[jimmontg]

If the expense will dictate what you can get and if a 2x72 isn't in your budget not to mention space you can get by with a 2x42 palmgren or a 2x48 kalamazoo if you want to go to $456 shipping included from Jantz supply(cheapest on internet). The Palmgren is around $200 and has a 6" disc as well. I used the 2x48 at my last job to make plenty of blades, some I still have. I was the heat treater too cuz I was a welder, no kidding. Had hardly ever did it before except in a forge. You can jump to a 2x72 Grizzly for about $586 shipping included as well, but it has tracking problems and needs to be tweaked. You can buy a 2x72 Kalamazoo without a motor for $529 and get a nice 1 HP motor from Coote or Leeson or Baldor for around $200-300. Their 2x72 motor is only 1/2 HP and not good enough for a 2x72. Just make sure it is a sealed motor as I have actually seen a motor blow up from metal chips and it can put on quite a fireworks display. Tru-grit.com has a plethora of belts for all sizes. I use a 1x42, but also do a lot of hand work. It is a hobby for me, I also will rough out a blade with an angle grinder with a cutting wheel, use the guard! I've worked in the metal trades since the 70s, use the Guard! Use safety glasses too and a face shield if you've got it.

How deep do you want to go, just as a casual hobby or a want to make the hobby pay for itself type like me now? I've been making knives since the early 90's and used a 3x21 belt sander clamped to a bench for grinding and hand finished and sent them to a local heat treater in the area (OKC, Hinderliter) to start and I actually made some spare money. As for space I now live in an apt. and have my grinder and 9" wood bandsaw on a cart to take outside. I have a covered porch. The Ryobi with the right blade will cut aluminum and brass btw. I am of course a bachelor with no intentions of getting married again.

Putting new handles on knives is a good way to learn handles and if you want to try hand sanding a linear or horizontal grain on a flat ground knife you can try that as well before you put the handles back on. I hand finish all my knives, just wrap some wet-dry silicon carbide sandpaper you get at Auto parts or paint stores taped or wrapped around a flat piece of metal like steel or some hardwood works great. Go from 220 grit and up to 400 or 600 if you want a fine satin finish. Any kitchen knives you are going to rehandle I suggest you use stabilized wood, dymondwood or synthetics like G10 or Micarta. Please note that all these materials have one kind of synthetic resin in them or another and require a good respirator and good shop-vac to vacuum up the dust if using G10 as it is fiberglass. With synthetics always use a clean belt and do not allow them to get hot or they burn easily, create fumes and smell bad, hence the respirator. Lots of nice pics in our photo gallery too.