Which sander grinder?

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fdillardmd

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Sep 28, 2007
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I am a newbie, mostly buying knife blanks and making handles and sheaths. May try knife making from bar stock at some time. I need help in deciding which belt sander/grinder to buy. Money is limited so would like to stay under $400.00. would really appreciate some advice as to which specific brands models will give me the best performance for the money. I appreciate you sharing your experience and knowledge.
 
If you're just doing handles and such I'd really lean towards a Kalamazoo 1sm 1x42. I have a 2x72, and still use the Kalamazoo for the bulk of my handle work.
If you think you want to get into making the entire knife at some point, I'd personally recommend building an eerf/grinderinabox. You should be able to put one together for that money if you don't mind single speed, especially if you take the time to find a used motor. Obviously the quality of a home made grinder depends on how good of a job you do, but an eerf can be every bit the equal of a KMG or Bader if it's built well
 
Geoff Flato said:
If you're just doing handles and such I'd really lean towards a Kalamazoo 1sm 1x42. I have a 2x72, and still use the Kalamazoo for the bulk of my handle work.
If you think you want to get into making the entire knife at some point, I'd personally recommend building an eerf/grinderinabox. You should be able to put one together for that money if you don't mind single speed, especially if you take the time to find a used motor. Obviously the quality of a home made grinder depends on how good of a job you do, but an eerf can be every bit the equal of a KMG or Bader if it's built well
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Thanks for the info, I was looking at the Kalamazoo and also considering one of the be!t/disc combo units. What's your thoughts on that?
 
The only belt disc combos I've personally used are the inexpensive 4x36 machines (one in my dad's machine shop for deburring parts) and the cabinet shop 6x48 machines.

I have seen the sort you're thinking of though, and my general experience with tools says you'd be a lot happier with the Kalamazoo. They are simple, but very well made. I've worn out many hundreds of belts on it and the sander may as well have just came out of the box. I doubt I'll ever be able to kill it
 
The Sears/Jet/Dayton/etc. 2X42 and 2X48 units have been popular for a long time. They are still pretty easy to find.
New ones cost $300-$400 and good used ones run $100-$150.

I bet 100,000 knives have been made on an old Sears/Craftsman belt sander. The only real drawback is the 1/3 to 1/2Hp motor.

The disc is nice to have, but not a necessity.

The Kalamazoo 2" grinder (2FSM) runs about $100 more, but is better built and has a 1/2 Hp motor. I think some of the Kalamazoo clones have 3/4 Hp motors for the same money. Ebay has lots of them for sale with free shipping.
 
Kevin McGovern on her has plans for a nice grinder if you are willing/able to drill and tap holes. You'll need two 12 x 12'' pieces of aluminum or steel 1/2'' thick plate and a place to water jet the pieces for you. If you can scrounge the material and motor you might be able to build for $400 after buying the wheels and hardware.
 
Geoff Flato said:
The only belt disc combos I've personally used are the inexpensive 4x36 machines (one in my dad's machine shop for deburring parts) and the cabinet shop 6x48 machines.

I have seen the sort you're thinking of though, and my general experience with tools says you'd be a lot happier with the Kalamazoo. They are simple, but very well made. I've worn out many hundreds of belts on it and the sander may as well have just came out of the box. I doubt I'll ever be able to kill it
Click to expand...
 
Thanks for your input, I appreciate your advice and will certainly think hard about it when I decide to buy.
 
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