I've been thinking about one of those sanders as a "last resort" because I am to cheap to buy a real 2 by72 sander. You have restored my faith young man. Thank you
Got it last week. Works well. I noticed I have to change belts to get the grind going evenly on both sides, but my issue might be that the file I forged the blade from May not be normalised enough. No problem there, I naught extra belts :)
Yes sir! I tried using the 36 grit belts and it just made more work for me, the grind lines were so deep by the time I got them smoothed out the blade was too thin.
Nice modification to a small belt sander. I've one just like it that was given to me a few years ago. I didn't think I needed it till I set it up and discovered all kinds of crap to do with it. Last year, Santa's big fat ass gave me a ''Work Sharp'' Ken Onion edition. I'm a meat cutter, so it came in real handy. I recently got the blade grinder attachment for it. It's useful for those with experience. But you gotta work free handed with it, so I put a magnetic bubble level on the steel I'm workin to keep my angles as precise as possible. I also do a good bit of gun work and it's so hard finding tools that deliver the close/small/precise specs that those like us need without spending a freakin' fortune. I ended up at Grangers to find arbors that don't suck, I'm tryin' to true up some new polishing wheels to polish a barrel up to a 555 grit and every arbor I put my hands on wasn't fit to grind a fucking lawnmower blade. Je-sus-H-Christ!! I got a new drill chuck for my polishing rig,, it wobbled so bad, I tossed that bitch in the woods & went back to the old man's chuck he's had for 40+ years. So many tools are shit now days, but you've got it by the balls, don't ya. The small bench belt sander is a much underrated shop tool for those who fabricate at any/every level. You're mod serves to take that tool even further,, thanks for the video.
This is great. I have been hand filing and whetstone grinding every blade I have done. It's an art yes but damn does my arms and fingers kill me after working for hours. I think I might be picking up one of these things and trying your mods. Thank you for the video and you have earned another subscriber! Nice blades BTW.
This is all the information I have been searching for over the past couple of weeks crammed into ten minutes. Thanks for that! Using your method, what angle do you set your platform at for your primary bevel? I'm in the middle of making my best knife yet, and I want to make sure that I have it just right. Thanks!
+bigby2010 start off at 45º for both sides. Don't use a fresh belt because it will strip all the grit out and ruin the blelt. Once you got your 45 on both sides nice and even then you can switch to a fresh belt ajust your toolrest and start brining you grinde up to your desired height. When you finish your knife post a vid of it, I'd like to see how it came out.
+Geronimo Blade Works Thanks for the advice. Here's a tip for you and your viewers... If you have an iPhone, on the installed Compass App, there is a level including degrees. Set your phone on your work platform, and adjust to desired angle!
Like your mods. I just got mine yesterday. I found that even with the screw tightened all the way, my belts are too loose. Well, I noticed that the whole rear pulley assembly is adjustable, and when I backed off the bolt that holds it, it's spring loaded. And the spring has good tension, I am going to try leaving it loose and see how it works with the spring load only. No more thumb screw to change belts, that would be nice!
i thought about leaving it loose too because the belts that harbor freight sells are rarely the right size, i just picked up some 36grit and even with the pulley totally loose they were still to tight. good luck and happy grinding..
I used the HF 1x30 and I think it does a great job too. Any flaws are most likely on the user side. One question, how is your edge so damn clean, are you using a jig on the 1x30 too? Thanks!
Well you just helped me out a lot on what to buy. Ive been eyeing this exact grinder for some time. With the mods you suggested it just sealed the deal. One question though. Can you get any grit for this gribder or is 80 the max?
I am thinking about getting the HF sander. THe question that I have is this: having the blade edge facing up, cant the paper potentially get cut by the edge? or even have your knife get grabbed and then kicked back at you? I am just starting out with doing my knives, so forgive my possible ignorance on this subject. It would seem safer to me to have the edge of the blade facing down so the paper is cutting away from instead of into the edge.
it will only do that if the edge is sharp. do the final grind after heat treat then hand sand when all done turn the knife so the edge is facing down and then grind in your edge bevel.
+Nathan Bright for a full flat grind you keep the knife straight and do horizontal passes. To make a saber grind you bring the handle side twards you while the tip stays in contact with the belt. Scribe a center line down the edge of the blade before you start the bevel, this is to make sure your grinds are even on both sides. Any more questions just ask.
I see a lot of people bag the 1x30's for bevel grinding? Are they really under powered or is it just a matter of taking your time? I just bought one here in Aus, where only a couple of stockists (online) have them. Thanks for the vid
theelfman its more powerful than a file hahaha but yeah its something that will definitely test your patients. thanks for the feedback and happy grinding
Hey man nice vids! I have the same style sander only smaller (31-080c). When I attached the 1" sanding belt and turn it on, the motor won't spin. It appears the tension is too tight. Is there any way to adjust the pulley tension?
