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The Newbies Arena Are you new to knife making? Here is all the help you will need.

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  #1  
Old 11-01-2012, 09:12 AM
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cbsmith111 cbsmith111 is offline
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Which Budget Machine?

I have started saving for a belt grinder. In the meantime I will continue to make a few knives with my hand tools, but the arthritis in my fingers is making it look like that's not going to be practical long term. From what I can find it seems that there are basically three choices in the lower end of appropriate 2x72 grinders. This would be the Grizzly, the Coote, and the Kalamazoo 2FS72. I have never used one before, and I could use some input as to which might be the better choice for the money.

The Grizzly is, in a way, the most for the money. For starters it comes with the motor already attached. It also has a buffer on the other side, although I'm not sure how practical it actually is to have your buffer attached to your grinder. Maybe someone could give some input on that issue. The Grizzly also seems to be the least versatile of the three. It is single speed and I don't know of an easy way to use a step pully setup with it.

The Coote doesn't come with a motor, so I would have to try to find a used or cheap motor for it. It also seems to involve the most assembly and modification, but seems to be fairly adaptable. I should be able to install step pulleys if I want variable speed. This also could be the cheapest option if I go with the 6" contact wheel. I don't currently have much of an interest in hollow grinding, but who knows what the future will hold. The website says it is not readily adaptable to the other wheel sizes.

The Kalamazoo also would need a motor. It has an 8" contact wheel (much better really than a 6"?). It should also be usable with step pulleys. It doesn't appear to be as adaptable as the coote, but it is pretty straightforward and shouldn't need much besides the motor. I also might be able to get it at a discounted price through my employer.

So there it is as I understand it. If I am mistaken about anything please do correct me. Any input of any type would be appreciated. If you have used any of these machines and have an opinion, or if you can tell something I can't from looking at them, I could use your help. Thanks.
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Old 11-01-2012, 09:39 AM
Doug Lester Doug Lester is offline
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Of the three the Coote is the most flexible. The Grizzly is the least expensive but it lacks the flexibility of the Coote and the motor can get in the way of your work but I met a maker who earned both his Journeyman's and Master's stamp with two of them. The Kalamazoo is probably the worst of the lot. It costs almost as much as the Coote but lacks the flexibility. As far as hollow grinding goes, you can still do it with a 6" wheel and the smaller wheel will be more useful in grinding radiuses.

Doug


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Old 11-01-2012, 09:50 AM
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Ray Rogers Ray Rogers is offline
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I'd say you had it figured about right. Due to space restrictions at the time I bought my Griz I had to cut the buffer shaft off so I never got to use it but it would have been better than using my drill press as a buffer which is what I was doing at the time.

If money is a major roadblock then the Griz is probably best. The Coote is build better but price out the stuff you'll need to get it running the way you want it carefully. It isn't hard to run the price up enough to get into the low end of KMG territory. A stripped down KMG beats them all if you can squeeze it into the budget ...


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Old 11-02-2012, 12:02 PM
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R. Yates R. Yates is offline
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I have a set of plans for a grinder they are in PDF it is awesome .

Sam
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Old 11-03-2012, 12:45 PM
BillyJack92 BillyJack92 is offline
 
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I don't own one but the pheer grinders look good for the money.
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Old 11-03-2012, 08:07 PM
Ed Tipton Ed Tipton is offline
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CBSMITH111...I don't believe there is much difference in the three you've selected. Pretty much, all any grinder is going to do is move the belt. I have a Grizzly, and I don't have any problem with the motor being in the way. The buffer is a viable option, but I don't really use it that often. I have used a Coote, but never the Kalamazoo. I think it all comes down to personal preference and I can't do that for you. I don't think you can go wrong with any of them. I do agree that the KMG is a better choice, but it is more expensive. The biggest difference I've found in machines is the tracking feature, and there isn't much difference. I think it's much more important to select the best possible belts for your grinder of choice. Quality belts will make up for any deficiencies the grinder may have.
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Old 11-03-2012, 10:30 PM
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piggy piggy is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BillyJack92 View Post
I don't own one but the pheer grinders look good for the money.
This guy has come along way. The stuff he had last yr and the new stuff he is making is a big difference. He claims he has sold over 200 grinders so he should be getting better. I also heard he is a nice guy in general to do business w/. Grinder in a box is also a good deal. Not on a budget no contest KMG




http://www.2x72beltgrinder.com/default.html

http://www.polarbearforge.com/grinder_kit.html
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