will this type of grinder work for me

T

thedirector93

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Dec 10, 2013
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ok so i was looking at different grinders and i've seen lots of people use belt grinders, but can i use a grinder with a wheel and still be able to do flat grinds and saber grinds? like the one in this picture
grind95.jpg
im new to knife making so i still have a lot to learn
 
You can make flat grinds with a large enough wheel, 8-12" should work, but you get the flat kind of shape by kind of rocking it back and forth. This takes some skill so if you haven't ground a knife before it might be kind of hard for you to do a more advanced technique before you learn the basics. I recommend starting with some hollow grinds because they aren't as difficult, to keep a steady grind line you just have to fit the curvature of the hollow to the wheel. Or if you're dead set on flat grinds you could try to find a flat platen for your grinder or make one yourself.
 
The picture IS a maker using a belt grinder and a contact wheel to do a hollow grind. A bench grinder with stone wheel is mostly useless for bevel grinding. The stone wheels cause bounce, get smaller with use, and make it very very hard to get anything resembling an acceptable grind. If you can't get a belt grinder, files would be a better option for grinding bevels than a wheeled bench grinder.
 
What Grayzer said +1.

I started off with a bench grinder. The stones wear down quickly and unevenly. The blade bounces when grinding... a LOT. You will never get a good grind on a wheel.

What you see in that picture is a large contact wheel on a belt grinder. It has a rubber outer band that eliminates the bounce and gives you a smooth even surface to grind against. That's what you want for hollow grinding.

Flat grinding is better done with a belt grinder that has a proper platen behind the belt.

By the way, you should NOT wear gloves when working with grinders.
 
Did I miss something? I didn't see him ask about a bench grinder. :confused:

Director, which grinder do you have, or are planning on getting? I don't remember seeing one that didn't have a platen, either included, or as an accessory.
 
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