On my sander there is 3 wheels. The bigest is the drive wheel at the bottom the top wheel is my tracking and the center wheel is the tensioning wheel. My tensioning wheel has a nut by it if I losen it then it moves in and out via spring tension. Try that out, but I have found when buying cheap belts they can run to tight no matter how much you adjust the sander.
Geronimo Blade Works it turned out the pulleys had built up so much dust inside the bearings. Cleaned and lubed them up and the sander spins beautifully. Thanks for your reply.
i like it because i use it for gring in my swedges. i tend to use this little grinder for other projects other than knives so it gave me a lot of adjustment that came in handy
hi, I found an old vintage Model 730 belt sander. Will that provide enough power to make a 1095 high carbon steel knife? Also do I need to modify the machine?
I'm not familiar with that sander so I don't know the hp or rpm but I can tell you whatever it is its faster than using a file hahaha. Just try it out, take your time, get a feel for it. When you put enough time on it grinding then you may be able to think of ways to modify it to better suit you. Let me know how you make out. Happy grinding!
Hey, sorry to bring this back from the dead, but what kind and how long is the new bolt? Also, how long is the link you made between the two bolts and what is it's thickness?
No problem my friend. The new bolt I think is a 1/4-20..my link is a piece of 1/8in stainless steel with 1/4in plexi glass for support you could use 3/16 or 1/4in thick steel, aluminium or what ever you want..its about 2in long. I hope this helps you out let me know if you need more info and thanks for stoping by.
I have a question. What is the length of metal did you use for the table rest? Also what length did you use for a platinum and what metal and get the right angle?
+Joel Pogue the link between the sander and the tool rest is about 2 inches long, the platen is about 5-6 inches tall I used 1/8" thick stainless steel for it. If you have anymore questions let me know. Take care
Aric Fowler no I have not, I mainly use this for cleaning up my grind lines. I have a Pheer 2x72" 2hp grinder that I do pretty much all of the work with now
i get my belts from harbor freight, the one im using in this vid is 80gr. i tried using the 36gr and i think its too coarse and it just rips all the grit off the belt so theres nothing left to grind the steel.
Geronimo Blade Works Thanks for the reply. I actually just picked up some 80 grits from harbor freight but haven’t tried them yet. Love your videos. Keep em coming 👍🏻
I just tore mine all the way down and cleaned it up. I modded it pretty much the way you did but just welded 1 1/2" of material to the thing you are calling a (Platn)?? I dont know what its called lol Then I shaped it up nice and smooth. I actually turned a 320 grt belt inside out and put it on and used that to smooth it right up. And I dremeled out the tool rest a bit and its working great. thanks again!
Man My little knob broke on the tool rest so I welded the metal ring inside of the plastic to a boxed end wrench and then cut the wrench in half. I was pretty impressed with myself...It broke the 3rd time I adjusted it lol. Oh well. I have a couple other things I may play with. You have given me a lot of Ideas. Thanks again.
Yeah the plastic ratchet part broke on mine so I just used a set of vice grips to loosen and tighten that bolt. You should post a vid when its all done so everyone can check it out.
Can you adjust the belt speed (SFPM) from very slow to much faster? If not, do you know of anyone who supplies bench top belt sander that DOES allow variable belt speed?
+LFOD7491 I don't know of any cheap speed adjusting sanders. I think once you get into variable speed grinders the price goes way up. I use a 2hp variable speed grinder made by Pheer.
You could switch the AC motor out for a DC motor, like one out of an old treadmill. Make sure you get the electronics too. I see old DC motors with controls in Craigslist
You do know that is a level not a angle gage? It gives you a angle relative to gravity rather than the angle to the sanding belt. If your belt sander is not 100% perpendicular to level it will give you a incorrect measurement for your purpose. It could be used like you used to figure out where you had previously placed your table assuming the belt sander has not moved.
*I got this last week and used it already for pipe making/shaping. It is good for shaping briar blocks for pipes after initial block cutting. It is not noisy, and works very well.>>>**0rz.tw/p5d0** There is not much assembly required and it is very easy. The only caveat to be aware of is that the plastic dust cover under the round sanding disk table has a notch which makes it impossible to screw into place - manufacture mis-measure of this specific plastic part. You will need to get a small file and file this notch off then it goes into place as smooth as butter.*
that plastic thing and the shield is good to protect your eyes against the sparks. do you know how much an eye surgery cost, if one of those stuff attacks your eye? i like my fellow knife maker comrades be seeing, not blind. put those stuff back an use a proper all sides covering eye protection glasses.
The plastic thing sucks, and you should be wearing basic eye protection, if not something that shields your entire face anyways. Makes life easier when it comes to swapping belts.
