MEMBER ITEMS FOR SALE
Custom Knives | Other Knives | General Items
-------------------------------------------
New Posts | New PhotosAll Photos



Go Back   The Knife Network Forums : Knife Making Discussions > Custom Knife Discussion Boards > Ed Caffrey's Workshop

Ed Caffrey's Workshop Talk to Ed Caffrey ... The Montana Bladesmith! Tips, tricks and more from an ABS Mastersmith.

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #46  
Old 12-23-2007, 07:48 AM
Ed Caffrey's Avatar
Ed Caffrey Ed Caffrey is offline
Super Moderator
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Great Falls, Montana, USA
Posts: 4,393
Send a message via AIM to Ed Caffrey Send a message via Yahoo to Ed Caffrey
Sureshot.... I saw your post on motors for the KMG..... my recommendation is that if you go with a single speed motor, go AT LEAST 1 1/2hp, and if you go variable speed then go MINIMUM 2hp. I personally have a 3hp variable on my KMG, but I did that because after working with my single speed square wheel all these years, I felt that it was under powered.

Something else to consider when deciding on a motor size.... the current you'll have it hooked to. There is a noticeable difference between the same size motor hooked to 110v or 220v. For years I ran the 1hp square wheel on 110v, simply because I did not have anything else available. When I overhauled the finish shop, I ran 220v wiring for the grinders, rewired the square wheel for 220v, and it was like a totally different machine! On 110v it was fairly easy to slow down, and even stop when you really got on it. With it wired for 220v, you can shove a 1" square bar into it and push for all your worth, and it just keeps grinding.

As a side note, not all motors are convertible. Lower quality motors are generally EITHER straight 110v OR straight 220v. The better brands (at least those 1hp and above) are often 110/220v. Baldor is far and away my choice, just because I have years of experience with them, and have not had a single issue with one of their motors yet. On the down side Baldors are about the most expensive.....but hey, if they last, then it worth the $$$.


__________________
WWW.CAFFREYKNIVES.NET

Caffreyknives@gmail.com

"Every CHOICE has a CONSEQUENCE, and all your CONSEQUENCES are a result of your CHOICES."
Reply With Quote
  #47  
Old 01-01-2008, 04:52 PM
markd's Avatar
markd markd is offline
Skilled
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 364
FWIW Tracy Milckley has a "no-weld" grinder on his website. Plans, I believe, are $25 with a full set of materials and approximate costs. Literally no welding.

www.mickleyknives.com


__________________
"I love fools? experiments. I am always making them." Charles Darwin
Reply With Quote
  #48  
Old 01-23-2008, 01:17 AM
boilermaker boilermaker is offline
Registered
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 9
After reading through the last 4 pages, i was wondering when someone was going to suggest building one Tracy's nwgs plans seem to be a good choice, and tracy is very good to deal with. also on don foggs site there is a set of plans available for download for a KMG clone, also no welding but a heck of a lot of drilling and tapping i'm just about finished mine and it has come together well, however it has cost me a fair bit so far.
Reply With Quote
  #49  
Old 01-23-2008, 07:33 AM
Ed Caffrey's Avatar
Ed Caffrey Ed Caffrey is offline
Super Moderator
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Great Falls, Montana, USA
Posts: 4,393
Send a message via AIM to Ed Caffrey Send a message via Yahoo to Ed Caffrey
I was also waiting.....to see if someone would bring up the exact point that you did. Building a grinder RIGHT, is very time consuming and usually will cost nearly as much as purchasing a KMG....thats why I push the KMG so hard. By the time you gather components, cut, drill, tap, align, put it together.....then take it back apart because something needs tweaking......then put it together again.......


The KMG may seem like a lot of money, but when you look at what it takes to build your own grinder, the costs are not very far apart. There was a time when I tried to build everything in the shop, now my viewpoint is that my time is better spent producing knives. I still take the time to build a lot of things that you simply cannot buy, but I have become wise enough over the years to understand that if I want is "right", I go to those who specialize in it.


__________________
WWW.CAFFREYKNIVES.NET

Caffreyknives@gmail.com

"Every CHOICE has a CONSEQUENCE, and all your CONSEQUENCES are a result of your CHOICES."
Reply With Quote
  #50  
Old 01-23-2008, 11:00 AM
cdent cdent is offline
Master
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: aiea, hi
Posts: 805
I've commented before on it, but when I looked at a homemade grinder the value went downhill. Good components and free/cheap steel was going to save me about $250 over the cost of a comparable KMG. Time or tweaking not figured in yet. That money was well spent for the engineering, reliability, and customer service.

Please don't stop the stream of home built tools and shop solutions, Craig
Reply With Quote
  #51  
Old 01-24-2008, 12:41 AM
boilermaker boilermaker is offline
Registered
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 9
When i said in my last post that my homemade KMG has cost me a fair bit so far i should have said that it's cost me more than to actually buy the real machine However, because i live in Australia i've had no choice other than to build my own as niether the KMG or any other decent knife grinder is available here so necessity is the mother of invention (or should that be imitation?)
Reply With Quote
  #52  
Old 01-29-2008, 11:42 PM
kababear kababear is offline
 
Join Date: Apr 2003
Posts: 8
did you ever run across one of these?
they are solid and way cheap. also the contact with Johan Oosthuysen and the other guys of KMT has been very nice.

http://www.kmts.co.za/Main.asp?D=%7B...olderOnly=True

http://www.kmts.co.za/Main.asp?D=%7B...SP03++++++++++
Reply With Quote
  #53  
Old 02-01-2008, 08:27 PM
boilermaker boilermaker is offline
Registered
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 9
Looks good kababear, i like the simplicity of it.
Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
blade, forge, forging, knife, knife making, knives, made, stainless steel, steel, wax


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 09:51 AM.




KNIFENETWORK.COM
Copyright © 2000
? CKK Industries, Inc. ? All Rights Reserved
Powered by ...

Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
The Knife Network : All Rights Reserved