sears 2x42 belt grinder

strahd71

strahd71

Joined
Jan 26, 2006
Messages
784
i have a 1x30 belt grinder and it is ok. not very powerful at all. i know before any one tells me that i want a KMG, that i want a KMG but i just cant afford nor can i justify it with my current level of ability.

so with that in mind would the sears 2x42 belt grinder/sander be a total waste of time for the money? i know its not great, its going to be too fast blah blah but its cheap and got to be better than what i got now.

any opinions?

jake

here is the link

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_...e=Tools&cName=Bench+Power+Tools&sName=Sanders
 
I think a 2x42 is better than what you're working with now, but it's just going to be another interim purchase and "OK". I say stick with your current tools and try to get a Coote or Grizzly. Or spend that sears money on some good files. A 1x30 will be fine for cleaning up blades that have been draw filed.
 
I kept mine after getting a KMG and still use it occasionally. It served me well. Watch for it to go on sale for $119.
 
I agree. Short term it may be better than what you have. However, I think long term, you would be better served to save that money and put it towards a higher end grinder. The no wield grinder would be a good, low cost alternative. Best of luck on whatever you decide. ~Cliff
 
I'm beating my brains out with a Delta 4" so I know how you feel. I'm REALLY tempted to order up a Grizzly, because I can, but I think I'm gonna wait till I can afford a bigger step up. Because I read a lot of posts here from guys who own Grizzly's and make really nice knives with them, but gripe about certain features that would make their life easier.

It's easy to say, "well, I'll just step up one little level, spend another $150 and see how it goes"... but then what happens a year from now, when you have TWO grinders you don't really want, and still looking to spend money on a third?
 
If you do get one, here are some helpful tips:

1. ceramic platen liner...pretty much a must have...otherwise you won't be able to track the belt off the platen
2. mount it at the right height.....if its to high/low, you won't get very good control
3. lower grits are good....the finer grits get increasingly difficult to control...anything over 220 is a pain in the butt for me at least on the platen
4. work on the factory guard....i took off the right side guard completely(to aid in faster belt changes)....i then cut some of the top guard off so that I could hold the tang vertically against the platen....just be carefull how much you take off because the left side of the guard holds the tracking wheel and tracking adjustments
 
i appreciate the responses guys! i still dont know what to do though. i dont see my self being able to even save for a KMG or anything esle. i would be using tax money and i have alot of bills to pay with it too. so i dont know. i do know that the little grinder is pretty tuff to work with too.

thanks anyhow i got a little time to decide.... maybe if i put a kidney under my pillow the KMG fairy will come!
 
Something else to consider, which will bring up further conversation, I'm sure.

If that is all you have to spend at the moment, you might also consider buying a disk grinder. Or, if you already have a motor with a 5/8" arbor, you can get a really nice 9" beveled plate for it for about $90.

You can do a lot on a disk grinder, especially when it comes to ensuring everything is spanky flat.

Eventually, you'll want a belt and a disk grinder.

Having said all that. Many knife makers start with a 2x42 and upgrade down the road. And, it will surely be better than what you have now. However, you'll need to do some mods to it before it will be useful for knife making.

You know, you could look around your house and find a bunch of stuff you simply don't need or use anymore and sell it online to get enough money for at least a Grizzly (which will also raise some brows). I think the grizzly is the next step up and seems to be a decent machine for the price. I don't have one, but would consider buying one if I only had that much money to spend and wanted a grinder now.
 
I have a 1x42 grinder with a 1/3rd hp 1750rpm motor on it, its 3x the grinder 1x30 is, but thats not realy saying much. I know for the price of the kmg I would be looking at upgrading my heat treating equipment first, cause I can get by with the 1x42.
 
My Grizzly is the most-used machine in the shop. I have a better grinder, but use the Grizzly for most everything.
 
Garrett Schmidt said:
If you do get one, here are some helpful tips:

1. ceramic platen liner...pretty much a must have...otherwise you won't be able to track the belt off the platen
2. mount it at the right height.....if its to high/low, you won't get very good control
3. lower grits are good....the finer grits get increasingly difficult to control...anything over 220 is a pain in the butt for me at least on the platen
4. work on the factory guard....i took off the right side guard completely(to aid in faster belt changes)....i then cut some of the top guard off so that I could hold the tang vertically against the platen....just be carefull how much you take off because the left side of the guard holds the tracking wheel and tracking adjustments
Click to expand...


I used a 2 x 42 Sears for over a year and modified like this. I made over 300 knives on it. I now use a Coote with a 3 speed pulley system and 2 hp motor. I have looked at Grizzlies but it is a direct drive system with no way ( that I know of) to slow the belt speed down ... not evey one uses a KMG ;) I know someone who uses two Cootes and other homemade belt grinders :D the KMG is nice, just don't let the lack of it define your knife making!
 

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I got one, put on a ceramic platen, got some good belts, and haven't looked back. True I can't do all the small radius grinds I want, but having a friend close by with a kmg helps. A file will accomlish most of the tight stuff you might want to do, but your kinda stuck for concave grinds (though you can lay it down and use the bottom wheel if you had to). I think it's a great machine for the money and you can learn and accomplish a lot using one.:thumbup:

Good luck,
Nathan
 
You pay the shipping and you can use mine until you get your pennies saved for a real grinder. I will include some belts too
 
strahd71 said:
thanks buddy but i just cant do that. i'll get it worked out!

jake
Click to expand...

If you aren't planning on making lots and lots of knives (professional), the Sears will work well for you.

I have one and it will take both 1" and 2" belts. It works well for shaping handles, shaping blanks and sharpening.

Andy
 
On the sears model I grind up to 400 but it is a bit bouncy. Then I go to hand sanding with wd 40 then to HT then hand sand to desired finish. I have made two nice knives out of the first 5 in my life with this grinder. The trick on these is to really take your time and don't apply too much pressure on the belt/platen and you can better control it.
 
I bought mine when I was just trying out the hobby and couldn't justify to myself buying an expensive machine. Now less than a year later, I mostly hate it, although to be honest I've never used a better grinder so it may just be my lack of skills. The thing I dislike the most about it is how fast it runs. It seems like things go badly very quickly if you don't do everything just right every single time. If the disc is something you think you will use a lot, changing abrasive discs is a royal pain (the belts could be too, but you can discard most of the crap getting in the way without any trouble.) I'm getting better with it, but I really want to upgrade to something with speed control.

Since I've never used a 1" grinder either, I can't say for sure, but I don't know if I'd consider the upgrade worthwhile.
 
i realize its not a great grinder. its just happens to be kind of in my price range for the forseable future. i dont expect it to be much but i need something for major stock removal. i can still use my 1x30 for higher grits and more sensitive grinds.

thanks all

jake
 
Does anyone know how the Sears 2x48 compares to a 1x42 Delta? What is better? Unfortunately the Sears in Canada does not carry the 2x42, but I think they look pretty neat.
 
I just got one of the sears grinders for Christmas. I was using only a 6" bench grinder, files, and sandpaper before. Although the sears runs too fast, it has cut my work time in half, maybe more. It's also faster to make mistakes, but I'm satisfied so far.
 
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