+Darko Kolar I made about 20 knives from start to finish with this sander, but I still use it for the final clean up grinds and sharpening every knife I make.
hey, im a real good dude man, i think the whole population on earth should be interested in me and all come talk to me and send me flowers just for existing.
what's up Gman?, hooty hoo. was Gman 04 to 08, , just picked a 1x30 up gonna see what I can do, I made 2 knives before doing it by hand with bench grinder and hand files but I'm just someone who tries to make everything just to see if o can
+Geronimo Blade Works definitely will show some work, I'll have to send you a pic of the last two I did by hand file and bench grinder. I was at polk also. DTRP 04 to 07 then was the BN s3 air til 08.
at first I thought to make te back grind belt file removeable, fixed with a welded screw system. to meke if I liked also a convex grond always leving the spine on the workplate and non pushing much when grinding. but it's complex, cod get ot not well straight and close to the bel, and I thought I like the best or a full grind - for more cutting tasksks - or a scandy modified type grind on the first bevel - for a multitasking camp strong knife. and then just on the sharpen cutting part I like better the convex grind. to me for now thiis is the mix that match better. by the way. you seem to me quite a wise man (guy), so I allow myself to ask you just few second step level, knifemakers questions, just to have a talk and confront our opinions: I like much full grind because I do not think a well tempered iron need to be so beefy. (58-60 hrc like the good ole D2 if well done, maybe with new post temper criogenic treatment - or about 58 like the not expensive, easy to find, tempering forgiving but always well prowen as very reliable o-1. for now I leave exotic steels to real experts, not people just putting the number on blades than working not really well as they are priced - sometimes just fashionable) to demonstrate clearly - can be done in your workplace - the main required specifics asked to a knife balde: - edge retention (but not difficult resharpen) - toughness of the cutting end to shocks, and on the contrary also some bending resistance for the tip and also the whole knife, maybe not to break in a while without prying, that could be dangerous, - and maybe why not, also same wear resistance to rust. these for me are the main "use to" must of a blade knife (not to enter in tangs or handles) all super beefy knives to me is quite a fashion (again. this new world of knives that already is full of just beautyful wonderful "fame signed" gadgets, for city wealthy collectionists, just to stay behind a glass. nothing bad in itself, I like some little collecting myself, but for sure not a fortune. but a knifemaker is not mainly a designer for me, IMHO. that wouldn't ever be my aim if I would make really good knives one day. anyway one should know what kind of work he is doing, what for, and what to choose and improve), sadly I think most coming from USA, once known as the country of the tell: "the bigger the better". even if I'm not integralist at all and proudly own just some, but really well made USA beasts, as the TOPS "Tahoma". if don't go out for a fishing weekend, but for a month in the woods far from "civilization" you can't bet on a try, you rely on just few crucial things, and "when the going gets tough , toughs get going" as said the Great John Belushi. but this is just for few peole, among billion of knife buyers, and I could realize many other countries make very reliable (and also chopping, and even survivals) good knives with not so much use (waste?) of sometime not too well tempered steel - till the core, just because most of it is very thick, and it's not so easy as it could seem, to do it without making the thin blade part then fragile. what's your opinion about this not so indefferent issues, especially for new knifemakers approching this nowadays global huge world of the blades, and not sure at all what path to start with not to get lost in this mess of stuff but to find his very own way ?
+nome nemo I like high carbon steel I use mainly 1095. When I first started making knives I built a small forge to heat treat myself and I would temper in the oven. I send my knives out now to professional heat treaters that specialize in knives. I use mainly two thicknesses of knife 1/8in and 3/16in. The hardness of your heat treat depends on what you are going to use the knife for, my knives in 1095 are 59-60rc. I get very good edge retention and so far have not had any break, lots of happy customers. The trade between high carbon and stainless steels is with high carbon you will always get a better longer lasting edge but you worry about corrosion. Stainless will also get very sharp but not last as long and resists corrosion. The super steels for me are to expensive to buy for small time begining maker.
