Recommendation? Beginner Grinder

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MountainMan23

Joined
Nov 13, 2017
Messages
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Hey all!
I'm getting interested in knifemaking. I have a Harbor Freight 4×36 belt sander, and a Delta 8 inch Variable Speed bench grinder. I also have a Dewalt angle grinder, and a rotary tool. Should I invest into a belt grinder, or could I make it work for now with what I have? I don't have a very large budget, and I also don't want to invest too much into it if I'm not gonna be serious about knifemaking. If I need to get a belt grinder, do you have a recommendation for a cheaper belt grinder?
Thanks!
 
The Jiffy Conversion for the 4x36 is a decent and comparatively inexpensive addition to what have. Might consider a drill press too.
 
The HF 4x36 is near useless for knifemaking. I suggest grinding knives using the bench grinder or just making a few with files until you invest in a nicer belt grinder.

If you do invest in a belt grinder, the grizzly 2x72 knifemaker grinder is the best for low budget.
 
Your 4X36 HF grinder will make knives with no problem - I used a HF 6X48" belt grinder before I got my 2X72 and it does work. BUT - once you decide you want to make more than 1 or 2 knives/yr - get the 2X72 grinder. You'll NEVER regret it. AND - do get a VFD drive for speed control. I used a 3 step pulley for a yr or so and felt it was all that was needed..... until I build a VFD grinder. No comparison. My feeling would be stay with the 4X36 until you're ready for a VFD drive 2X72.

If you don't have a drill press, you'll want one of those also. With a decent drill press you can build your 2X72 grinder just fine.
 
Ken H> said:
Your 4X36 HF grinder will make knives with no problem - I used a HF 6X48" belt grinder before I got my 2X72 and it does work. BUT - once you decide you want to make more than 1 or 2 knives/yr - get the 2X72 grinder. You'll NEVER regret it. AND - do get a VFD drive for speed control. I used a 3 step pulley for a yr or so and felt it was all that was needed..... until I build a VFD grinder. No comparison. My feeling would be stay with the 4X36 until you're ready for a VFD drive 2X72.

If you don't have a drill press, you'll want one of those also. With a decent drill press you can build your 2X72 grinder just fine.
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Wow, you must have crazy skills man...

How can you make knives on a belt sander that doesn't have an edge to the platen, wobbles, has a far to wide working space and is slow and underpowered? I have one and used it to make my first knife and it took me forever and I ended up just grinding longways on the top wheel and using some sanding drums.
 
I'm quite interested in the Jiffy conversion. However, would my Harbor Freight sander be powerful enough, or should I upgrade?
 
MountainMan23 said:
I'm quite interested in the Jiffy conversion. However, would my Harbor Freight sander be powerful enough, or should I upgrade?
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My Ryobi is powerful enough to do some work with the Jiffy. By no means will it replace a decent 2x72, but it's much better than the 4x36.
 
Okay, I was also wondering about the Work Sharp Ken Onion Edition, with the blade grinding attachment. Would that work well? The full price would be around $200, and seems a little more versatile, as it can sharpen tools very easily. But would it be good for making knives/grinding in the bevels?
 
MountainMan23 said:
Okay, I was also wondering about the Work Sharp Ken Onion Edition, with the blade grinding attachment. Would that work well? The full price would be around $200, and seems a little more versatile, as it can sharpen tools very easily. But would it be good for making knives/grinding in the bevels?
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I don't know about that. I have the original WorkSharp. I personally would choose the Jiffy, which lets me use 2x48 belt, over my WorkSharp. Quite a better variety of belt choices.
 
My view of this is a little diffrent. I dont think a beggining grinder is really worth it.

Grinders hold their value very well. As long as its not abused, you can expect to get 50-75 percent of the value back when you sell it. The thing is, the better the grinder the better it holds its value.

I got a pheer 427 about 4 years ago and I love it. Most people would call it an "entry" grinder, but I paid 750 new for a grinder with a VFD and couldn't be happier. Buy a few lengths of pyroceramic glass from a glass company "Way WAY cheaper to buy it in lengths online" and you are good to go.
 
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Were it me and I wanted a cheap grinder to get started, I would get the viel s5 1x42".
 
Greenberg Woods said:
My view of this is a little diffrent. I dont think a begging grinder is really worth it.

Grinders hold their value very well. As long as its not abused, you can expect to get 50-75 percent of the value back when you sell it. The thing is, the better the grinder the better it holds its value.

I got a pheer 427 about 4 years ago and I love it. Most people would call it an "entry" grinder, but I paid 750 new for a grinder with a VFD and couldn't be happier. Buy a few lengths of pyroceramic glass from a glass company "Way WAY cheaper to buy it in lengths online" and you are good to go.
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This^^^ I screwed around with1x30 1x42 ,, a 2x42 was livable, and then my first big boy grinder was/is, I still use it and other 2x72” some 21 years later.. www.cootebeltgrinder.com Get a 2x72” with a variable speed , a cheap small drill press ‘ Harbor Frieght’ and You can send you blades out for HT to get rolling!!:thumbsup:
 
If I went the route of the Viel, should I get the S-5, or the S-5-M? The S5M is $170 more expensive, is it worth the extra cash?
 
you need to look at $$. a Craftsman 4x36 can be found for less than $150. It has a usable, adjustable work platform. It is fairly slow, 1150 fps, so you get decent life from your belts. works ok wet if you stand back when you first crank it up. you can get belts in zirconia, silicon carbide and A/O in all the grits you need (24-800). epoxy a 4x4 ceramic bullnose(rounded) tile on the platen at the platform and you have a decent start. mine is 7 years old, makes more noise than an old Yugo, but still works well for wood and quick removal of scale and whatnot after HT. 4x36 is the size chosen by lapidary and metallurgical folks so you have many belts to choose from. do get a table top drill press, Skil or Craftsman or Ryobi, are all about $150 with adjustable speed. get a 4" drill press vise to go with it, another $30. last basic item would be a 4 1/2" angle grinder, another $65. HF is cheapest, but Lowes, Home Depot, and Sears cost just a little more and all offer no question 1 or more year guarantees on things like this for another $10.
a 2x72 is a major investment, plan to spend at least $1500 unless you work industrial maintenance or in a machine shop. what you get from the grinder maker is a grinder. how do you attach it to your grinder table/stand? $10 of bolts, nuts and washers. wire from wall to VFD and from VFD to motor, at least $1 a foot, more when you add plugs and receptacles. more and more little things every time you turn around.
IMHO, if you do go 2x72, get a direct drive grinder that uses 1 1/2" tooling arms and start with a 1 or 1.5Hp motor. you can find a wide selection of 1hp VFD that run on 120v if you do not have 240v in your work area. any metal supply house will have thick wall 1 1/2" tube to make more tooling arms.
 
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For a budget and space conscious beginner, what's the best/most versatile sander/grinder for your $$? Something you could use for all aspects of knife-making - bevels, handles, pins etc.?

I've seen lots of the combo sanders, they won't be as good as a dedicated machine but shop space is a concern, are these any good? Which would be your preference if you could only get one? (aside from a 2x72)
1x30 or 42 belt with a 4x36 belt combo?
1x30 or 42 belt with a 5" sanding disc?
1x42 belt with a grinding wheel?

Thanks
 
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