good Belt grinders

[Jaredc]

Hi guys, im fairly new to the knifemaking scene, and I have a question about belt sanders...Right now im using a 4x36 harbor freight grinder, and its not cutting it. Any suggestions on what brand, or model i should get? I want to keep it under 300 if possible. thanks

[Jaredc]

Im american so i mean under $300

[jimmontg]

It bolts onto a 4x36 sander. It is a 2x48 with contact wheels to grind on, but is only offered slack belt as there isn't a platen to grind against. It looks like a platen could be made to fit onto it though. It's call a Jiffy belt sander conversion and is $169.
http://usaknifemaker.com/knife-makin...6-sanders.html There's a link.

That is one option. For about $170 you can buy a Sears 2x42 belt sander with 6" disc and it will take 1x42 " belts. You can get 2x42 belts on Amazon or Jantz Knife supply up to 600 grit AO. No fancy ceramics or zirconia, but you can find those in 1x42.

Or you can spend about another $150 and order an American made 2x48 Kalamazoo from Jantz supply and the $450 includes the shipping. If you want to get into the 2x72 belt range then you'll have to look for one for sale on craigslist or build it yourself and there are many weldless 2x72 grinder plans. USA Knifemakers offers concise plans and instruction for one. Here is another link for them and they cost 25.77 and are fifty pages long.http://usaknifemaker.com/knife-makin...-50-pages.html

There is a Grizzly Grinder 2x72 for just around double your budget and Kalamazoo has a 2x72 for $730 again from Jantz supply, who for some reason have the best prices on Kalamazoo belt grinders and they are cheaper if you have a 1/2 motor lying around.

I have a 1x42 with 8" disc Delta with a 1/2 HP motor and I am thinking about removing the disc and installing a 2x48 sander attachment from Trick Tools and here is a link for it. http://www.trick-tools.com/Multitool...ment_MT482_307
It is just under $300 if you have a 1/2 HP or better motor-buffer-grinder around. I spoke to the salesman there and it can go onto a 1/2" or 5/8" shaft. He did say that 1/2 HP is on the low end of power as the Jiffy attachment onto your existing 4x36 would be a power issue as well, but for that price I would get it just to have a slack belt sander available all the time with J-flex belts.

I hope that helps you out and doesn't confuse you. Happy Grinding

Oh there is a youtube video on that jiffy, just go to the link I have up there.

[Doug Lester]

I think for under $300 you're out of luck. Kalazamoo makes a 2X48" grinder with a rather under powered motor for a bit over $400. Coote makes a 2X48" grinder with a 6" drive wheel for about the same but it comes without a motor. An appropriate motor new will probably run you around another $200. There are a couple of more grinders out there that I just can't bring to mind but I think that you're still talking north of $400.

There are also some kits out there to allow you to build your own as you can afford the parts but you need to be handy with your hands and have a minimal number of power tools and be able to drill and tap threads.

Doug

[Ray Rogers]

Save your money until you can afford a Grizzly. At around $550 they are the most bang for the buck. Probably half the knife makers in the country started with one and continue to use them in their shops long after they have acquired a better grinder....

[Hunter10139]

Originally Posted by jimmontg

It bolts onto a 4x36 sander. It is a 2x48 with contact wheels to grind on, but is only offered slack belt as there isn't a platen to grind against. It looks like a platen could be made to fit onto it though. It's call a Jiffy belt sander conversion and is $169.
http://usaknifemaker.com/knife-makin...6-sanders.html There's a link.

That is one option. For about $170 you can buy a Sears 2x42 belt sander with 6" disc and it will take 1x42 " belts. You can get 2x42 belts on Amazon or Jantz Knife supply up to 600 grit AO. No fancy ceramics or zirconia, but you can find those in 1x42.

Or you can spend about another $150 and order an American made 2x48 Kalamazoo from Jantz supply and the $450 includes the shipping. If you want to get into the 2x72 belt range then you'll have to look for one for sale on craigslist or build it yourself and there are many weldless 2x72 grinder plans. USA Knifemakers offers concise plans and instruction for one. Here is another link for them and they cost 25.77 and are fifty pages long.http://usaknifemaker.com/knife-makin...-50-pages.html

There is a Grizzly Grinder 2x72 for just around double your budget and Kalamazoo has a 2x72 for $730 again from Jantz supply, who for some reason have the best prices on Kalamazoo belt grinders and they are cheaper if you have a 1/2 motor lying around.

I have a 1x42 with 8" disc Delta with a 1/2 HP motor and I am thinking about removing the disc and installing a 2x48 sander attachment from Trick Tools and here is a link for it. http://www.trick-tools.com/Multitool...ment_MT482_307
It is just under $300 if you have a 1/2 HP or better motor-buffer-grinder around. I spoke to the salesman there and it can go onto a 1/2" or 5/8" shaft. He did say that 1/2 HP is on the low end of power as the Jiffy attachment onto your existing 4x36 would be a power issue as well, but for that price I would get it just to have a slack belt sander available all the time with J-flex belts.

I hope that helps you out and doesn't confuse you. Happy Grinding

Oh there is a youtube video on that jiffy, just go to the link I have up there.

Actually, I have the 2x42 and you can pretty much order whatever type of belt you want from trugrit's website. It may not be a 2x72 but I LOVE my 2x42.