first af all: thanks. then: like and subscribe. especially for your simple, not boasting in empty blah blah blah, but giving us cool suggestions on the tool every starting knifemaker uses. for not having like "hollywood on you tube" craftsman "HD images" but instead some simple and easy, ideas anybody could make himself, of real useful substance. as too many do about their own ways to work, more to get a name and sell more knives at higher prices, than really to help others for true, bringing with wonderful hfrom their igh-level experience" often more confusion and doubts in their heads on dozens of issues that one would have to face way after. instead that what is clearly has to be done to start simple and sure. or on the other hand giving you wrong, crappy, not really well tested, suggestions but as nothing less that must do's. or even more common, making a work selfie of 15 minutes video on a thing that has already been explained and shown in almost another dozen videos - and exactly in the same way! - not adding anything intersting new. instead you gave me few but really great ideas for modification this unexpensive starting grinder I bought not long ago but still giving me problems, to be used properly for knifemaking. I saw many vids about that but helped not much. but yours suggestion are as simple than crucial, because they help to use his little but good potential, without strange complex jigs. as I thought too, because it really could do it well without! because the workplan moves and can be be fixed just the direction and in the way we need! if well controlled also precisely as you seem do it. but to make this out as it must be, for this I found genial, to be so simple and making real complete difference especially the welded file behind the grind where's the plate where the the knife is grinded - othervise it comes out a mess of double convex grind each also on the spine! some questions: I have a different angle measure tool it seems to work pretty well, I havent'ever seen any like yours, what's its name? where did you found it? what is your usual change of grain from beginning to end? do you also saharpen and hone (why not, it seems ok and cool for me. no?) knives with the belt grinder, or did you do it, with what results? thanks, really great works yours, I liked so much the second tanto you showed here. keep it cool bro, take care. (pardon for my bad english)
+nome nemo your english is good enough my friend :-) I do also sharpen all my knives with this grinder I use 400 grit to start the edge and then a strop to make it razor sharp. I don't know exactly what my angle tool is called, I bought it at a local hardware store, i dont use it anymore. The best way to grind bevels is to scrach a line down the center of the blade where the sharp edge would be. Start at 45º and grind till you are almost to the center line, do on both sides. Then you bring you angles down to to bring your grind lines up higher to where they look good. As long as your cutting edge is around 20-22º per side it will be good and sharp. Let me know if you need more help, take care
I think you have the right idea... But you need to improve your working habits... First, only a high school student uses a vise grip as a turning handle.. get a proper bolt and knob.. Also, you cannot grind a piece of metal for so long without killing the temper.. Dip it in some water every 10 seconds or so... You will get there young man...
love my vicegrips, been with me since day one. all of that grinding is being done on a piece of scrap. but thank you for the analysis of my video, i expect a written report if you want the extra credit though
First off some of the best bladesmiths around probably dont even have the equivalency of a high school education. Secondly, you cant kill the temper on a blade that hasnt even been heat treated yet. Foolishness
I've been thinking about one of those sanders as a "last resort" because I am to cheap to buy a real 2 by72 sander. You have restored my faith young man. Thank you
+drason69 thank you sir...and happy grinding!
Got it last week. Works well. I noticed I have to change belts to get the grind going evenly on both sides, but my issue might be that the file I forged the blade from May not be normalised enough. No problem there, I naught extra belts :)
You do an amazing job on your knives!! Beautiful work!
I've been going back an forth from getting that grinder. You just convinced me. Thanks for sharing! Good looking blades my friend.
Thank you showing me something new today I had been looking for a good video like this
Thanks for this video. Im looking at getting one of these for knife making and this was the only video I could find. Cheers!
No problem, happy grinding!
I dig the foam knife block! Gonna have to set one of those up.
Dude - you rock for sharing this !!! Great stuff.
aitf99 no problem I hope it helps you out.
I'm rather impressed how fast that little grinder takes off metal. Fresh belts at the right grit is everything.
Yes sir! I tried using the 36 grit belts and it just made more work for me, the grind lines were so deep by the time I got them smoothed out the blade was too thin.
Nice modification to a small belt sander. I've one just like it that was given to me a few years ago. I didn't think I needed it till I set it up and discovered all kinds of crap to do with it. Last year, Santa's big fat ass gave me a ''Work Sharp'' Ken Onion edition. I'm a meat cutter, so it came in real handy. I recently got the blade grinder attachment for it. It's useful for those with experience. But you gotta work free handed with it, so I put a magnetic bubble level on the steel I'm workin to keep my angles as precise as possible. I also do a good bit of gun work and it's so hard finding tools that deliver the close/small/precise specs that those like us need without spending a freakin' fortune.
I ended up at Grangers to find arbors that don't suck, I'm tryin' to true up some new polishing wheels to polish a barrel up to a 555 grit and every arbor I put my hands on wasn't fit to grind a fucking lawnmower blade. Je-sus-H-Christ!! I got a new drill chuck for my polishing rig,, it wobbled so bad, I tossed that bitch in the woods & went back to the old man's chuck he's had for 40+ years. So many tools are shit now days, but you've got it by the balls, don't ya. The small bench belt sander is a much underrated shop tool for those who fabricate at any/every level. You're mod serves to take that tool even further,, thanks for the video.
Franco Tramble yes sir, I'm all about taking things a figuring a way to make them better to further their usefulness.
This is great. I have been hand filing and whetstone grinding every blade I have done. It's an art yes but damn does my arms and fingers kill me after working for hours.
I think I might be picking up one of these things and trying your mods.
Thank you for the video and you have earned another subscriber!
Nice blades BTW.
+Adam Seeley wow you have more patients than I do....hahaha. I hope it works good for you and thanks for the sub
Great mods, very inventive Alan!
I think it’s an awesome video and I myself want to start making knives. Thanks for sharing your tips and ideas.
no problem i hope it helps you out
Hi from the UK.......Thanks for the video I just got a 1 x 30 and these mods are gonna help a lot
+Dave Sleaman I hope so, happy grinding!
This is a great tip, I may have to do this :) thank you for sharing
no problem my friend, thanks for the feedback, happy grinding :-)
Interesting video, I've got to get me one of those 1x30's and follow these mods, save me a lot of hand filing bevels, cheers bud, atb.
