Show Off Your Grinder(s) - (V4.0)

J. Keeton

J. Keeton

Joined
Nov 15, 2005
Messages
1,209
I want to come clean... I have a weakness... I love scrolling though pictures of knife making belt grinders! :D

I propose restarting an epic grinder show off thread! The intention of this thread is for everyone to show off their grinder and/or grinding set up (work station). What type of grinder is irrelevant, just looking to have fun and get ideas on how other people set up their tools.

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Previous Related Threads:

2008 "Share Pictures of Your Grinder" - https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/share-pictures-of-your-grinder.606747/

2011 "Show Us Your Grinder" - https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/show-us-your-grinder.889851/

2018 " Show off Your Grinders" - https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/show-off-your-grinders.1561479/
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I'll start... this is my current grinder. It's a Kadramas Kreations Grinder that I modified to accept 1.5'' tooling arms. I picked it up, second hand, almost 2 years ago now. Has a 1HP lesson motor with a VFD that runs on 110:







Messing around with "Royer" top platen


Currently working on a "grinder flipper" to go horizontal:





Cheers Knife Making Brethren,
RBO
 
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J. Keeton said:
I want to come clean... I have a weakness... I love scrolling though pictures of knife making belt grinders! :D

I propose restarting an epic grinder show off thread! The intention of this thread is for everyone to show off their grinder and/or grinding set up (work station). What type of grinder is irrelevant, just looking to have fun and get ideas on how other people set up their tools.

-------------------------------------
Previous Related Threads:

2008 "Share Pictures of Your Grinder" - https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/share-pictures-of-your-grinder.606747/

2011 "Show Us Your Grinder" - https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/show-us-your-grinder.889851/

2018 " Show off Your Grinders" - https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/show-off-your-grinders.1561479/
-------------------------------------

I'll start... this is my current grinder. It's a Kadramas Kreations Grinder that I modified to accept 1.5'' tooling arms. I picked it up, second hand, almost 2 years ago now. Has a 1HP lesson motor with a VFD that runs on 110:







Messing around with "Royer" top platen


Currently working on a "grinder flipper" to go horizontal:





Cheers Knife Making Brethren,
RBO
Click to expand...
Man yours is clean! Mine is a mess compared to that! But I grind wet so I guess that's to be expected.
 
@j.keeton "Has a 1HP lesson motor with a VFD that runs on 110" how does this setup feel, power wise? I have been using 1hp direct drive and been debating going your exact set-up. 1hp works fine for me now, vfd will eliminate changing drive wheels for speed.
I built my own with ameribrade parts initially, than went full ameribrade.

a9Jal70.jpg
 
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If your using a contact wheel scherf for most of your heavy removal then finishing with a platen 1hp is all you’ll ever need if it’s direct drive.

I’ve used 1hp up to 3hp end all the increase your hp is from the belt driven kmg days, direct drive 1hp is plenty

you won’t be able to use your current motor with a vfd though sadly, need a 3 phase. Make sure you get a 1750/1800 rpm 3 phase instead of the 3450/3600
 
J. Keeton said:
I want to come clean... I have a weakness... I love scrolling though pictures of knife making belt grinders! :D

I propose restarting an epic grinder show off thread! The intention of this thread is for everyone to show off their grinder and/or grinding set up (work station). What type of grinder is irrelevant, just looking to have fun and get ideas on how other people set up their tools.

-------------------------------------
Previous Related Threads:

2008 "Share Pictures of Your Grinder" - https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/share-pictures-of-your-grinder.606747/

2011 "Show Us Your Grinder" - https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/show-us-your-grinder.889851/

2018 " Show off Your Grinders" - https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/show-off-your-grinders.1561479/
-------------------------------------

I'll start... this is my current grinder. It's a Kadramas Kreations Grinder that I modified to accept 1.5'' tooling arms. I picked it up, second hand, almost 2 years ago now. Has a 1HP lesson motor with a VFD that runs on 110:







Messing around with "Royer" top platen


Currently working on a "grinder flipper" to go horizontal:





Cheers Knife Making Brethren,
RBO
Click to expand...
I contacted him about getting one of his grinders but there is a 2-4 month wait time. I was checking out the Mini Diktator grinder.
 