Edit: For clarification you can order 2x42 belts of pretty much whatever you want. Here's a link:
https://trugrit.com/index.php?main_p...74bfb94c7f3a22

If you don't trust links, just google trugrit and find their website. Go under Abrazive Belts and select by size.

[jimmontg]

Thanx for the update. Another web site for my "Other Favorites"

Well Jared, there are some of your options at $300. The Jiffy by the way was developed for the HF 4x36 sander. If you just want to spend $300 you can get the Jiffy or the 2x42 from Sears and over a hundred dollars in belts. Does the Sears 2x42 have a soft contact wheel Hunter? If it does I would go that way until you can save up for a big sander.
I personally love the 2x48 Kalamazoo as they had them where I used to work and they are great medium sized grinders although on the low power end, but it was never an issue as I used to grind knives after work on them with zirconia belts. USA Knifemakers has a free tutorial on which belt to use for different materials and situations you might find very useful. Like zirconia belts for underpowered machines and ceramics are even better. You want to make me mad just use my zirconia belts on wood.

[RedstickJP]

https://www.elitemetaltools.com/tool...FYU2aQodGTgFMQ

Found this with a quick google search, not sure how good it is. I use the grizzly myself

[Hunter10139]

The 2x42 does not come with a soft contact wheel. That being said, I have had some success hollow grinding with it.

[Ray Rogers]

That's a 1x42 Kalamazoo. You can grind blades on a 1x42 but the belts don't last long and its a real challenge to grind any more than a 4" blade. Anyway, I have a 1x42 that I use for small tasks like shortening a screw and I wouldn't want to do a lot more than that with it although I have made a few blades on 1" belts which is why I don't recommend it. I know some guys who manage with a 1x42 but at that price I still say:

Save your money, get a Griz ...

[jimmontg]

The Jiffy can use 1x42 or 2x48. I use a 1x42 Delta from years ago, but it has an 8" disc sander as well which I almost never use on steel, great on wood though.

I ground a 12" double edged Arkansas Toothpick with it. It is made of 1.5" x 3/16" O1. OA was 17 inches. I used a hidden tang handle. Not easy, but technique makes a difference (used an angle grinder for the heavy stock removal). Since I almost always put a linear grain finish on all my knives I am thinking of going down to the college and Cad-Cam a 2x48 grinder to make it with. I will purchase a variable speed motor and that is what is holding me up. I want at least 1 hp and is that enough to make variable speed and still have enough power Ray?

Sorry I can't seem to post a pic of the Toothpick from my picture album. I click on insert image, but it just asks for a website. How do I insert an image from my picture album?

I like the Kalamazoo as it is a good grinder for the economically challenged, but I will spend $450 on the "American" made Kalamazoo than the grizzly and pay the extra $160 to $200 for the 2x72 over the Grizzly plus the customer support from Kalamazoo as well. I have personally watched the owner of a great company crying as he had to layoff person after person and close whole departments as he lost business to the Global economy. Yes he wanted to make money, but he wanted his employees to make a living too. Sorry for the politics, but it's what I feel. If you can wait for the Grizzly then wait for the 2x72 Kalamazoo, but get the motorless version and put a bigger one on than they offer. They are both decent economy machines, but the one made in Michigan seems to have less problems according to reviews..

[Ray Rogers]

One hp is enough to make a grinder but I'd get a 1 hp 1725 rpm AC motor and get the variable speed by using pulleys with it. A one hp DC motor with speed control will work too - its what my grinder has - but we're talking a Leeson 90vdc or 180vdc motor with a $100 controller. Any other type of DC motor like a treadmill motor or other physically small motor with a router type speed control might work but many don't live up to their power rating and every one I've tried to use burnt out pretty quickly.

For the picture, you need a URL if you want to post from your album. If you're album will tell you the URL of a specific picture and you put that URL in your post using the Manage Attachments button then it will work. It would be simpler to have that picture on your own computer, then use Go Advanced to write your post and choose the Manage Attachments button which can then get the picture off your computer ...

[jimmontg]

Thanks Ray

[jimmontg]

There are many diy videos on building your own belt sander here is one made out of wood and skateboard wheels for about $30 they claim, but he already had the motor.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtFQt4k1kA8

[Any Cal.]

Wow. I am the maker of the Jiffy Belt Sander attachments. I Google them periodically to find reviews or complaints.

Jimmontg, thanks for putting the word out! I don't know if we have ever talked, but I do appreciate it. PM or Email me on here and I will see if there is some way to hook you up.

Just to clarify though, there IS a platen available; if you buy the Big Wheel kit it comes with, or you can purchase it seperately.

Also, if you have a 4x36 already, the Jiffy is the ticket! The interface is better than most all the 2x72 out there, with 2 contact wheels, a platen, a slack belt, and the edge of the belt all accessible without changing anything.

The Jiffy lets you shape and finish handles like a boss, as well as some blade work. If you change a pulley on your 4x36, you can do more metal work.

In my shop I have a 2hp variable speed 2x72 with a 4x36 Jiffy sitting right next to it, and they both get used. For some things I prefer the Jiffy, (things with smaller curves or more complex shapes). If my shop burned down and I had to start all over, the Jiffy would be one of the first things I replaced!