The Newbies Arena Are you new to knife making? Here is all the help you will need. |
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03-02-2017, 05:56 PM
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![Ray Rogers's Avatar](image.php?s=5e92b9b4903e09720fc530b53beaf9bd&u=3&dateline=1059697282) |
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Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Wauconda, WA
Posts: 9,840
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10" is my 'go to' wheel, used for most everything. An 8" wheel is standard with many grinders but I like the slightly larger 10". Unless you're making some humongous hollow ground knives you will likely never need a bigger wheel. I made a 5" wheel that I use for really small blades.
$300 might seem like a lot until you try to use a wheel that isn't balanced. My personal choice is 10" serrated wheel as they move steel a little faster and run a bit cooler than a smooth wheel. You can have a wheel custom made at Sunray, they make lots of wheels for knife makers so they are familiar with what we need. Sunray is usually a few dollars cheaper .....
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03-02-2017, 07:06 PM
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Guru
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Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Now live in Las Cruces NM.
Posts: 1,345
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What Ray said.
Don't worry about the aluminum if it's thick enough and the right alloy and temper. 5000 series and 6000 series are used on high strength parts. The only steel wheels I've seen on a belt sander is the drive wheel on an old Kalamazoo, old. If you're good at woodworking they have a video on YT of a guy who built a 2x72 from mostly wood, including the wheels. Crazy, but it worked. I think he balanced it on a lathe.
For the big contact wheels $300 is about what they cost. 8" isn't much cheaper, like 250. You could check knife forums for cheaper deal. I've made small hollow grinds with a 6" and a 4", but only with a jig. Used a professional machine shop designed hollow grind jig that made it easier than flat grinding, but how much that costs I have no idea. College wouldn't let me take it apart and see precisely how it was made.
As for USA made I would buy a 2x72 Kalamazoo with no motor before the Grizzly and get the 1 hp Leeson myself for under $1000. But I was posting about a cheap well made grinder and USA made wasn't the question. And the cheapest USA made is the Kalamazoo and it doesn't have tracking problems, but with the Leeson looking at $800 total, so $200 more than Grizzly. The Kalamazoo comes with a serrated 8" wheel and I would get the lower RPM Leeson, not 3450 rpms like my $228 dollar Dayton 2x48, good for hogging metal, but a bit fast for some other apps. I am wondering about the Russian setup for $390 as my 2x48 's drive wheel and shaft are quite easily adjustable to it. My shaft is 22mm and the gear pulleys are 22mm. For literally less than $800 dollars I could make a 3 speed 2x72. Problem is will it fit on my cart? I have to take my grinders outside as I live in an apt.
I need dimensions and have a call into them. Darned computer answering machines.
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03-03-2017, 05:54 AM
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![Crex's Avatar](image.php?s=5e92b9b4903e09720fc530b53beaf9bd&u=874&dateline=1219060181) |
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Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Acworth, GA and/or Hanging Dog, NC
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Yepper....you will find all kinds of reasons to switch on that grinder. Great shop tools are great shop tools. Wouldn't worry about the aluminum drive wheel as most all the top-line grinders come with aluminum drives. No biggy to replace if you ever have to.
The KBAC's come out of Fla. but doubt they'd be anywhere near 100% American made. Still very good controllers.
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Registered Master Artist - GA Council for the Arts
C Rex Custom Knives
Blade Show Table 6-H
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