I hope it helps you out....happy grinding!
Genius! Great mod for that sander...im gettn one!
thank you sir!
Cool mods. And yep chuck told me about your channel. :-)
Great Vid, thanks! This is how I am going to do it. Thanks again!
No problem. Happy grinding!
No problem and happy grinding
Man thanks for the sub and the feed back!
Great job very good information thanks for sharing
no problem
Very helpful, nice job. ..... Subscribed!
Thank you very much
Great video!
Is there a way with that table rest to sharpen lawnmower blades?
Thank you Chuck
great video. just subscribed.
bashfulbrother thank you
thanks James! just trying to help out
you can get a free protractor app on your phone, too. I use one and it works just fine.
This is all the information I have been searching for over the past couple of weeks crammed into ten minutes. Thanks for that! Using your method, what angle do you set your platform at for your primary bevel? I'm in the middle of making my best knife yet, and I want to make sure that I have it just right. Thanks!
+bigby2010 start off at 45º for both sides. Don't use a fresh belt because it will strip all the grit out and ruin the blelt. Once you got your 45 on both sides nice and even then you can switch to a fresh belt ajust your toolrest and start brining you grinde up to your desired height. When you finish your knife post a vid of it, I'd like to see how it came out.
+Geronimo Blade Works Thanks for the advice. Here's a tip for you and your viewers... If you have an iPhone, on the installed Compass App, there is a level including degrees. Set your phone on your work platform, and adjust to desired angle!
+bigby2010 that's cool, thank you.
Thank you!
Like your mods. I just got mine yesterday. I found that even with the screw tightened all the way, my belts are too loose. Well, I noticed that the whole rear pulley assembly is adjustable, and when I backed off the bolt that holds it, it's spring loaded. And the spring has good tension, I am going to try leaving it loose and see how it works with the spring load only. No more thumb screw to change belts, that would be nice!
i thought about leaving it loose too because the belts that harbor freight sells are rarely the right size, i just picked up some 36grit and even with the pulley totally loose they were still to tight. good luck and happy grinding..
Geronimo Blade Works i get 1x30 belts from Brownells gunsmith supply. ..seem to be higher quality.
I used the HF 1x30 and I think it does a great job too. Any flaws are most likely on the user side. One question, how is your edge so damn clean, are you using a jig on the 1x30 too? Thanks!
i sharpen all my knives freehand on a worn 400grit belt and then strop with medium compound
Hey loved the vid but how did you get that grey coating on the tanto you showed in the end?
Its a acicd wash. I used murriatic acid and hydrogen peroxide.
Well you just helped me out a lot on what to buy. Ive been eyeing this exact grinder for some time. With the mods you suggested it just sealed the deal. One question though. Can you get any grit for this gribder or is 80 the max?
I've got everyhing from 36-400 grit. You can find them on ebay and just about any place that sells abrasives. Happy grinding!
Klingspor in North Carolina is a good place to get abrasives, including 1x30 belts. High quality, good selection and great prices.
Well that just takes all the fun out of screwing up a grind.
hahaha
I am thinking about getting the HF sander. THe question that I have is this: having the blade edge facing up, cant the paper potentially get cut by the edge? or even have your knife get grabbed and then kicked back at you? I am just starting out with doing my knives, so forgive my possible ignorance on this subject. It would seem safer to me to have the edge of the blade facing down so the paper is cutting away from instead of into the edge.
it will only do that if the edge is sharp. do the final grind after heat treat then hand sand when all done turn the knife so the edge is facing down and then grind in your edge bevel.
great video! Just a quick question. When the blade has a "belly" how does one do the curve? Is this done by hand?
+Nathan Bright for a full flat grind you keep the knife straight and do horizontal passes. To make a saber grind you bring the handle side twards you while the tip stays in contact with the belt. Scribe a center line down the edge of the blade before you start the bevel, this is to make sure your grinds are even on both sides. Any more questions just ask.
+Geronimo Blade Works thanks! consider me subscribed
Cool thank you! Can't wait to see your blades.
I see a lot of people bag the 1x30's for bevel grinding? Are they really under powered or is it just a matter of taking your time? I just bought one here in Aus, where only a couple of stockists (online) have them.
Thanks for the vid
theelfman its more powerful than a file hahaha but yeah its something that will definitely test your patients. thanks for the feedback and happy grinding
Thank you
very nice :)
Hey man nice vids! I have the same style sander only smaller (31-080c). When I attached the 1" sanding belt and turn it on, the motor won't spin. It appears the tension is too tight. Is there any way to adjust the pulley tension?
On my sander there is 3 wheels. The bigest is the drive wheel at the bottom the top wheel is my tracking and the center wheel is the tensioning wheel. My tensioning wheel has a nut by it if I losen it then it moves in and out via spring tension. Try that out, but I have found when buying cheap belts they can run to tight no matter how much you adjust the sander.
