Tools you wish you would have bought starting out

B

blsdmf

Joined
Jun 18, 2015
Messages
16
Hey All,

First and foremost, this forum has been a WEALTH of information, so thank you to you all for contributing to such a great community. This is my first post here so the short of it is, long time knife collector who has decided to start learning how to make my own. I am in the process of buying equipment and would like to hear any insight on things you wish you would have bought when starting out? I have decided on a belt grinder, own a band saw and drill press and am deciding on which hand files to buy next. So, what do you wish you would have invested in from the beginning? Any insight is appreciated here, I will ultimately be taking a class with an accomplished knife maker and can't wait to get going! Thanks all!
 
GREAT thread idea, I am interested in hearing this as well since I am just starting this next upcoming week

If this helps you this is my partial list of desired tools in no particular order..

Belt Grinder (I am starting with the craftsman 2x42)
Table Band Saw (purchasing this week)
Assorted hand files
drill press (soon but not yet)
Vise for the bench
Cross Slide vise for the drill press
table top mini mill
dremel (own)
Calipers (own)

I'll be able to complete my first one with the grinder, dremel, calipers, and a hacksaw, but this is the eventual list for me.

welcome to the forum!

-T
 
Blacknboostn, I live in RSM. I saw one of your threads the other day and realized you're in Aliso Viejo, we should meet up in the future.
Blacknboostn said:
GREAT thread idea, I am interested in hearing this as well since I am just starting this next upcoming week

If this helps you this is my partial list of desired tools in no particular order..

Belt Grinder (I am starting with the craftsman 2x42)
Table Band Saw (purchasing this week)
Assorted hand files
drill press (soon but not yet)
Vise for the bench
Cross Slide vise for the drill press
table top mini mill
dremel (own)
Calipers (own)

I'll be able to complete my first one with the grinder, dremel, calipers, and a hacksaw, but this is the eventual list for me.

welcome to the forum!

-T
Click to expand...
 
110 pound Say Mak hammer back when I could afford one!!!!!
 
blsdmf said:
Blacknboostn, I live in RSM. I saw one of your threads the other day and realized you're in Aliso Viejo, we should meet up in the future.
Click to expand...

I'm in corona del mar till August. Then will have my shop setup in my garage in Cerritos. I have 2 grinders if you guys want to connect and have a knife making get together. :-)
 
There are a lot of little things I have gathered that are indispensable, such as clamps. 123 blocks, drill bits, countersinks, etc, but the one thing that has made the biggest improvement in my knives has been a 2x72 variable speed grinder with flat platten, 10" contact wheel and small wheel attachment. This is the heart of my shop. If I had it to do over and could afford it, this would have been my first purchase. Even if you decide you don't want to continue making knives, you could easily recoup most of your investment if you purchased something like a KMG and then had to sell it on the used market.
 
I started with a 1/3hp delta 1x42 grinder. Man, that thing sucked. I wish I had spent a little more money and gotten a grizzly or something.
 
I've seen many people mention 123 blocks, and in machining in general. I've looked them up but can you give some specifics on how they are used in knife making? I'm glad to hear your sentiments on the grinder. I have decided to invest in a KMG from the start, mainly because I'm giving up another hobby to pursue this one, so I have the funds available. I'm a big believer in getting the right equipment from the start, as opposed to buying something I will ultimately want to sell and upgrade in a year. As the saying goes, buy once, cry once, right? haha. Agreed on the resale value, should things not work out its an easy sale. Thanks for your input!
NC Biker said:
There are a lot of little things I have gathered that are indispensable, such as clamps. 123 blocks, drill bits, countersinks, etc, but the one thing that has made the biggest improvement in my knives has been a 2x72 variable speed grinder with flat platten, 10" contact wheel and small wheel attachment. This is the heart of my shop. If I had it to do over and could afford it, this would have been my first purchase. Even if you decide you don't want to continue making knives, you could easily recoup most of your investment if you purchased something like a KMG and then had to sell it on the used market.
Click to expand...
 
That's good to hear. I seem to see a lot of people saying they wish they would have invested in a better grinder from the get go. Thanks for your input.
Hesparus said:
I started with a 1/3hp delta 1x42 grinder. Man, that thing sucked. I wish I had spent a little more money and gotten a grizzly or something.
Click to expand...
 
hsc3_90293 said:
I'm in corona del mar till August. Then will have my shop setup in my garage in Cerritos. I have 2 grinders if you guys want to connect and have a knife making get together. :-)
Click to expand...

That's awesome! I'd love to meet up, sent you a friend request, keep me in mind when you are set up in Cerritos. Once I'm all set up in my garage, I'd love to have people over. What kind of grinders do you have?
 
blsdmf said:
Blacknboostn, I live in RSM. I saw one of your threads the other day and realized you're in Aliso Viejo, we should meet up in the future.
Click to expand...

hsc3_90293 said:
I'm in corona del mar till August. Then will have my shop setup in my garage in Cerritos. I have 2 grinders if you guys want to connect and have a knife making get together. :-)
Click to expand...

This sounds like a plan to me, I'll hopefully be grinding out my first knife or batch of knives in the next 2 weeks and I'd love to meet someone first hand that may be able to share some tips, or we can just get together and talk about knives haha.

-T
 
My last 2 tool purchases were 123 blocks and a set of carbide faced file guides. The 123 blocks have helped me drill straighter holes on my crappy HF 8" drill press. I should have bought those a year ago.

I just used the file guides last night for the first time to even up the plunge lines with a file. I plan on using them when grinding but I have to make a modification to my back platen before they'll work on there.

One thing that I didn't have at first but that I did buy not to late in the process was a portable band saw and I set up up with a stand on my workbench. If possible get the band saw to start with too.


Tools I don't have that I think I need/want but have gotten by without so far. 1) buffer- I keep thinking I need this but I keep finishing knives without one and I think they look great. I'm still torn on wether or not to get one. I would only use it for handle work since I don't like mirror finished blades. 2) mini mill- I'm about to start making folders so I'm thinking hard about pulling the trigger on this. If you just make full tang fixed blades you can get by perfectly fine without one.
 
also, back on topic for me, the clamps are a needed as well... sounds like I need to make a home depot run for a few things.

Harbor Freight has a benchtop mini mill for around 360... just opened up a location in Lake Forest too, need to visit there ASAP

A milling machine is high on my list for when I begin to make folders.
 
blsdmf said:
I've seen many people mention 123 blocks, and in machining in general. I've looked them up but can you give some specifics on how they are used in knife making?
Click to expand...

I use mine daily on the drill press as fixtures for holding blades or anything else. They have threaded holes so that they can be bolted to my drill press table.

Also, at the grinder for setting the work rest 90° to the paten. If they are off, a slight tap on the rest with the 123 block will nudge the rest into place.

I will at times clamp a block perpendicular to my platen and use it as a guide and hold a blade up against the block as I'm grinding the spine so that I get a perfect 90° angle. They come in real handy anytime you want to square something.

Check out the photos below for examples.

123block.png
 
blsdmf said:
That's awesome! I'd love to meet up, sent you a friend request, keep me in mind when you are set up in Cerritos. Once I'm all set up in my garage, I'd love to have people over. What kind of grinders do you have?
Click to expand...

I have an esteem and hard-core grinder. Both variable speed with various attachments
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top