Know Your Belt Grinder! A Quick & Dirty Guide for the Knife Maker

[@r1w3d]

You have no idea how helpful this type of content from you is to me. I know this is for everyone but I thank you a lot for these types of vids. A while from now when I look back on how I started I will still be thankful for the ideas and tips I have learned from you. 👍

[@ready1take1]

i second that emotion

[@jamesbarisitz4794]

Great info Walter. So many new makers are saving this video I bet. Made my first 2×72 last summer. Been making on and off for 30 years. Now something has changed. I've got a ribbon burner forge half built, a stabilizing chamber 7/8ths built, and a blacksmith set up on the go. I blame you! Seeing you bravely charge into the world of cnc got me off my butt. Thanks man!

[@CyphersFallen]

Thank you Walter. You are the best source for educating the aspiring knife maker.

[@esnyd]

i just finished a build grinder build and ordered my belts from combat abrasive. I couldn't believe how many belts I could get for under $150 shipped. I was paying $5.49 for a single AO belt for my 4x36. I got a pile of ceramic 36, zirconia 80 & 120, and AO 220, as well as a ultra fine "scotchbrite". The difference is astounding!

[@adammullen9990]

Love your videos, always so informative..... best cha. For beginners or intermediate knivemakers thanks for taking the time

[@LHR10mm]

Another great video. Thank you ! And cheers from Jacksonville FL

[@o-o6355]

Just saw you on forged in fire!! Tough luck man. I watch your channel all the time. You got me interested in making knives. Thank you.👍🏻

[@philbyrd5561]

Gator belts really helped me smooth out my flat grind bevels

[@page76metalcraft19]

Another awesome informative vid!

[@wekker090]

Hi Walter, are going to do another Forged in Fire? Would be kick ass.

[@kirbyspencer538]

Walter Sorrells Thanks so much for your videos. I've learned a lot. Could you please do a treatment of Surface Feet Per Minute (SFPM)? I suppose touching on standard motor RPM, preferred drive wheel size(es), variability, calculations, etc. but mostly concentrating on various metals/materials and techniques and goals including avoiding edge 'burning'. It seems to me that SFPM is to the grinder as metallurgy is to the forger. If you've already done it and I missed it a quick pointer to the video(s) would well suffice. Thanx again.

[@jefferyatkisson7781]

What kind of jig would you suggest ? Just curious if you have one that would be great for beginners?

[@stokermeister3]

Will you be making any more swords?

[@felixarbable]

Would you be able to do a vid about restoring kitchen knives i chipped one tip quite badly and am wondering if re hardening id be able to isolate the handle somehow. Its a japanese shun knife

[@r1w3d]

felix crab To get a decent re hardening your probably going to have to remove the handle. Is there a reason you need to re harden the blade??

[@felixarbable]

its ground already quite close to the hamon and to reshape it would probably require to go past it i was hoping i could create a new one by packing it all in clay and just re hardening the hamon. was also thinking i could have the handle in water in a bucket or something

[@r1w3d]

felix crab Your going to have to normalize the steel first or the grain structure will be too much and crack when you re harden. The handle will have to come off to do this effectively. Was it ground down by you or before you acquired it?

[@felixarbable]

its an old knife when i say ground down i mean just years of normal sharpening. i think at this point id take the risk with the cracking and do my best to normalise. i set up a little jig so the handle sits in water and is insulated i can now re nomalise properly i think

[@r1w3d]

felix crab You never know until you try sometimes 👍 water could work. I've seen someone clamp aluminum at the base of a blade before as a heat sink to heat a blade that had a permanent handle before.

[@swordfish1120]

If buying a belt grinder for all purpose use what's the biggest downside of using a 2"x48" belt grinder? What features would you look for if buying a used belt grinder?

[@olegk1280]

Hello. You said that you do not have a speed control on your grinder, but I've seen a very small diameter contouring wheel on the video, does it works well at a high speed?

[@lapislignum]

How big is your drive wheel, 8 inches? I recently made a new attachment for my little 1/2hp bench sander so it would take 2 X 48" belts, the longer belt combined with a flat platen has improved it much more than I thought it would, still not powerful enough though.

[@coleprivett4651]

Looks expensive. What do you think about the belt sander at Lowe's? Just has a straight up and down. And a wheel thats flat

[@leightonlaughlin7629]

bad

[@Servant_Friend_Son]

Hey Walter, I just got my first belt grinder and my lines and plunge lines are garbage. Do you think it's worth making a jig or just keep learning free hand?

[@lsubslimed]

Smithaw27 - keep learning freehand, you'll be thankful you did once you get the hang of it. Jigs are fine, but I personally believe they shouldn't be a replacement for having the ability to freehand, but for efficiently and repetition if doing larger runs of the same type of blade etc, or for really short bevels such as scandi grinds. One thing that really helps teach you how to freehand grind is the Bubble Jig made by Fred Rowe. It's about $80 for the whole system (which comes with a plunge guide) and about $55 for just the bubble jig. When I got mine (back around 2012) I only got the jig as I made my own file/plunge guide, although I would recommend getting it with the guide, since his makes it easier to set up the bubble jig quickly and consistently. Anyway, it's sort like training wheel, as it reached you the motion and the feeling of keeping the same angle. Many guys (myself included) seem to end up not using them that often after they get enough practice using it since it has taught them the proper feel and motions. Anyway, it may seem a little pricey up front, but in the long run it'll save you more in time, steel, and belts than learning without one, so it easily pays for itself. 👍

[@Servant_Friend_Son]

lsubslimed that's a good idea, I'll try it out

[@mikeboone4425]

Question Has any one ever made a platen with cooling running through it like in injection molds to stabilize the temperature just curious seems like it would add life to every concerned the platen and belts or is it just not needed . Happy Trails

[@verdigrissirgidrev4152]

try cbn emulsion on a leather belt

[@FajnyAleZaNiski]

+1, useful tips, how often belts breaks? hits You? or You cut belt with blade edge making this with edge up instead of edge down? You don't use helmet? ;-)

[@robertjeffery3237]

I just watched your appearance on Forged in Fire. You were robbed.

[@SharpWorks]

I know right!? I hope he returns but actually gets an even playing field.

[@jbyrd3304]

Yeah he was robbed big time.

[@captapraelium1591]

"In the 20 years since I bought this machine" puts into perspective the initial cost of a high quality machine doesn't it?

[@stretch130MFE]

Buy once, cry once = Pay for quality. When you make your living with tools and equipment, you are losing money every time the "discount" gear quits.

[@dreadnought8363]

Could you (or anyone ) explain how a bench grinder can be used to establish the bevel please?

[@lapislignum]

does it have a work rest? bevel jigs will work on wheel grinders more or less the same as they do on belt grinders, but the motor is more likely to get in the way. Or you could do it by eye. Walter uses a bench grinder for beveling in this video kzbin.info/www/bejne/rJKrqH-Jra2sfck

[@dreadnought8363]

SPE thank you very much

[@lapislignum]

No problem!

[@dreadnought8363]

SPE any idea on how a convex grind could ve realised on that knind of grinder?

[@lapislignum]

I guess you could roll it while profiling, or do a number of passes at different angles then blend the corners down. I used an angle grinder on the few swords I have made and the grind ended up being roughly convex, I used hard grinding wheels but a flap wheel or similar would probably make blending easier.

[@romantressler4480]

Last time I arrived this early, my wife got pregnant

[@Jordan_C_Wilde]

Was the situation more like you arrived home from work and the moment you drove into the drive way she became pregnant, if you know what i mean ? Or are you actually the father ?

[@romantressler4480]

4th