What do you do with your grinder in the horizxontal position?

[LARRYZ10]

This is a serious question. When my scales are epoxied on my blade I profile the wood first by running the spine against a disc grinder table and then grab a small wheel attachment with a 1 1/4 or 1 1/2 small wheel and take the wood off the underside of the blade by holding the blade vertical and watching it from the side checking frequently to see the tang. I do the finger well with whichever small wheel is smaller. After I got my first small wheel attachment and some wheels I gave my collection of sanding drums away to a new knife maker. I have never had any trouble holding the knife vertically to do this so I wonder why some guys will spend hours engineering a tilting grinder other than it is just fun to build something...I understand this since I am on my fifth tool rest contraption. Are some of you using the horizontal grinder to do something you could not do otherwise? I make mainly sporting knives 9.5 inches and under with full tangs so maybe I do not see the full picture. Are folders easier to build with a horizontal grinder? Just curious. I think the newer grinders by Wilmont, Wuertz, and Fellhoelter are really cool machines with some great features but the tilting looks like "gee whiz stuff" to me. I do like the compressor driven air piston though so maybe "gee whiz stuff" is essential after all. School me please. Larry

 

[Lance Carrico]

For me at least, I can turn my TW-90 horizontal and have more control by placing the blade on a rock-solid tool rest to grind with a small wheel than I can by holding a blade unsupported in my hand. Additionally, it's much easier to see exactly where I'm grinding since my eyes are looking at the profile instead of the spine. But, to each his own. If you don't need it you'll save some money.

 

[Chuck Gedraitis Knives]

The advantage to using a horizontal grinder with a work rest is that it makes sure that your curves are perfectly square. Doing it by eye vertically will always have a slight angle to one side or the other.

 

[kc custom]

Making folders for sure goes better with horizontal, for all the reasons in the first
two posts above. I have'nt found any disadvantages on straight blades either. There
were a lot of years with sanding drums and every other contraption before I decided
to flip one of my square wheels on its side. I've never looked back.
Ken.

 

[grizzled gizzard]

The only reason why I don't run my TW90 horizontally more is because I can't water cool it that way.

I grind choils in every knife I make, so I guess I'm just used to that.

Really, if I wanted to, I don't know why I couldn't use the work rest in the vertical position, and now I might just try that.

 

[Bill Thomas]

The only reason why I don't run my TW90 horizontally more is because I can't water cool it that way.

I grind choils in every knife I make, so I guess I'm just used to that.

Really, if I wanted to, I don't know why I couldn't use the work rest in the vertical position, and now I might just try that.

Hey Grizz
That sounds cool!
Do you have any pictures, or a can you describe how you water cool your TW90?
Thanks
Bill

Edit
Never mind. I just found your great pictures in your other post. I'm going to copy you on that.
Thanks.

 

[Kosa_PL]

I turn my grinder horizontial when:
- Working with small wheels = better curves on knife
- Making Toxic finish of G10 with 10mm wheel
- Satin finish with Trizact and ScotchBrite belts

And now...

Changing burned Siemens 1.1kW 3phase motor for new... (Error in electric instalation caused burning of engine, now I need take him to rewind coils...)

 

[Brian.Evans]

The only reason why I don't run my TW90 horizontally more is because I can't water cool it that way.

I grind choils in every knife I make, so I guess I'm just used to that.

Really, if I wanted to, I don't know why I couldn't use the work rest in the vertical position, and now I might just try that.

Snoddy has a video of a cheap way to get your spines exactly square involving a 1-2-3 block clamped to your work rest. It actually worked pretty slick. I need to get a block myself one of these days, but the video looked good.