Basic hollow-grinding technique - Page 6 - The Knife Network Forums : Knife Making Discussions

hammerdownnow · #76 09-26-2002, 05:29 AM

Gene, you have a PM. Click on your user cp. Roc

Gene · #77 10-08-2002, 01:39 PM

Okay, okay, okay. . . .

This is Crow Eatin' time in Renfro Valley folks. . . .

Y'all told me I couldn't hollow grind my 12"-blade Persian on my 8" bench grinder, and I swore I JOLLY-WELL WOULD! And most of you told me to buy a Grizzly knife grinder for the hollow grinding, instead.

Alas, I reckon you're pretty much right about the bench grinder.

Although I grind bare-handed, and althought obviously the steel CANNOT therefore get very hot, my blade has warped a good 3/4"! And I'm not happy with it. Some experts have seen photos, and they seem to think it's okay, but I'm afraid of it.

REMEMBER, there are a lot of experts who say steel has a memory, like many plastics, and, even if I straighten it out now (as I did this morning, as a matter of fact) it will spring back to that bend during tempering later on.

SO - TAKING YOUR ADVICE - I pulled up the site for the Griz Grinder http://www.grizzly.com/products/inde...88329&DS_ID=1, but the thing is stickin' straight up in the air, AND YOU OBVIOUSLY COULD NOT HOLLOW GRIND ON IT IN THAT POSITION.

So I sent an email to the factory, asking whether you could lay it BACK DOWN so you could hollow grind on the 8" wheel.

No answer in two days.

So I called the factory.

1. Lady number one, a "Service Technician" said she didn't know what hollow grinding meant, but NO, YOU COULD NOT LAY THE UNIT DOWN BACKWARDS. So I asked for a better "expert", and

2. Lady number two said, "SURE, you can lay it back, use it stright up, or lay it forward, no problem, though she had never heard of hollow grinding a knife blade. Then,

3. I got an email saying you could NOT hollow grind on the machine, and the only way you could use the grinder was "fastened straight" - whatever the heck that means. So I called back, and

4. Man number four said, "Sure you can hollow grind on it. You just leave the grinder perpendicular, and hollow grind on the FLAT PLATTEN". So I asked if he knew someone who had ever used one of the machines, and he put me on with some other woman,

5. "No, you can't hollow grind. The machine only works up straight and locked forward. So I asked her for the manager, and

6. They wouldn't let me talk to the manager, but I got another woman, who swore the machine could not be used for hollow grinding, and would only operate straight up and forward. And, finally, reluctantly, she connected me with the GENERAL MANAGER, "BO".

Now I'm always nervous about folks who hide their names.

And my instincts failed me not!

Guess what he said. "DUH! I DON'T KNOW, WHAT IS HOLLOW GRINDING?" He he he - this "BO" is the general manager of a company which sells a grinder, which they call a "Knife Sander and Buffer", and he knows zip, nada, nothin' about knife grinding.

By this time, I had ordered one and a bunch of belts for over $500!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"Duh, well we can cancel the order if you want?"

"No", I kindly insisted, "I'd love to buy the machine, if I can use it for hollow grinding. A lot of guys at CKD have recommended it for hollow grinding, and I really need it. . . ."

"I'll call you right back!" BO promised. "Gimme' five minutes!"

He didn't.

Three hours later I called him back.

"Duh, yeah, I guess I forgot to call ya', we guess, I dunknow, maybe, some of the guys seem to think maybe you might be able to use it for knife grinding....we're not sure."

I thanked him for his courtesy. Though he showed me none.

And my $500 worth of stuff is presumably on its way here.

Maybe not.

Probably gonna wind up in Carmen Sandiego!

I know I will certainly never buy anything else from Grizzly.

Seven Authorized Grizzly Service Technicians and the General Manager of Grizzly don't know - still - til this moment - right now - they still don't know whether you can use the machine for knifemaking!

Underwater basketweaving here I come!

If any of you have ever used or seen a Grizzly G1015, I would love to hear from you! And please pray it never falls apart - I can't imagine getting it repaired!

Will it work?

Gene

Bob Sigmon · #78 10-08-2002, 02:11 PM

Gene,

Of course it can be used for hollow grinding! It is a very basic machine, but the vertical post can actually be rotated back from center and you have access to the contat wheel (the bottom wheel is the contact wheel).

You don't have massive clearance to the arbor but many knifemakes use or started with the grizzly.

If you go to the search function above. Click it. Type in Grizzly and click search. I came up with around 98 threads that have the word Grizzly in them. Not all will relate to the grinder but many do and you'll get lots of info.

Check out Brett Bennett's Shop Pictures. He makes fantastic knives and uses modified grizzlies.

Just cause a company sells an item, it does not mean that they use all those items (I can't imagine why anyone wouldn't want to make a knife) I have gotten lots of things from Grizzly but don't depend on the for more than the original product and replacement parts if necessary. Something always gives when you get a cheap price. And The Griz grinder is relatively cheap when compared to the better machines when you can actually talk to the maker (like a grinder from Rob Frink).

Just take your time and wirk both sides of the blades as you progress and you'll do just fine!

