775sfpm which is a pretty good sweet spot). I can change my drive wheel in less than 2 minutes so it’s no big inconvenience for me. I’ll do my profile, cleanup, begin my bevels with high speed then slow down as I get closer to finishing and handle work.
Click to expand...
I do this exact thing with 1800 rpm motor but have 7 in and 4 in drive wheels.
 
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