Belt sanders

N

Nate Dog

Joined
Dec 29, 2013
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I have took the jump into knife making and am just starting out. I’m looking at a Kalamazoo 1x42 or would it be better to jump up to 2x48? Any information would be helpful.
 
You are probably going to end up with a 2 x 72 grinder and VFD drive, so if you can afford it you might as well start out that way.
 
2x72" with vertical and horizontal positioning will give you the most bang for your buck out of one machine. Check out blackfoxknifeworks.com for our full line of grinders and attachments. We also offer in-house financing to help you make the leap to a 2x72" grinder.
 
Natlek said:
And run it on 3000SFPM :D Seriously ,why is 2 x 72 better then my 2 x 42 ?
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More belt selection, and probably more economical in the long run as well.

Also, you can fit larger contact wheels, platens, etc...
 
Nothing wrong with your machines!

Belts just last longer on 2x72, plus there are more accessories available.

If you are really serious (industrial style), the longer the belt the better.
 
Ultimately, I’d say variable speed is the most desirable option, given the options of 2x72 fixed, or 2x42/48 variable, I’d go with the variable.

That said, an extra 30” of belt adds up on the long run.
 
knife to a gunfight said:
Ultimately, I’d say variable speed is the most desirable option, given the options of 2x72 fixed, or 2x42/48 variable, I’d go with the variable.

That said, an extra 30” of belt adds up on the long run.
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Yes , they will last longer ... if you run them on 7000-8000 SFPM not on 4000 SFPm which is common speed here .
 
Natlek said:
Yes , they will last longer ... if you run them on 7000-8000 SFPM not on 4000 SFPm which is common speed here .
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That depends on the belt.
Where did you come up with the 4000 sfpm being a common speed here?
 
Natlek said:
Yes , they will last longer ... if you run them on 7000-8000 SFPM not on 4000 SFPm which is common speed here .
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I'm not at all sure 4000 SFPM is a "common" speed for most of the folks here. It is for myself and I think several other hobbyist makers who don't have the skills to grind (even profile) at 7,000 (or 8,000) SFPM. I could perhaps handle 5,000 SFPM now I have some experience at 4,000 SFPM profiling, but have no desire for 7,000! That's humming. Imagine breaking a belt at that speed.

edit after reading Scott's post: Yes, I do MUCH of my work at 1,000 SFPM and less. Down to 300 to 400 sometimes.
 
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don't know where 4000 sfpm came from. i do a lot of my work at 400 sfpm or less, especially with belts 120 grit and finer. for a starter grinder, spend $150 or so on a Craftsman 4x36(i think 1250 sfpm). lots of belts to choose from, good place to learn, if not happy with knives, it works ok with wood. save pennies till you can drop $1000 to $1500 for a kit 2x72, vfd, and 3 phase motor.
 
Josh Rider said:
That depends on the belt.
Where did you come up with the 4000 sfpm being a common speed here?
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Natlek is from Macedonia, my guess is that is what he means by “here.” It seems the 2x72 is mostly a USA thing. Other parts of the world as far as I can tell are more likely to use shorter belt length grinders. The ones I’ve seen from Australia are 2x48 or 2x36. Alec Steele in England is running a 2x48. If that’s what most folks are running in other parts of the world they may have better belt availability in those sizes too. 2x72 seems to be the better belt selection stateside because we obviously just have to do things bigger. Honestly, the European and Australian grinders usually look pretty solid and smartly designed to me, and I sort of wish we had similar options stateside.
 
I profile my blades at max speed which is about 6000 SFPM, and rough grind my bevels at about 3000 SFPM. After that, most tasks are ran at about 20-25% of max which is 1200-1500 SPFM (small wheels, finer belts etc).

I'm in Sweden and use 50x2000mm (about 2x78 inch) belts.
 
Most definitely try and buy a 2x72. A lot of good affordable Grinders out there. Look up Oregon Knife Grinders, on eBay. Could start out with a single speed and upgrade it down the road if $ is tight. You will at least have a good foundation at a very affordable price.
 
jll346 said:
Most definitely try and buy a 2x72. A lot of good affordable Grinders out there. Look up Oregon Knife Grinders, on eBay. Could start out with a single speed and upgrade it down the road if $ is tight. You will at least have a good foundation at a very affordable price.
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I believe he goes by Origin Blade Maker now.
 
jll346 said:
Most definitely try and buy a 2x72. A lot of good affordable Grinders out there. Look up Oregon Knife Grinders, on eBay. Could start out with a single speed and upgrade it down the road if $ is tight. You will at least have a good foundation at a very affordable price.
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I wouldn't even consider a single speed grinder unless I wanted it only for high speed grinding. For a general use grinder it'd have a VFD for sure. A VFD can be added for less than $100 by using a NEMA 1 enclosure unit. For the best budget price purchase a complete grinder less motor, then for $250 (or less) you can put a 2 hp motor and VFD with filter over cooling air inlets. Then, a few years later when (IF) the VFD goes bad, you can spend the big bucks for the NEMA 4 unit.
 
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So it sounds like the way to go is definitely 2x 72. Is it even worth having a 1x 42 in a shop for light touch ups or sharpening?
 
Nate Dog said:
Is it even worth having a 1x 42 in a shop for light touch ups or sharpening?
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I use 2x42 alot. But usually it has a 1x42 belt fitted. Not so much as making blades, but general shop use of shaping wood or sharpening shovels, chisels & such.
Its a valued tool.
 
When you have a 2x72 save a few used belts in good condition. You can split them and have 1x72. Good for tight spots and anything else you may need a narrow belt for.
 
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