Geronimo Blade Works it turned out the pulleys had built up so much dust inside the bearings. Cleaned and lubed them up and the sander spins beautifully. Thanks for your reply.
Awesome! I'm glad you got it fixed, happy grinding.
It's a good idea - but I'm not sure if you had to lift the table that high to get the proper angle for bevels?
i like it because i use it for gring in my swedges. i tend to use this little grinder for other projects other than knives so it gave me a lot of adjustment that came in handy
hi, I found an old vintage Model 730 belt sander. Will that provide enough power to make a 1095 high carbon steel knife? Also do I need to modify the machine?
I'm not familiar with that sander so I don't know the hp or rpm but I can tell you whatever it is its faster than using a file hahaha. Just try it out, take your time, get a feel for it. When you put enough time on it grinding then you may be able to think of ways to modify it to better suit you. Let me know how you make out. Happy grinding!
Hey, sorry to bring this back from the dead, but what kind and how long is the new bolt? Also, how long is the link you made between the two bolts and what is it's thickness?
No problem my friend. The new bolt I think is a 1/4-20..my link is a piece of 1/8in stainless steel with 1/4in plexi glass for support you could use 3/16 or 1/4in thick steel, aluminium or what ever you want..its about 2in long. I hope this helps you out let me know if you need more info and thanks for stoping by.
I have a question. What is the length of metal did you use for the table rest? Also what length did you use for a platinum and what metal and get the right angle?
+Joel Pogue the link between the sander and the tool rest is about 2 inches long, the platen is about 5-6 inches tall I used 1/8" thick stainless steel for it. If you have anymore questions let me know. Take care
Thank you for answering my question. So many people I ask questions do not return answers.
Yeah I try not to be like that. I hope the video helps you, happy grinding.
+Geronimo Blade Works I noticed that you out the plate to the to the first line that ran across the plate or did yours come like that?
I think you should put the clear plastic cover back on at the top. It prevents the shavings and grit from being thrown in your face
I use the top wheel to shape handles, couldn't do it with the guard on there. I have a face shield I use when I'm grinding.
Yeah that makes sense. As a matter of fact it makes a lot of sense lol . Thanks man
@@stickman6624 no prob, thanks for looking out.
I have one of these grinders and I don't wanna buy a stronger grinder... if I hooked up a 1hp motor to the grinder do you think it would break?
+Michael Matos I'm really not sure, but at least its only $40.00. Mine just died on me last week so I'll be making a trip out to harbor freight soon
have you considered increasing the horsepower of the motor? If so, how might you do that?
Aric Fowler no I have not, I mainly use this for cleaning up my grind lines. I have a Pheer 2x72" 2hp grinder that I do pretty much all of the work with now
will your little c clamp idea work well with a 4x36?
+Snakeprophet I'm not sure, I don't have a 4x36, but you can always try it out
What type of belts are you using? Mine doesn’t go there material nearly as fast. (Currently using 36 grit cheap belts from amazon)
i get my belts from harbor freight, the one im using in this vid is 80gr. i tried using the 36gr and i think its too coarse and it just rips all the grit off the belt so theres nothing left to grind the steel.
Geronimo Blade Works Thanks for the reply. I actually just picked up some 80 grits from harbor freight but haven’t tried them yet. Love your videos. Keep em coming 👍🏻
Thx!
Good....I got my gauge at harbor freight I've seen them at almost every hardware store I've been to if you can't find one go to eBay.
I just tore mine all the way down and cleaned it up. I modded it pretty much the way you did but just welded 1 1/2" of material to the thing you are calling a (Platn)?? I dont know what its called lol Then I shaped it up nice and smooth. I actually turned a 320 grt belt inside out and put it on and used that to smooth it right up. And I dremeled out the tool rest a bit and its working great. thanks again!
aguynamedmike77 no problem I hope it helps.
Man My little knob broke on the tool rest so I welded the metal ring inside of the plastic to a boxed end wrench and then cut the wrench in half. I was pretty impressed with myself...It broke the 3rd time I adjusted it lol.
Oh well. I have a couple other things I may play with. You have given me a lot of Ideas. Thanks again.
Yeah the plastic ratchet part broke on mine so I just used a set of vice grips to loosen and tighten that bolt. You should post a vid when its all done so everyone can check it out.
great video! very informative, although it did make a little queasy and seasick.
+Michael Cockrell hahaha it happens
who is super c? I just showed up here somehow :D and im glad.
+John Steilleck chuck richards....his channel was called superCrichards. He's a cool dude.
Can you adjust the belt speed (SFPM) from very slow to much faster? If not, do you know of anyone who supplies bench top belt sander that DOES allow variable belt speed?
+LFOD7491 I don't know of any cheap speed adjusting sanders. I think once you get into variable speed grinders the price goes way up. I use a 2hp variable speed grinder made by Pheer.
