anybody here build their own belt grinder. If so, I would like to hear your experiences in building it and running it.

We run 4 belt grinders. Two are very nice commercial grinders that work very well (a 1.5 hp and a 2 hp). Two are home builts and work darned near as well (a 1.5hp and a 5 hp).

A discussion with drawings and pictures are on the website in The Craft section:

Our Knife Site

A number of other folks have built these and speak well of them. We very much like variable speed DC motors to run them with.

There are other tools on the site as well, from an edge scribe and a vise to salt pots for heat treating.

MStarling

where do you recommend I get the contact wheels.
Did you use bearings, or bushings.

Ahhhh ... the one piece you can't really make. Three choices for acquisition:

1) Complete assembly with bearing and shaft ... most expensive but easiest way to do it.

2) Contact wheel without bearing or shaft

3) Contact wheel with only carrier ... no center at all.

These places have all three kinds:

http://www.beaumontmetalworks.com/grinder.html
http://www.kovalknives.com/kmg.htm
http://www.texasknife.com/store/s-pages/TKS_MainframeSt...ltGrinder1.htm~smain
http://www.contactrubber.com/products/contentview.asp?c=64300

Unfortunately, none of these approaches is really cheap. Certainly cheaper than a bader or other high quality grinder. I cannot recommend the Grizzly ... too many folks have panned it. The discussions of the KMS has been pretty good. Check Google for "grinder contact wheel."

Any shaft arrangement should have enclosed bearings. In a grinder environment there is just too much abrasive crap in the air for non-enclosed bearings or sleeve bearings to survive very long.

You can often find DC motors and controllers on eBay. Make sure they are fully enclosed with cooling fans. Open units from treadmills are often available, but they get filled with grinding shards and burn up ... literally.

I personally like the 10" without grooves. Less aggressive than the grooved wheel, but gives the nicest finish. 8" is easiest to learn hollow grinding as it is not as easy to lose the path you are cutting.

looks like there is no cheap way to get started in knife making. what are those contact wheels made of? Gold?

Pops knife supply sells a contact wheel from south africa that is a little more reasonable.

Scrap metal and a treadmill motor can save you considerable money when building your own. As stated a treadmill motor will burn up but I got one for free and it will work for that price.

It is not cheap to get into but the rewards are well worth it and you will spend countless hours in front of the grinder.

practicalmachinist.com has a variable drive forum that has lots of good info.

http://www.dealerselectric.com/ - variable drive packages

http://www.surpluscenter.com has some decent prices on motors and drives

I must be going blind. don't see any contact wheels on Pop's supply. Might be just as easy to buy a new Bader as they seem to keep their value quite well and can easily be sold.

I've got several of Bader's wheels and they work very well. Also have their big grinder. You won't go wrong with their wheels.
Don

To get anything from pop call him 4-8pm, he never ever has answered one email as far as I know.. He also has good prices on Bader equipment..

I wonder how hard it would be to find somebody to just rough grind a number of blades that I want to my specifications and then finish them myself. Wouldn't have to get a grinder then?

Sorry for the long delay... the first knife I made was with a set of files and some sandpaper. It was actually a lot simpler back when I did not have all the tools.

Yea, but I want hollow ground blades and I think one needs a belt grinder to do that.

Anyone want to cut out a couple of blades and hollow grind them for me?

You can hollow grind with a regular bench grinder, just remember to take it slow and keep the blade wet. Also, make sure the rest on the grinder is stable and tight. You may want to make a sturdier one as the ones with most bench grinders are kinda wobbly when it comes to grinding lines.

Few stock removal knife makers use any rest at all!

what are the recommended blade thicknesses for a drop point hunter and for a smaller caper.

Betcha did for your first knife though!

I got my first contact wheel from Dunn and company for less than $100.00. Go in there and ask for whatever Diameter and width you want and specify what bearings inner Diameter you need and they can help you. most of there wheel are rubber faced. I'm very happy with mine and have been using it for many years now. they will probably have to order it in but i'll wait to save some money. the edges of my wheel are chamfered on mine. Tell them to not chamfer the edges on your wheel!!!!

quote:

Originally posted by Nate D:
I got my first contact wheel from Dunn and company for less than $100.00. Go in there and ask for whatever Diameter and width you want and specify what bearings inner Diameter you need and they can help you. most of there wheel are rubber faced. I'm very happy with mine and have been using it for many years now. they will probably have to order it in but i'll wait to save some money. the edges of my wheel are chamfered on mine. Tell them to not chamfer the edges on your wheel!!!!

do they have a website?