I got a Das Toobinator grinder from OBM last year.

Should have bitten the bullet and got the 3 phase motor and vdf set up..... which I knew...but was feeling cheap.....

C6RomUA.jpg


Lots not to like about this grinder, from the tension system taking muscle to use, to the slow adjustment of the bolts on the tooling arm/platen. But it beats the 1x30.....
 
J. Hoffman J. Hoffman Gotta love the robust look of the burr king! That big wheel is awesome! Thanks for sharing sir.

REK Knives REK Knives I've thought about trying a wet system. It does seem to make a mess though, right?

scherf68 scherf68 Good looking grinder sir! Man I really haven't had any issues. I think it may depend on your grinding style. The VFD is a game changer, regardless of HP... in my opinion.

BRab BRab Hard not to love the clean look of a NRT grinder! I need a big wheel man... I'm getting wheel envy over here!

john april john april Heck yeah!

crocogator106 crocogator106 damn that's a while!

Bigfattyt Bigfattyt definitely a step up from a 1x30! Nothing wrong with a budget 2x72 to get you in the game, in my opinion.

bmilleker bmilleker Man, thanks for those shots! I love your work stations and it's sweet to see new school and old school Beaumounts. The newer model you have looks like a dream. Are those magnifying attachments with lights? Do you use the magnifier on them or just the light it provides?

N Natlek those are slick sir! That 2x42 looks handy!

H HSC /// dude that burking looks like a BEAST!
 
Here is my belt grinder. It looks rough and crude, but it runs fantastically well and I have very few complaints with it. This has been a constantly evolving tool. It began as a project that coincided with the first COVID lockdowns. Because of that I lost my access to a machine shop so I made the first iteration of the grinder almost entirely with a table saw and a drill press. As the world began to recover and reopen I was able to squeeze a few hours of shop time in here and there and started improving it piece by piece. This is likely the final iteration of it as I'm working on an entirely new chassis at the moment. The highlights of the current iteration include a rock solid tracking setup made from 3/4" aluminum stock, rotating on bearings at the base. The platen is 10" long, ceramic, and water-cooled by a pump connected to the power switch on the VFD, so as soon as I turn on the grinder the platen cooling loop begins to circulate. I just recently came into a 3 hp Baldor Super-E motor so I grabbed a KBAC-29 VFD to run it. I'd previously been using a 1.5 hp motor which was more than sufficient for knife making but left me wanting for a little more power when really hogging steel for other projects.





 
J. Keeton said:
bmilleker bmilleker Man, thanks for those shots! I love your work stations and it's sweet to see new school and old school Beaumounts. The newer model you have looks like a dream. Are those magnifying attachments with lights? Do you use the magnifier on them or just the light it provides?
Click to expand...

Thanks! I have been thinking of building a metal base, less of a work station, for the new KMG-TX. Wet grinding and the OSB tops don't really play well together long term.

Those are just LED lights, but I do want to pick up a magnifying light to put somewhere in that area. Mostly to check plunges as I am finish grinding.
 
C CallumRD1 , are those quick connects on your water lines?! I need to find some of those for my platen! I am so tired of unhooking and plugging the lines with bolts :P.
 
bmilleker said:
C CallumRD1 , are those quick connects on your water lines?! I need to find some of those for my platen! I am so tired of unhooking and plugging the lines with bolts :p.
Click to expand...

They're just normal air line quick disconnects. It's not an ideal solution (big and bulky mostly) but far better than not having any quick disconnects! If I could find some small, reasonably priced quick disconnects for fairly small diameter water tubes I'd be very happy but I haven't come across any better solutions yet.
 
J. Keeton said:
REK Knives REK Knives I've thought about trying a wet system. It does seem to make a mess though, right?
Click to expand...

Not if you set it up right with the trough and mud flaps... It does get your grinder messy but the shop stays pretty clean. Doesn't sling water everywhere :) and it REALLY extends belt life and makes grinding so much faster in certain scenarios.

Here are a few pics after I refinished it recently (was rusting pretty bad)

i-KxX4mZD-X2.jpg

i-WcQB2mx-X3.jpg
 
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