These grinders will have more accessories, attachments, and wheel attachments than other sizes. What terminology should you use? The versatility of the NWG is unlimited. It is made with a ball bearing construction. If you want something that does a solid job at an affordable price, then look no further. It also has less horsepower than is ideal. This belt grinder is not that popular but only professional workshops and bladesmiths use this impressive belt grinder. If a motor is 1HP ( Horsepower ) you can get a fairly powerful speed but if you get a 2HP or 1.5 HP motor, you can experience much more power while grinding. They tend to have weak motors that will slow down when grinding steel. It has a small work rest which many people modify to make it bigger. Grinders come in all shapes and sizes, what factors are worth focusing on? It might seem like I have presented a lot of different options for belts and I have but we are only scratching the surface. Any recommendations for a beginner on a budget? These are also made by the Red Label Abrasive Store. All in all, this is a great grinder that delivers precision and is a must to have tool in any workshop. I think its worthwhile to use ceramic belts up to 120 grit or so. At 2 across it has more working area for larger pieces of work. I can see the advantages that the JET provides, but I lean toward the HappyBuy 2HP. The next best 272 belt grinder on our list is WKM, which is also known as a high-precision knife maker, thanks to the reliable performance it delivers without any problems. It has a cast-iron body which makes it hard and heavy, but brittle; So dont go smacking it. For its size, this machine is fairly powerful. This will save you time and money, and will make better looking knives as a result. I would buy belts with different flexibilities for your higher grit belts. Moving on, this belt grinder features a serrated contact wheel that helps you to remove heavy stuck that occur during the forging and the other use of this wheel is to clean up a weld. Furthermore, these belt grinders are underpowered which means you wont get the best performance for thicker performance. When purchasing a grinder, youre generally going to be looking at either a belt sander or a disc sander (although there are other less common grinder styles). I don't regret buying the Grizzly but the NWG is by far the better machine. The unique feature of this machine is the ability to control the grinding speed which is impressive at this price point. Once you have a good solid grinder, you will want to put good belts on them. You can calculate the sfpm with the following formula: sfpm = (pi * drive-wheel-diameter) * motor-rpm / 12. With that in mind, this is an excellent product, and will make a great starter grinder, or a nice extra grinder to keep on hand for basic tasks. Biomechanically, you should use 2 hands and keep your arms close to your body. I bought a Sears 2X42 belt grinder with a 6" round surface grinder attached for my 1st one. Most knife supply store sell them and they may be looking into if you are having issues with heat. Copyright 2022. Heavy duty frames can help cut down on chatter. How much did your total build cost? It is for these reasons that the 2x 72 grinders are industry standard. The bigger size of the belt means it will tolerate more heat and wont wear out quickly which will ultimately help you in the creation of outstanding blades. Plus, there is an adjustable belt tension control that removes the tension from the belt and there is an inverter multi-speed control, to be honest, both of these features of a belt grinder are highly helpful in forging activities. There are different types of belt grinders available in the market, but we are going to discuss only 272 belt grinders in this list. 2x72 grinders are the industry standard for knife making, and the majority of belt grinders made are this size. I think this is a high-end grinder that doesnt cost you a dime and proves itself to be a professional-tier tool for bladesmiths. Amazon will attempt to provide an alternative product if the one I link to is not available in your country. Moving on, there are serrated coated wheels below the tool allowing you to get rid of the stock from the knife during grinding. These belt grinders are equipped with fairly larger wheels for fullering, hollow grinds, and other types of needs. Furthermore, the Jet J-4103 delivers outstanding grinding performance as it is a heavy-duty machine for grinding that features a powerful motor that makes it a considerable option for making knives effortlessly. Good finishing requires that you develop your touch, and different belt backing will provide a different touch. There are basically 3 common types of contact surfaces for knife grinding, they are: A platen is a flat piece of steel that is placed behind the belt and acts as a force of resistance as you push in while grinding. All Rights Reserved - 2022 YourNextKnife.com, What to Look For in a Grinder For Knife Making, Belt Sander, Disc Sander, or Combo Grinder, syvio Knife Sets for Kitchen with Block, Kitchen Knife Sets 14 Piece with Built-in Sharpener, Kitchen Knives for Chopping, Slicing, Dicing&Cutting, Cuisinart C55-12PCER1 Advantage Color Collection 12-Piece Knife Set with Blade Guards, Multicolored, McCook MC69W Kitchen Knife Sets,20 Pieces German Stainless Steel Knives Block Set with Built-in Sharpener. I would use a ceramic 36 grit or 40 grit for your first initial cuts. These belt grinders are fairly bigger but they have plenty of options available to pick from. The choice is ultimately up to you. The tool is super easy to assemble right out of the box and you can start using it straight away for knife sanding and