You could switch the AC motor out for a DC motor, like one out of an old treadmill. Make sure you get the electronics too. I see old DC motors with controls in Craigslist
Daddy liked.... subscribed
Hahaha....thank you
You do know that is a level not a angle gage? It gives you a angle relative to gravity rather than the angle to the sanding belt. If your belt sander is not 100% perpendicular to level it will give you a incorrect measurement for your purpose. It could be used like you used to figure out where you had previously placed your table assuming the belt sander has not moved.
Yep thank you
Ha sorry spoke to soon, how about the handles do you use the same sander?
Carlos Delao I used to but now I use my 2x72 it's much faster. Thanks for checking out the vid I hope it helps you out.
ok, will probably upgrade later, but just wanted to know if this was capable of doing the job.
Yes sir that 1x30 and a rotary tool for cleaning up finger grooves is what I started with
Alan Clark Alan, thank you for your time, you can check out my work at www.GunEngraver.com
Shit that's amazing work you do
*I got this last week and used it already for pipe making/shaping. It is good for shaping briar blocks for pipes after initial block cutting. It is not noisy, and works very well.>>>**0rz.tw/p5d0** There is not much assembly required and it is very easy. The only caveat to be aware of is that the plastic dust cover under the round sanding disk table has a notch which makes it impossible to screw into place - manufacture mis-measure of this specific plastic part. You will need to get a small file and file this notch off then it goes into place as smooth as butter.*
how many watts and hp is your engine ??
MegaMalek95 not sure about the watts off hand but it is 1/3hp.
OK , thank you so much :))
nice channel
Thank you sir
that plastic thing and the shield is good to protect your eyes against the sparks. do you know how much an eye surgery cost, if one of those stuff attacks your eye? i like my fellow knife maker comrades be seeing, not blind. put those stuff back an use a proper all sides covering eye protection glasses.
The plastic thing sucks, and you should be wearing basic eye protection, if not something that shields your entire face anyways. Makes life easier when it comes to swapping belts.
how meny have w ..this belt grinder sander. ??
+Darko Kolar I made about 20 knives from start to finish with this sander, but I still use it for the final clean up grinds and sharpening every knife I make.
Can you bevel a knife with it?
Michael Matos sure can its what I used when I first started, it just takes time.
where do you get your belts?
+EricSalt88 i buy them also at harbor freight
hey, im a real good dude man, i think the whole population on earth should be interested in me and all come talk to me and send me flowers just for existing.
Kahain my thoughts exactly :-)
are you using aluminum oxide belts?
Whatever the ones are that they sell a harbor freight, they are so cheap there so I buy a few every time I go there.
Try using ceramic or zirconia
what's up Gman?, hooty hoo. was Gman 04 to 08, , just picked a 1x30 up gonna see what I can do, I made 2 knives before doing it by hand with bench grinder and hand files but I'm just someone who tries to make everything just to see if o can
+groundburst cool beens I'm 01-05 out of polk. When you get some ground out I'd love to che k them out. GERONIMO, ALL THE WAY!
+Geronimo Blade Works definitely will show some work, I'll have to send you a pic of the last two I did by hand file and bench grinder. I was at polk also. DTRP 04 to 07 then was the BN s3 air til 08.
+Geronimo Blade Work were you making knives when you were In BN? I remember a PSG from A Co that made knives if I'm correct.
+groundburst I was Aco 3rd PLT, I've only been making knives for a bout three years.
at first I thought to make te back grind belt file removeable, fixed with a welded screw system. to meke if I liked also a convex grond always leving the spine on the workplate and non pushing much when grinding. but it's complex, cod get ot not well straight and close to the bel, and I thought I like the best or a full grind - for more cutting tasksks - or a scandy modified type grind on the first bevel - for a multitasking camp strong knife. and then just on the sharpen cutting part I like better the convex grind. to me for now thiis is the mix that match better.
by the way. you seem to me quite a wise man (guy), so I allow myself to ask you just few second step level, knifemakers questions, just to have a talk and confront our opinions:
I like much full grind because I do not think a well tempered iron need to be so beefy. (58-60 hrc like the good ole D2 if well done, maybe with new post temper criogenic treatment - or about 58 like the not expensive, easy to find, tempering forgiving but always well prowen as very reliable o-1. for now I leave exotic steels to real experts, not people just putting the number on blades than working not really well as they are priced - sometimes just fashionable)
to demonstrate clearly - can be done in your workplace - the main required specifics asked to a knife balde:
- edge retention (but not difficult resharpen)
- toughness of the cutting end to shocks, and on the contrary also some bending resistance for the tip and also the whole knife, maybe not to break in a while without prying, that could be dangerous,
- and maybe why not, also same wear resistance to rust.
