Which belt sander? thinking of starting to make knives

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pirate223

Joined
Dec 7, 2012
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Hey guys. So making knives has been a fascinations of mine for quite some time (years), but I never really thought that I had enough equipment to actually do it. Recently, though, I realized that I had a decent selection of equipment and could contemplate making knives if I obtained a belt sander. I have one in mind, but would like to get your guys opinions first. The sander in question is a Grizzly H6070. What do you guys think? I don't need anything large or terribly powerful (I'd just like to make knives for myself/the family). It just has to be reliable and be $150 or under.
Any opinions would be great. Thanks!

By the way, here's a list of the other equipment I have access to. Please leave a comment if you think I'm lacking something that I would need greatly.

grinder
drill press
large buffing wheel
hand held drill
all the regular tools like screwdrivers, files, hammers, etc (hand held stuff)
angle grinder
table saw (for making wooden handles?)
dremel (a cheap one, will be upgraded in time)
a camping stove for ghetto heat treatment (as well as some sort of bucket to hold the oil)
electric rotary sander (takes circular sanding pads)
a nice vise/anvil combo
That's all I can think of right now.

Thank you for the help!
 
Welcome to this great forum. If I was you, I'd start out by reading the stickies at the top of shop talk page. You will find answers to most of the basic questions. For the budget you have, look into the Kalamazoo 1 x 42 grinder. I like mine for what I'm doing now but I want to get a 2 x 72 soon for real grinding.
 
Thanks guys, I'll check those out.
Tx Bass Tech said:
Welcome to this great forum. If I was you, I'd start out by reading the stickies at the top of shop talk page. You will find answers to most of the basic questions. For the budget you have, look into the Kalamazoo 1 x 42 grinder. I like mine for what I'm doing now but I want to get a 2 x 72 soon for real grinding.
Click to expand...
Thanks, I'll look into it. I'm not looking for something super, just something that will get the job done.
 
pirate223 said:
Thanks guys, I'll check those out.

Thanks, I'll look into it. I'm not looking for something super, just something that will get the job done.
Click to expand...

When you realize your belt sander is slower than a good file, you will question your decision. If you want cheap, start with a 1x30, or buy the craftsman 2x42. Get some good quality belts from supergrit, and work away. The craftsman 2x42 can be converted to a 2x72 to access the belt selection, but it still has the same problems of running too fast, and being underpowered.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...fit-2x72-belts?highlight=craftsman+conversion
 
I am using the grizzly 1x30 and finding as a beginner it is a great way to see if I really get into knife making or not. I made a set of 5 knives for the kitchen in O1, and am finishing a set of 3 fishing/boat knives in CPM 154 now. It is able to handle the shaping well, and even handles the hardened steel and G-10 fiberglass handle shaping/polishing well. A leather belt on it brings the steels to a nice mirror polish. Getting quality belts is the key to easy work with it.

The other tool you may look at is the Grizzly 4x6 band saw. With the right blade it is very handy for cutting out the profiles and not having to grind too much material away.

I look forward to some day moving up to a 2x72 and a real heat treat oven but for now getting results I am happy with as a hobbyist. Good luck!
 
Willie71 said:
When you realize your belt sander is slower than a good file, you will question your decision. If you want cheap, start with a 1x30, or buy the craftsman 2x42. Get some good quality belts from supergrit, and work away. The craftsman 2x42 can be converted to a 2x72 to access the belt selection, but it still has the same problems of running too fast, and being underpowered.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...fit-2x72-belts?highlight=craftsman+conversion
Click to expand...
Thanks for the input. I'm all for putting more money down for a better product if it's necessary. I'll take this into consideration.

StuNY said:
I am using the grizzly 1x30 and finding as a beginner it is a great way to see if I really get into knife making or not. I made a set of 5 knives for the kitchen in O1, and am finishing a set of 3 fishing/boat knives in CPM 154 now. It is able to handle the shaping well, and even handles the hardened steel and G-10 fiberglass handle shaping/polishing well. A leather belt on it brings the steels to a nice mirror polish. Getting quality belts is the key to easy work with it.

The other tool you may look at is the Grizzly 4x6 band saw. With the right blade it is very handy for cutting out the profiles and not having to grind too much material away.

I look forward to some day moving up to a 2x72 and a real heat treat oven but for now getting results I am happy with as a hobbyist. Good luck!
Click to expand...
Thank you for the help. I might get a larger one in the future, but it's good to know a smaller one will get the job done until/if I decide to upgrade. I may try making a knife without a belt grinder first, then deciding what kind I want.
 
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