grinding so that you can achieve detailed work and general grinding. In terms of raw performance, this is a very high end machine. In his spare time he likes to program computers, go hiking and make knives. This product arrived quickly and was easy to assemble. Especially finer grits. While grinding, little bits of steel will be flying all over the place. I will present in clear terms what I recommend to new knife makers later on in this article. The biggest obstacle for you is not some mythical design where everything is perfect, the biggest obstacle is price. The product arrived quickly, packaged well in a few separate boxes. A high quality setup will remove anywhere from 8-16 times the amount of material that a cheap setup will in a given amount of time. I don't think I could use a Grizzly 2x72 in my basement working on toxic hardwoods and such without an extensive and expensive dust collection system. These belts are said to have structured abrasives. Knife makers will refer to these tools as belt grinders I have heard some knife makers say that belt sanders refer to tools designed for woodworking. Why does my monitor keep going black for a few seconds? My pick for the best belt grinder is the Grizzly G1015 Belt Sander. One thing is clear a decent belt grinder will help you make a sleek and beautiful blade. These are generally made for woodworking and are not well suited to knife making. If you are not a hobbyist, but a beginner who has already used the 130 belt grinder for practice and now looking for one step up upgrade, the 142 belt grinder is the best option for you as it offers a slightly higher surface area while there is barely a difference in price tags and thats why this is the most commonly used belt grinder by beginners and even some professionals. Belt speed is measured in SFPM, and it ranges from 4,000 to 7,000 and the faster the belt rotates, the mower stock removal rate will be from the steel. Thanks for any suggestions. It seems tough. Grinding is fun the first time you do it, but it quickly becomes a chore as many projects will require grinding. As a beginner myself, I purchased a Grizzly grinder and have used it for the past three years. A variable speed can be a nice plus, although is not necessarily required. There are also smaller belt grinders available with these belt settings but they are not worth the money. A common rule of thumb is to have 1hp for every 1 of belt. If you are an experienced belt sander user, you will spend less time at the grinder and it will last longer. Note that this is a single-speed belt grinder. Furthermore, you can tilt the belt to your desired angle but you can only tilt the disc for about 45 degrees to effortlessly grind the knife as well as remove the unwanted materials from the blade. Some belts are given additional treatment, which will often be labeled in addition to the letter. Aluminum oxide also called AO belts are good for higher grit finishing when knife making. That being said, I wouldnt take this rule of thumb too seriously, as I know a lot of talented knife makers that use a 1hp or 1.5hp motor on their 2x72grinder, and they make phenomenal knives. I found this machine to be a little too low-end. You should try both and develop your own opinion if your budget allows. There are also a fair number of grinders that include both a disc sander and a belt sander, which can be a great combo. I have looked at it a couple of times and it always seemed to me that by the time you buy all the wheels you need that you do not really save any money from just buying an KMG. Silicosis has been killing people for thousands of years, please take it seriously and wear a respirator while grinding. Even though the price tag is fairly less, this belt grinder doesnt compromise on vital features. I figure that you can flat or convex grind with the belt. Yes its Chinese but these are simple machines and nothing really can go wrong on a grinder. Other than that, the machine comes with a 3/8 inch thick steel D-plate that creates some space for the slack belt grinding and it can lean in both directions which helps in grinding the bevels. It has a belt arm that can be full tilted. These are high quality 80 grit ceramic belts, they will still chew through steel but will give you a more refined grind than the 36 grit belts. Buying a knife grinder is a sizable investment, so its important to make sure that you know what youre looking for. Jerry is a 34 year old blogger. Heavy frames will also last longer. 1x42 - grizzly, craftsman, delta. All in all, this is the best budget-friendly 272 belt grinder that can help you make knives professionally as well as a side hobby. This helps you have a flat grind. All in all, this is a perfect belt grinder for knife making that works at an impressive speed and is an important tool for any workshop. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. You will have to get used to the idea that belts wear out. Compared to the two grinders reviewed above, this grinder is at a substantially lower price point. Above 120 it makes sense to switch to zirconium belts, as they still last longer than aluminum oxide belts and they work well with higher grits. 