these for me are the main "use to" must of a blade knife (not to enter in tangs or handles)
all super beefy knives to me is quite a fashion (again. this new world of knives that already is full of just beautyful wonderful "fame signed" gadgets, for city wealthy collectionists, just to stay behind a glass. nothing bad in itself, I like some little collecting myself, but for sure not a fortune. but a knifemaker is not mainly a designer for me, IMHO. that wouldn't ever be my aim if I would make really good knives one day. anyway one should know what kind of work he is doing, what for, and what to choose and improve), sadly I think most coming from USA, once known as the country of the tell: "the bigger the better". even if I'm not integralist at all and proudly own just some, but really well made USA beasts, as the TOPS "Tahoma". if don't go out for a fishing weekend, but for a month in the woods far from "civilization" you can't bet on a try, you rely on just few crucial things, and "when the going gets tough , toughs get going" as said the Great John Belushi.
but this is just for few peole, among billion of knife buyers, and I could realize many other countries make very reliable (and also chopping, and even survivals) good knives with not so much use (waste?) of sometime not too well tempered steel - till the core, just because most of it is very thick, and it's not so easy as it could seem, to do it without making the thin blade part then fragile.
what's your opinion about this not so indefferent issues, especially for new knifemakers approching this nowadays global huge world of the blades, and not sure at all what path to start with not to get lost in this mess of stuff but to find his very own way ?
+nome nemo I like high carbon steel I use mainly 1095. When I first started making knives I built a small forge to heat treat myself and I would temper in the oven. I send my knives out now to professional heat treaters that specialize in knives. I use mainly two thicknesses of knife 1/8in and 3/16in. The hardness of your heat treat depends on what you are going to use the knife for, my knives in 1095 are 59-60rc. I get very good edge retention and so far have not had any break, lots of happy customers. The trade between high carbon and stainless steels is with high carbon you will always get a better longer lasting edge but you worry about corrosion. Stainless will also get very sharp but not last as long and resists corrosion. The super steels for me are to expensive to buy for small time begining maker.
I took the plastic guard off cause it takes so long to turn that one thumb wheel and I'm lazy and who cares about safety anyway! LOL
first af all: thanks. then: like and subscribe.
especially for your simple, not boasting in empty blah blah blah, but giving us cool suggestions on the tool every starting knifemaker uses. for not having like "hollywood on you tube" craftsman "HD images" but instead some simple and easy, ideas anybody could make himself, of real useful substance.
as too many do about their own ways to work, more to get a name and sell more knives at higher prices, than really to help others for true, bringing with wonderful hfrom their igh-level experience" often more confusion and doubts in their heads on dozens of issues that one would have to face way after. instead that what is clearly has to be done to start simple and sure. or on the other hand giving you wrong, crappy, not really well tested, suggestions but as nothing less that must do's. or even more common, making a work selfie of 15 minutes video on a thing that has already been explained and shown in almost another dozen videos - and exactly in the same way! - not adding anything intersting new.
instead you gave me few but really great ideas for modification this unexpensive starting grinder I bought not long ago but still giving me problems, to be used properly for knifemaking. I saw many vids about that but helped not much. but yours suggestion are as simple than crucial, because they help to use his little but good potential, without strange complex jigs. as I thought too, because it really could do it well without! because the workplan moves and can be be fixed just the direction and in the way we need! if well controlled also precisely as you seem do it. but to make this out as it must be, for this I found genial, to be so simple and making real complete difference especially the welded file behind the grind where's the plate where the the knife is grinded - othervise it comes out a mess of double convex grind each also on the spine!
some questions:
I have a different angle measure tool it seems to work pretty well, I havent'ever seen any like yours, what's its name? where did you found it?
what is your usual change of grain from beginning to end?
do you also saharpen and hone (why not, it seems ok and cool for me. no?) knives with the belt grinder, or did you do it, with what results?
thanks, really great works yours, I liked so much the second tanto you showed here. keep it cool bro, take care.
(pardon for my bad english)
+nome nemo your english is good enough my friend :-)
I do also sharpen all my knives with this grinder I use 400 grit to start the edge and then a strop to make it razor sharp. I don't know exactly what my angle tool is called, I bought it at a local hardware store, i dont use it anymore. The best way to grind bevels is to scrach a line down the center of the blade where the sharp edge would be. Start at 45º and grind till you are almost to the center line, do on both sides. Then you bring you angles down to to bring your grind lines up higher to where they look good. As long as your cutting edge is around 20-22º per side it will be good and sharp. Let me know if you need more help, take care
+Geronimo Blade Works Awesome detail. Thank you.
Yes sir, happy grinding
I think you have the right idea... But you need to improve your working habits... First, only a high school student uses a vise grip as a turning handle.. get a proper bolt and knob.. Also, you cannot grind a piece of metal for so long without killing the temper.. Dip it in some water every 10 seconds or so... You will get there young man...
love my vicegrips, been with me since day one. all of that grinding is being done on a piece of scrap. but thank you for the analysis of my video, i expect a written report if you want the extra credit though
First off some of the best bladesmiths around probably dont even have the equivalency of a high school education. Secondly, you cant kill the temper on a blade that hasnt even been heat treated yet. Foolishness