The Ultimate Viel 1x42 Thread

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Pondoro2310

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Apr 13, 2014
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I just ordered one. I will be ordering accessories soon. I'm hoping to hear"
1) What you have learned about using your Viel (Tips and tricks and areas where it is good or areas where it is not so good).
2) Stuff you wish you had known (cause you broke it, ruined a knife, almost ruined a knife, or hurt yourself).
3) What accessories you really love or that you do not like so well.
4) What you sharpen (knives, lawnmower blades, blowgun darts, you name it).

Thanks
 
I got my Viel 1x42 belt grinder today. My reactions:
It seems very sturdy
The instructions are almost non-existent, very superficial
There is no tracking adjustment, which surprised me since my three belt sanders (3", 3" and 4") all have one. But I fired it up and the belt tracks
I will be out of town for a while so no real test reports for a week or two
 
I would love to hear more about this machine as well... looks well built and the jigs for it look amazing! thanks for the thread
 
OK, first surprise. I can't just walk in to Menards and buy 1x42" belts. Sears, Amazon, Grizzly and Home Depot all have them on line. So I need to think ahead.
 
I just ordered the 1/3hp grinder. Gonna put my Kalamazoo Industries 1x42 on Craigslist.
 
I got the Viel 1x42 several months ago. It was a nice jump up from the Harbor Freight 1x30. The first thing I did was to add new rubber bumpers that bolt on because the ones that came with it kept falling off.

I get all my belts from Tru-Grit Abrasives. I highly recommend getting a Surgi-sharp 42 inch leather stropping belt with compound. It will take your sharpening to a new level.

You adjust the tracking by turning the two bolts on the housing that holds the spring and wheel arm.

If you loosen the right and tighten the left it moves the wheel arm to the right.
If you loosen the left and tighten the right it moves the wheel arm to the left.
Don't tighten them down together too much or you wont be able to push down on the spring to change your belts.

I have found that I like sharpening with this machine while laying down with the belt horizontal and turning away from me. It feels very natural and I can actually see the burr being formed as I pass the blade across the belt. Because I can see the burr, I am removing a lot less material than going through the motions, sharpening blind with the machine standing up. I can raise a tiny burr with fewer passes on higher grit belts and watch it disappear with the leather strop belt leaving crisp edges.
 
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I use both the Viel and Kalamazoo grinders. The Viel runs a bit faster the the Kali and I use it mostly for polishing / final finish in my sharpening progression. I use them both horizontally which most don't. Works best for me with the belt running away from me so I can watch burr formation. I sharpen so many different items with them it saves a bunch of time knowing where the edge is forming.

The Viel does need some replacement hardware to keep things from coming loose. I used nylon nuts to keep the foot fasteners from loosening. Two years no issues. A little anti seize on the set screw that holds the pulley to the shaft of the motor solved the issue I had of that screw coming loose from time to time.

The Kalamazoo units idler pulley bearing IMHO needs to be replaced. The China sourced OEM bearing is junk. Easily replaced with better a bearing for years of trouble free use. Four Kali units. All the idler bearings were toast after less than a month. Go figure.
 
I've had my Kalamazoo for 5 years now, no problem.

[video=youtube;tl4GD-2zCgY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tl4GD-2zCgY[/video]
 
Woudn't it be sweet if you could hook up a VFD to the Viel? :D

Check out some of the jigs (it's in french but you get the idea):

[video=youtube;zn-yLMJbnyQ]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zn-yLMJbnyQ[/video]
[video=youtube;ppsqFwWCWJg]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppsqFwWCWJg[/video]
[video=youtube;pC46WZGRIdA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pC46WZGRIdA[/video]
 
I've sharpened 5000+/- knives and many other tools on my first Viel.
First thing I replaced was the rubber feet as mentioned. I also added a 2" port just under the attachement slot that is connected to a dust collector and includes a 4" hose that draws from under the machine.

Other issues:
Knife guide- I've used 4 different ones on two machines and when I tighten them down they turn a bit. Causing the bevel to be steeper on one side.
After a while the belt will raise a burr on the guide. You don't notice it until you see scratches on the side of the blade.

Chisel attachement- I got the one from Veritas that slides in the groove on the work table. Its rare that I am able to raise the table high enough to get the proper angle and still reach the belt. Perhaps a jig similar to the scissor attachement would work.

Idler wheel- It wore out. The axle wore through the mounting bracket. Fixed it with a spot weld. They also sell a replacement with cartridge bearings.

First gen scissor attachement was poorly built. The CNC one they sell now is worth getting. Much better!

Variable speed option would be nice. Rather from them or accomplished on your own.