5 120 AO belts, Really try to eliminate all scratches and scuffs on the surface of your knife before moving up to a higher grit belt. Dont underestimate this grinder by the looks, it is one of the best belt grinders out there that money can buy and it is also a super budget-friendly and inexpensive option compared with other options on our list. There is a six-inch abrasive disk with a rotational speed of 3,500 rotations per minute. Switch to higher grit belts for surface refinement. Many of the belts I recommend below are only sold in packs of 3 or 6, so dont take the above suggestion as gospel. This affects how you use the grinder and which part of the disc is best for what you are working on. I'm not necessarily promoting Grizzly over other basic grinders. This grinder is well known in the knife making community and is referenced all across various knife making and metalworking forums.This model has been in production for a long time and there are no surprises with it at this point. Keep that in mind. I also have a Craftsman 2x42 but mine has a 1hp motor. In this article, we will be discussing the belt grinders for knifemaking to help you pick the ideal one for your needs. The 3/8-inch deep threads at the clamping bolts are suitable for the tracking mechanism. The arm can easily be adjusted and repositioned as needed. Dont let your fingers get close to the belt, this will rip you to the bone. In short, its hard to estimate, and the only real way to answer this question is to get into your shop and make a bunch of knives. JavaScript is disabled. 10 320-400 AO belts. It is also a good grinder to keep for handle shaping when you are ready to move up to a better grinder. One advantage of a disc grinder is that it provides you with a larger sanding surface, in general. Small grinders with weak motors are a pain in the butt to use. Coote, Grizzly, or what say you? An opinion for hobbyists is to get a quality abrasive if you desire to use the grinder for more productive use like honing, sharpening, and polishing the blades. This is the only belt grinder that is capable to perform on curves and odd shapes or knives. And OF COURSE a thousand dollar machine will run better than a cheaper model at least it better! You will want a pair of steel toed boots w/ a metatarsal guard. I dont think these are necessary for beginners, but again, its worth mentioning that they exist should you run into heat problems further down the line. Belt Sanders. You can not only use these grinders for knife making but other activities as well like woodworking, and so on. Factors To Consider When Buying A Belt Grinder. Moving on, this tool has excellent capacity for sanding, thanks to the meter gauge and a cast aluminum table onboard. I have never used these, but they are supposed to reduce heat build up while working. The next belt grinder for making knives on our list is from JET which is a well-known manufacturer that makes powerful belt grinders and this is one of their favorite belt grinding tools that come with platen settings to work at desired angles without reducing the speed resulting in precision grinding and sanding. This is a great finishing machine that operates quietly and helps you efficiently forge knives while doing small adjustments for improvements. This guide will help you to learn about the types of belt grinders as well as the features that you should look for in a belt grinder. This article goes over what you should look for when buying a grinder, and then reviews a number of different knives. Im not enough of an expert to recommend the optimal setup, but I wear a 3m p100 filter while grinding. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. These are the commonly used grinders in the market for knife making and they are also easily available in any hardware store. It may seem like that is a big list of cons, but Im really leaving no stone unturned here in an effort to be thorough. You may want to consider the context in which you will be operating your grinder so that you can consider whether noise level is an important consideration for you. I don't have the money to spend to have a big specialized workshop. The device has plenty of power and precision for knife sanding and grinding. How Much Belt Speed Does My Belt Grinder Need For Knife Making? I would expect that you should have this up and running within 15-30 minutes. In reality, it can vary wildly. I have only ever used belts that have abrasives glued to cloth belts, so I cant comment on the effectiveness of these other types. With this machine, you will be able to start making nice-quality knives and once you have performed enough practice on this tool, you can upgrade later with a powerful tool. These types of belt grinders are generally used for woodworking as well as knifemaking. Hollow ground edges are incredibly sharp, but they lose durability as a price for their sharpness. Moving on, then this is a fully-equipped belt grinder with all important features that can not only grind but can sand as well delivering glossy finishes. The problem is that no such grinder exists that sells for under $1,000 dollars that is reliably made. How Long Can I Expect A Belt For my Belt Grinder To Last? He is passionate enough that he maintains this blog regarding tech updates on a daily basis. Overall, this was my favorite grinder that Ive used in a while. You can make due without a variable speed grinder if its powerful enough, but having a grinder that can go faster for stock removal and can slow down for detail work is useful. Shop Talk - BladeSmith Questions and Answers. For a hobbyist, or if youre new to knife making, this is a great starting point. Wood and plastic do more loading than steel. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register. Additionally, disc sanders can be nice for detail work where you need to control the knife more precisely. Whether you want to make pocket knives, fixed blade knives, a railroad spike knife, or something else, youre going to want some kind of grinder. Finally, this belt sander has a two wheel design. There are a number of tools that will spray a gentle mist over your belt work surface in an effort to keep your stock cool.
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