I have a craftsman 2 x 42, but I am having a little trouble finding belts for it. Additionally, this grinder works well for both detail work and general grinding, which is great. Shop Talk - BladeSmith Questions and Answers. I can see the advantages that the JET provides, but I lean toward the HappyBuy 2HP. A high quality 40 grit ceramic belt may make anywhere from 10-15+ knives before it becomes ineffective. How do I increase the volume on my Airpods for TikTok, Why does my Airpods Low Battery Sound so Loud, Left arbor: 8-1/2 extension with 5/8 arbor, 1/3 HP, 120/240VAC motor, 3.5/1.75 amp, 3500 RPM, Belt arm operates vertically and horizontally. But the advantage of such a smaller belt grinder that has a powerful motor is that you can produce knives at a faster pace. If you are on a budget, I wouldnt buy anything smaller than a 2x48 belt grinder. 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. Read more about him. How Much Horsepower Does My Belt Grinder Need For Knife Making? The problem is that no such grinder exists that sells for under $1,000 dollars that is reliably made. I would buy belts with different flexibilities for your higher grit belts. Changing out the belts was pretty easy to do, and the build quality is solid. Having a grinder with variable speed allows you to do steel hogging at full speed and handle sanding at lower speed allowing you to precisely control the quality of knives you craft. These factors will influence what the best machine is for your use case. This grinder features three different grinding wheels and there is a quick-release mechanism to switch between the blades effortlessly. Are you looking for the highest end professional machine, or something more basic? In reality, it can vary wildly. This is the kind of grinder that I would recommend for one of two use cases: Overall, this is an excellent budget grinder for knife making. Steel and wood debris builds up in between the grains, this is called loading. 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. Note that the further you go out on a disc sander, the faster that portion of the disc is spinning. Are you doing detail work? Its also notoriously fast. The whole frame of the grinder is made up of steel that makes it sturdy and powerful enough to withstand strong vibrations. You can make a full, usable, decent-quality knife with this grinder. While grinding, little bits of steel will be flying all over the place. Why does my monitor keep going black for a few seconds? Lets see whats the best 272 belt grinder for knife making in this list. What is the best resolution for a 19 inch monitor? We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for website owners to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.ca and affiliated sites, as well as to other websites that may be affiliated with Amazon Service LLC Associates Program. Its also as far as I know not possible to change out the contact wheel to a wheel of a different radius, which can be helpful for certain types of cuts where you may want to change the radius of your cuts to make them steeper or flatter. Cool your stock in cold water if it gets too hot. The first thing you will want to consider is the size of your grinder. My pick for the best belt grinder is the Grizzly G1015 Belt Sander. I just bought the Delta 1x42 grinder and like it a lot so far. Hell if I know, I just know knife makers generally call these machines belt grinders. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Most belts will have a cloth backing, but you can find other materials as well. 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. a 1 inch grinder is going to be endlessly handy forever, so just go ahead and get one. 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. I bought a Sears 2X42 belt grinder with a 6" round surface grinder attached for my 1st one. Belt Sanders are no different. 5 320-400 AO Belts, If you have more money, the following list will work even better, 10 40 ceramic belts I still use ceramics at 120 grit, but a number of knife makers I know begin to switch to zirconium or AO belts at this grit. While the grinder is used for usual grinding work. You will want a belt speed somewhere in the range of 4,100 surface feet per minute and 7,000 surface feet per minute. I found this machine to be a little too low-end. You can not only use these grinders for knife making but other activities as well like woodworking, and so on. It also features a rest table as well. Lower grit belts tend to see more vigorous use, but higher grit belts tend to gunk up faster than lower grit belts. These types of belt grinders are generally used for woodworking as well as knifemaking. The next best belt grinder for knife making on our list is Bucktool which is a highly efficient and reliable belt grinder available at a mid-range price tag. Now that Im done with the sales pitch, I want to stress that its not perfect. The best part of this tool is the big-size dust port linked to the dust extractor to efficiently manage the dust and debris that accumulates during the knife-making process. Start with lower grit belts for stock removal. If you forge your general knife outline first, and are just using your grinder to make the bevels and to remove scratches, they may last longer. 