I primarily sharpen for restaurants, but I also get a lot of garden tools etc., and today I have a sword, machete, scissors, pinking shears, and a "herb cutter" (industrial serrated blade that wacks herb plants out of large gardens).
Overall I really like the Viel. I think it is a great and versatile machine.
It would be interesting to hear experiences with the drill bit and planer blade attachement. As well as a platen upgrade.
 
Here are the bumpers I added. There are a total of seven. Four on the bottom and three on the back for laying the machine horizontally.





Also, mounted the power wire to keep it out of the way and added a piece of leather to the platen to smooth things out on contact.




The sharpening accessory is designed to be used like this:

You set the angle and drag the blade across it while trying to keep the edge in even contact with the belt. Well it is worthless for me as the blade is all over the place and impossible to keep even. I do all my sharpening free hand with the sander laying down.



I added this piece of aluminum with JB weld to create a jig for setting edges and re-profiling.



The spine rests on the aluminum then the edge is introduced to the belt and moved across. The blade is completely locked in at all times at a set angle all the way around the belly to the tip. It is pretty much fool proof, very easy to use and provides excellent results. The angle is adjusted to any degree by moving the jig in or out.



The very first time I used the jig I took this .22 Busse with a thick ass grind down to about .18 with thinned out shoulders. After I set my angle I removed the platen allowing the belt to wrap around the blade for a zero convex grind.
Not a single problem, everything went perfectly, even, and the knife went from a slug to cutting like a laser.

 
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Good thought on the jig, however it seems dragging the spine across a fixed guide will cause the bevel to change throughout the edge. I hold a thumb against the guide, using the other hand to drag the knifes spine across it adjusting to hight of the blade.
 
I'm not sure what you are describing. The spine and edge on most blades are parallel so the edge remains even. I can raise and lower the angle of the spine to some degree as I make each pass to accommodate any curves in a blade. I do a dry run with the sander off while setting up. To keep any curves in the blade consistent, I pick the imaginary spot on the belt where I want the edge to contact as I make the sweep up or down and adjust the spine accordingly.

Keep in mind this jig is for keeping things even during heavy material removal. I do all my sharpening free hand. I could see using the sharpening accessory as intended on thin kitchen knives but I find it difficult on thicker blades. The other thing to consider is if I have it set on 25 degrees and I am sharpening a thick knife with a wide, full flat grind, the angle of sharpening is not going to be 25 degrees. It will be more because I am adding the angle of the blade. Think about a wide saber grind. If you place the flat part of the blade on the accessory you will be getting the proper degree. If you place the bevel of the blade on the accessory the degree will change.
 
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I like this grinder very much. This is the first knife made on it.



For member... Mossyhorn.
 
New member here. I have spent the last few days trying to figure out which system to go with for fast sharpening. I will be going with the Viel 1x42 grinder. I like the jig system for the Viel, and will be setting mine up with a 1/2hp Baldor that I bought for cheap.


To thank you all for the information that helped me pick this system out. I figured I would post the deal on Baldor motors from Amazon. Amazon has/had an awesome price on the Baldor, 1/2hp, 1725rpm L3409 for about $80 shiped two day with Prime. As of this post there are 5 left, the price has gone up $10 since I purchased it yesterday, but still an awesome price. Right now, it looks like their system might have a glitch and some of the Baldor motors are priced at Chinese brand prices. It is possible that they may cancel orders if it is a glitch. However, my motor shipped so I do not know.
 
This is the most recent knife I made on this grinder.

[video=youtube;c1N80LNCh54]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1N80LNCh54[/video]

 
More Viel... in action

[video=youtube;kT1-STzYFb8]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kT1-STzYFb8[/video]
 
I have a ceramic glass platen from usa knifemaker jb welded on mine. it was too long but a hacksaw made it fit, been at it 3 years with no issues. if it ever wears out or breaks I wil put another in its place. I do flat grind blades in carbon for buck 110's and it is easier for me on a 1 inch grinder than a 2x72. I use the bader and kmg on bigger fixed blades.
 
kn4wd said:
I have a ceramic glass platen from usa knifemaker jb welded on mine. it was too long but a hacksaw made it fit, been at it 3 years with no issues. if it ever wears out or breaks I wil put another in its place. I do flat grind blades in carbon for buck 110's and it is easier for me on a 1 inch grinder than a 2x72. I use the bader and kmg on bigger fixed blades.
Click to expand...

They will last me about a year probably, but I have to lap it flat again every few months =) I do the same on my 2x72 though. Speaking of which, you need 2 things on your bader/kmg and you will never go back to the viel ;) a VFD (if you don't have one already) and some 1" belts w/ a 1" platen. I split my own belts w/ the belt splitter from usaknifemaker and run them on my Wilmont and it's perfect tracking w/ no issues. Not to derail this thread! :p
 
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