Bob Sigmon

Rob Frink · #79 10-08-2002, 06:59 PM

Holy smokes! This thread is getting big....I couldn't figure out why I was getting all the inquiries for Grizzly slow down wheels.....I think this is it.

Gene, Yes! Yes!...you can and incline the griz...a littl or a lot...heck even lay it down flat. Those machines are a great value! I bought one last year. It saved my butt when a lightening strike wiped out my DC drive KMG1.... 2 days before the blade show last spring. I plugged in the griz and went to work.

Sincerely,
Rob

SharpByCoop · #80 10-08-2002, 08:53 PM

Gene that's the funniest piece of writing I have read in a while! I'm sorry to have pleasure in your misfortunes, but you are surely a trooper! Keep us posted.

This thread has gotten absurdly long. I'm certain it's the longest on the forums! Cheers!

Coop

#### edit

Not even close..... the Outpost has the champs!!!

Gene · #81 10-09-2002, 06:49 AM

Thanks Rob and Coop for your reassuring words.

And I'm certainly delighted - particularly because the machine is on its way to me - that I am actually going to be able to use it, even through the factory doesn't think so! Rob and Coop, one of you two dudes needs to advise Grizzly they're mistaken and that their machine really will work for knifegrinding

Oh yeah, and Twiggy, you little sweet thing, thanks for the confirmation, but I've known all along.

Gene

Kelly Carlson · #82 10-09-2002, 09:56 AM

In at least partial defense of Grizzly - I've purchased a mini-mill, small lathe, and metal bandsaw from them over the past year. Each arrived with at least one part broken or defective. In each case, replacement parts were express mailed to me on the same day as the reported problem, without the need for return of the broken/defective parts or any other verification.
Of course, it would have been much better to have received everything in good working order, but they were willing to correct these problems expeditiously.

Osprey Guy · #83 10-09-2002, 12:35 PM

Gene-

Bob (Sigmon) and I stopped off at Ron Nott's place this past monday following the folder-in at Tom Anderson's. Having seen it for himself, Bob will confirm what I've seen many times in previous visits...Ron has been using only a Grizzly grinder for years and he makes some of the most beautiful hollow ground knives you'll ever want to see. (his is pretty much the same one you just bought only many years older).

Ron taught me how to hollow grind on that Grizzly of his. I will confess that I prefer my new KMG (by far), but trust me when I tell you that there's no question about hollow grinding with that Grizzly...

Dennis

Yeah Baby!

PS. Check out this thread for a very complex hollow grind by Ron Nott, done on his old Grizzly:
http://www.ckdforums.com/showthread....&threadid=9121

Ray Rogers · #84 10-09-2002, 12:38 PM

I agree with Kelly. My shop is mostly Grizzly. I have the 1015 belt sander everyone is talking about as well as a mill, drill press, surface grinder, metal bandsaw, wood bandsaw, 2 hp dust collector, 6x48 sander, variable speed scroll saw, and a 12" disc sander. All of these machines arrived in perfect condition with the single exception of one broken plastic knob. As in Kelly's case, the knob was shipped the same day I reported it.

Grizzly's machines offer exceptional value for the money. I never said they were the best example of any given machine - I said they were the most bang for the buck. There are exceptions to every rule, of course, but I don't think you can go wrong with one of these machines.

Everyone seems to be losing sight of the fact that whenever a Grizzly Knifemaker's Grinder is being recommended it is because the person asking for advice either doesn't have much money to spend on a grinder or is unwilling to take the plunge. At $300 it is a lot of grinder for the money and, in my opinion, the most grinder you can get FOR THAT AMOUNT OF MONEY. That doesn't mean we think it will out perform a Bader III.

Add that to their far better than average customer service and it's hard to go wrong....

Rob Frink · #85 10-09-2002, 12:51 PM

Quote:

Everyone seems to be losing sight of the fact that whenever a Grizzly Knifemaker's Grinder is being recommended it is because the person asking for advice either doesn't have much money to spend on a grinder or is unwilling to take the plunge. At $300 it is a lot of grinder for the money and, in my opinion, the most grinder you can get FOR THAT AMOUNT OF MONEY. That doesn't mean we think it will out perform a Bader III.

Well said Ray, I agree!

Rob

Gene · #86 10-09-2002, 01:08 PM

Thank you very much, Kelly, Dennis, Ray and Rob!

As most of you know, I'm right now working on two big knives - my first knives in over 60 years - and I HAD planned on electronically etching my name on the blades as the "maker".

But that'd be a big lie.

I need to put ALL of your names on my blades - plus another dozen or so from CKD - as the "makers".

You guys are the ones who REALLY built my blades, and I cannot thank you enough!

Gene

Bob Warner · #87 10-09-2002, 01:40 PM

WARNER

Just so you spell it right.

Actually, if that were the case, there would have to be some pretty big blades made just to ge the names on them. Remember, it was your hands that did the work.

Waiting for pictures.

Gene · #88 10-09-2002, 01:49 PM

Yeah, Bob, but YOUR BRAINS!

And, since I haven't figured yet how to upload a photo here on CKD, I'm sending you a preliminary photo by direct email.

My most sincere thanks to each one of you!

Gene

Bob Warner · #89 10-09-2002, 02:09 PM

I can post it here for you if you want.

Just let me know.

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