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. Its quick and easy to use, and is also fairly quiet as far as grinders go. Heavy duty frames can help cut down on chatter. How Much Belt Speed Does My Belt Grinder Need For Knife Making? Someone said that if you can learn to grind a knife on a Grizzly, and if you upgrade later, you will already have some skills you didn't know you had. One thing is clear a decent belt grinder will help you make a sleek and beautiful blade. These grinders will have more accessories, attachments, and wheel attachments than other sizes. 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 in all, this is the most efficient 272 belt grinder that you can use for making knives effortlessly without spending a lot of money. So, to get next-level grinding power, go with a machine that has a powerful motor so that you can get high pressure and power on the belt. Disc Sanders. Chatter makes delicate or accurate work (like bevels on a knife) more difficult to accomplish. For Sale: Custom & Semi Production Knives (Dealer), KnifeMaker's Market: Knives & More for Sale, Wanted: Knifemaker / Craftsman / Related Services, Busse / Swamprat / Scrapyard Knives For Sale, For Sale: Traditionals, Slipjoints, "Old Timey", International (Non-US) For Sale & Trade Forums. It comes with refinishing cylindrical shapes that result in the smooth finishing of the knives. There are many factors to look for when choosing a grinder. It also has less horsepower than is ideal. There are also a fair number of grinders that include both a disc sander and a belt sander, which can be a great combo. Generally, the belt grinders are expensive, but this one is fairly affordable and despite the low price tag, it doesnt compromise on the functionality and the features. For the love of god please wear your safety glasses. This belt grinder does an efficient job of blade detailing and it can also be used for bevel grinding, profiling, and other areas of knife development. A Common mistake beginners make is moving to a higher grit belt too quickly. The product arrived quickly, packaged well in a few separate boxes. The most important part of any knife grinder is the motor size that will determine the quality of grind you can get. Personally, Im lucky enough to have tried them all, but if you want to narrow it down to one, these are the three big ones that Id be looking at for the purchase: So, which grinder is the best for your use case? You need to view belts the same way you view your steel stock, they are a fundamental material cost for knife making, and you will go through a lot of them. 5 120 AO belts For me, having this on hand has been great for small adjustments and improvements. Not all the belt grinders are equipped with precision belt tracking, but this one features it to keep the belt in control. It has a maximum rotational speed of 1725 RPM and has a belt speed of 3600 FPM. Steel oriented grinders will want a higher belt speed than wood oriented grinders. What terminology should you use? Stronger motors allow you to run at higher speeds and allows you to run coarser paper. I tested this machine out and it worked pretty well for detail sanding, which is what I was looking at this machine for, due to its smaller size. 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). Aluminum oxide also called AO belts are good for higher grit finishing when knife making. You should try both and develop your own opinion if your budget allows. I second your opinion about the Happybuy. Furthermore, the Jet JSG-6CS is a considerable belt grinder that has plenty of other features as well which means it can efficiently help you with knife making and the compact design takes a lot less space on the workstation. Now when you hear heavy in the machine world, you should think expensive. 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. Ive had mine for over a year and its been faultless. It does everything I can throw at it and Ive been making 3 knives a week on it since I got it so it gets some heavy use. What are you using your knife-making grinder for? The radius of the contact wheel will directly affect the radius of your concave cuts. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register. Ceramic is fantastic for hardened steel as these belts like high speed and pressure. They tend to have weak motors that will slow down when grinding steel. If youre a professional, this is a great finishing machine to have as an extra tool on hand. Furthermore, these belt grinders are underpowered which means you wont get the best performance for thicker performance. I figure that you can flat or convex grind with the belt. I think its worthwhile to use ceramic belts up to 120 grit or so. It is not a great grinder for making knives, but it will work for flat platen and slack belt grinding. 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. As I mentioned earlier, if you are planning on making more than a couple knives, you will get your moneys worth paying up for a better grinder. 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. Grinding a knife into existence is a satisfying task, not to mention quite a profitable trade if you know what youre doing. I dont have much personal experience with structured abrasives Ill get around to testing them eventually, I swear! 