1080 vs 1084

[dtec1]

having trouble getting onto trugrit site it says try later ill check later on but what size smal wheel should i get (if i get one)

[Ray Rogers]

1/2" is all I ever use, even though I have several other sizes. If the attachment has two wheels on it then get 1/2 and 3/4"...

[dtec1]

i tried to call them no awnswer maybe too the day off since thanks giving...i sent a email tho the grinder just comes with platen...i would have to buy the attachment for 83 bucks but it dont say if the wheels come with the attachment. should they the wheel seperately are about 60 bucks i would like to save that 60 if at all possible do you think i should get the wheels with the attachment?

[dtec1]

ok nevermind just check my email again they said the wheel do not come with the attachment

[dtec1]

hey ray as far as the belts go wich norton and hermes they both make a few different kinds

[Ray Rogers]

VSM 80 ceramic

Norton R823 in 120x and 220x

Hermes 400JF

There are many good belts and over time you will want to try them all to see what works best for you. But these are what I use and i think they are the best bang for the buck at this point in your knife making career ...

[dtec1]

ok...yeh i deffinitly am going to just get what you say at this point there are so many and some are real expensive right now i dont have the extra money to experiment i am sure at some point that will change... should i get just one or 2 of the cheap AO ones to do any sort of handle material or is it better to just use the 4x366 and the 2x72 old belts after they are used on knives for that

[dtec1]

220 norton is sold out any others close to same price that would be good?

[Ray Rogers]

I'd ask Tru-Grit what else they have that will substitute for the 220's, they can usually come up with something. These belts are all I use for blades AND handles. While you can get some use out of old belts trying to use them on handle materials generally leads to scorched handle materials.

We save the most recent belts we use, rarely throw them away because they can be useful somewhere, somehow. BUT....and I know you will flinch when you read this....when you are trying to do a nice clean grind on your blade or do significant shaping on a handle you MUST use fresh, sharp belts. The best advice I ever got on belts was to treat them like they are free. You'll ruin a lot of blades and handles by trying to re-use a belt too much...its actually cheaper to use fresh belts. So, 2 of each grit? Sure, if you plan to make one, maybe two knives and then re-order belts (and pay shipping again). I'm sure that by now you have noticed this is not a cheap hobby and custom knives are expensive for a reason and part of the reason is that they are not cheap to make. This is yet another reason why these test blades you are making now should be small and simple to make (because you can make more of them with fewer belts) ...

[dtec1]

ok what about the ceramic they are acouple bucks more but its still under your 150 mark you said it might cost (wich is what i planed for) i completely get it with the new belts tho deffinitly makes sense. honestly i think i am going to try and bang out the 2 test blades as much as i can tomorow and sunday and i am not worrying about the bevel being perfect right since i am going to break it ill just do the best i can with the 4x36 i got

[Ray Rogers]

I'd take ceramic any time I can get it ...

[dtec1]

oh well i gota wait till monday (hopefully) the only card i have to use is discover and they dont take that....have to figure something out monday

[dtec1]

HAHA ever tried to cut paper micarta with a dremmel wheel, INSIDE! LOL yeh my bad on that one.....i had a lil knife made out of a file i made in charcoal forge long time ago and i never used this handle stuff so figured it would be a good knife to experiment on well i guess not with a dremmel and deffinitly not inside my rook is full of dust oh well live and learn

[dtec1]

hey ray do you know any other sites that sell that kmg grinder ya know what i mean some knife making sites sell grinders made by other companies i just can find one with the one i was looking at.....i am trying to find a place i can pay with a discover card

[Ray Rogers]

I don't think Beaumont uses dealers, they do it themselves. I suppose you could go to the bank with your Discover card and take out a cash advance for the amount you need. Have that money put in your checking account, then write a check to Beaumont and mail it to them. A little slower but that would be a way to make the Discover card work.

I'm surprised, I see that Beaumont only takes MasterCard and Visa. I thought they would at least take Paypal. That would have made it easy to use the Discover card.

If your grandma has any of those blank checks that all credit card companies always send out at this time of year you could simply write out one of those and mail it to Beaumont.

Or, you could go to usaknifemakers.com and get the plans for the No Weld grinder. They sell most of the parts you would need, even the steel plates, bars, and tubing if you need them. It would be a fair sized job to build it but cost less than buying a KMG. You could have more options AND they take Discover .

Or, you could downsize and get a Grizzly G1015 grinder. Add an 8" serrated wheel and a glass platen to that and you have a grinder that probably half the knife makers in the country started on and most still own. That would cost less than half the KMG price and they also take Discover.

Lots of ways to skin that cat ...