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. Please wear a respirator while you grind. Well, not quite. The belt has a quick-release mechanism making for quick belt changes. Combo grinders. Belts made out of structured AO will last longer than unstructured AO. I would use a ceramic 36 grit or 40 grit for your first initial cuts. 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. Really try to eliminate all scratches and scuffs on the surface of your knife before moving up to a higher grit belt. Be wary of heat on your knife and on your fingers, even with a fresh belt. Yes its Chinese but these are simple machines and nothing really can go wrong on a grinder. This machine has a combination of belt and disc and still manages to stand on its own while doing the sanding and grinding jobs. Easily, the Jet J-41002 is our favorite belt grinder for knife making that comes with a deluxe miter gauge that can turn from the same angle as well as a lock from the same angle. Overall, this was my favorite grinder that Ive used in a while. The downside of this machine is that it doesnt collect the dust efficiently and requires adjustments all the time on the startup. Best Aluminum oxide 220 grit belt for knives, Best Aluminum oxide 320 grit belt for knives, Best Aluminum oxide 400 grit belt for knives, Best high grit finishing belts for knives, How To Use A Belt Grinder For Knife Making. 5 120 AO belts, Dont underestimate this grinder for use only for basic tasks, it can be used for professional activities as well with higher precision. In addition to the type of backing material your belt has, there is also a letter designation on the backside of your belt. It may not display this or other websites correctly. The Palmgren is a little more expensive, but I find that the extra money is worth it. Additionally, disc sanders can be nice for detail work where you need to control the knife more precisely. This tool is definitely worth the price. The difference between a cheap grinder with a cheap belt and a high quality grinder with a high quality belt is astonishing. However nothing is free, these grinders and the belts that they use tend to be more expensive. However, its also important to note whether the grinder always updates at that speed, or whether it can be adjusted. I have only ever used belts that have abrasives glued to cloth belts, so I cant comment on the effectiveness of these other types. How Long Can I Expect A Belt For my Belt Grinder To Last? This is a great finishing machine that operates quietly and helps you efficiently forge knives while doing small adjustments for improvements. I don't have the money to spend to have a big specialized workshop. When I used this device, I found that 272 belts also worked with the device, but just barely. Silicosis has been killing people for thousands of years, please take it seriously and wear a respirator while grinding. The arm can easily be adjusted and repositioned as needed. It is made with a ball bearing construction. Moving on, the Bucktool 2600 comes with an induction motor that operates the belt grinder at an impressive speed so that the grinder can be used for grinding as well as sanding at the same time. If you find yourself making bevel cuts of a certain degree over and over again, it may be worthwhile to either make or buy a jig to help you make those cuts consistently across many production runs. Next up on our list is Jet JSG-6CS which is a fairly perfect belt grinder for knife making on our list. 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. What Is The Best Belt Grinder For Knife Making? What Grit Belt Should I use for Knife Making? The more you pay, the fewer obstacles you (should) have. Any recommendations for a beginner on a budget? 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. I do like the HappyBuy 2HP belt grinder about as much as this one, though, and that machine comes at a lower rate. Amazon will attempt to provide an alternative product if the one I link to is not available in your country. So, with this blade you will be able to do the blade development from different stages like sanding, sharpening, and polishing the edges. 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. JavaScript is disabled. If you are an experienced belt sander user, you will spend less time at the grinder and it will last longer. 3 Basic Types Of Belt Grinding Contact Surfaces For Knife Making. 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. What Is The Difference Between A Belt Grinder and A Belt Sander? Id recommend this to anyone who wants the best of the best; this is an excellent addition to any workshop and is a great professional-tier tool. And OF COURSE a thousand dollar machine will run better than a cheaper model at least it better! For that reason, even though there are other grinders that are a little higher end, this is an excellent option, either as a first grinder, or as an extra grinder in a shop that already has a higher end tool. Wider belt sizes tend to be nice for broader grinding, and thinner belts can be great for detail work. Aluminum oxide belts are cheap but dull quickly. This article goes over what you should look for when buying a grinder, and then reviews a number of different knives.

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