Making the ULTIMATE Hand Sanding Machine (for the knife-maker)

Thank you to Princess Autio for sponsoring this video. Apart from the aluminum, all materials and parts for this build came from Princess Auto. So great to have such a well-stocked store for those of us who like to make stuff. www.princessau...
For a deeper dive into the thought process and some of the build specifics on this project check out my Patreon page. / simplelittlelife
#knifemaking #knifemaker #maker

[@ethantman6629]

Maybe you could add something like a low-tension trunk lifting strut and a pivot joint to attach to the sanding block. It would press the sanding block against the knife and make it completely hands-free!

[@Simplelittlelife]

That would be sweet!! Great idea! 👍

[@TheTikka308]

Great idea. Curious why you didn’t use cheap linear bearings instead of drawer slides?

[@Simplelittlelife]

Thank you! I couldn’t find any cheap linear bearings and I wasn’t sure this was even going to work. These however were $9 a pair on sale so I figured that was cheap enough. I can swap them out in 5 minutes or even upgrade to proper linear bearings in the future if these fail too quickly. 👍

[@TheTikka308]

@@Simplelittlelife guys a little quirky but he’s a genius at shop fixtures

[@busa_rider_cy4012]

This is awesome

[@Simplelittlelife]

Thank you so much!! 🙏👍

[@MrGerd]

Ultimate drawer slides testing machine ;)

[@jayallan519]

This is awesome, will save a lot of time with handsanding. I would love to make this but maybe a bit to bulky for my workshop

[@johnhipp8040]

What do you mean linear actuators?

[@krissteel4074]

Its definitely a lot better than I was expecting, but also as dangerous too! I think like everyone who's spent more than an hour sanding probably appreciates it to some extent... now, how about a Mk2 with a VFD? :)

[@RedBeardOps]

Dude, this is amazing... I've seen one other guy do this but I forgot who... always thought it looked cool. I like you design as always! VFD may be nice on something like this. Like you said, I bet it can get a little dangerous. lol - Cheers sir!

[@Simplelittlelife]

Thanks James! Much appreciated 👍

[@smaqdaddy]

Shurap has a rig like this. The guy that does the patter welded blades.

[@RedBeardOps]

@@smaqdaddy Yep, that's the guy I was thinking of. Pretty neat home made tools he has

[@BirdieBeaman]

I love it!

[@tombrown879]

Very nice.

[@mattcrawford2666]

I love it! As a fellow millwright I totally approve. Personally I would name it “The Knuckle Buster”.

[@Simplelittlelife]

Right on man! That's a great name! Cheers 👍

[@havikhobbies]

If it's worth doing, it's worth over doing! This thing is built like a tank! I wonder how getting some finishing stones involved would work out? May cut down on paper changes in the initial stages? Great build mate 👌

[@mjaydk]

Nice machine ;) You should "automate" the "holding the sandpaper in place" part as well.. something spring loaded maybe that you can flip up when changing grits.. then you just need to stop the machine and change the sandpaper every once in a while.. would also be less dangerous ;)

[@javanbybee4822]

Yeah, something like a 1/3 sheet sander

[@smeedatelierwijtvliet576]

Exactly, leave it running while preparing handle material etc, with a timer or something to occasionally change the paper/checkups.

[@brysonalden5414]

The results, both the mirror polish and the stunning time savings obviously speak for themselves. I am impressed!

[@jacknissen6040]

Any chance of finding out the motor rpm and reducing gearbox ratio?

[@wolfparty4234]

Pretty cool maaan!! Shurap has a crazy contraption similar with the same concept. 👍🏻

[@richardrubinski6495]

Very nice. Are you using 75/25 Gas for your mig or flux core wire? I noticed you didn't have any splatter on your welds.

[@Simplelittlelife]

Thank you! I am indeed using 75/25 with this new welder I got and I am really happy with it. 👍

[@andrelevesque6300]

Great build!! That will help alot in your shop no doubt. What about adding a variable speed controller??

[@endurogubbarna]

Nice! I have been aiming to make one since I started with knife making 2y ago when I say Shurap version... 2y down the line I at least have the motor and the ball bearing rails from SKF on the shelf - All from recycled equipment. I have prioritized some other equipment builds, but soon :) Btw, Shurap is from Ukraine.... Do hope we will see more of him and his videos soon.

[@davesober2093]

That thing ain't for clown-donkeys.

[@paulmendolia8483]

I'm sure you can work out a contraption to hold the sanding block with the ability to adjust pressure.

[@soonerfrac4611]

Great setup! Reminds me of a setup by a Ukrainian bladesmith that goes by the name Shurap.

[@jefferyleemiller1377]

The achievement laugh at the was is priceless!

[@73FORGE]

I’ll pay for your plane ticket, come to San Diego and make one for me! 🤣👍🏼🍺

[@Simplelittlelife]

Done!!! I’ll go to San Diego any day for any reason! Love it there👍

[@Nanoaiello]

This proves how fun handsanding is lol

[@Simplelittlelife]

Hahaha!! Exactly 👍

[@paulthebaker]

What about a magnetic base, Wouldn’t that make the machine exponentially safer?

[@Simplelittlelife]

I don’t want a magnetic chuck on it because of all the little abrasive bits created during the process. I think that would be terrible to deal with. Also, I’d worry about it interfering with the metal rail slides.

[@paulthebaker]

@@Simplelittlelife thanks! I love your content!

[@c0nnys1]

I tried to build a machine similar to that using a sewing machine on its side but it failed lol

[@Simplelittlelife]

That’s actually a really cool idea!! I would wonder if sewing machines just aren’t strong enough. Cheers👍

[@griffithshandmade-knives]

Ha! This is what I have always loved about this channel! Awesome work Jeremy👍. Do you think Linear actuators just wouldn’t have enough power? There’s a few with 6 or 12” stroke. Got me thinking. 👊

[@Nortoncb]

Congratulations on your work, many things well done and many great ideas here! One question, what is the reduction ratio of the speed reducer used? Would it be 1/37 or smaller? thankful!

[@daveasharps]

This is amazing! I feel like with a couple tweaks you could fully automate hand sanding. Just add a little hold down arm for the sandpaper with some adjustable tension, give the sanding pad a little bit of compliance and i think it would make the device a lot safer, and even easier to use. If you wanted to go real wild, just add a lil motor on the sanding arm that slowly rotates a sheet or a belt of sandpaper. Fantastic lil machine there!

[@trmakertr]

It's a nice system. From time to time, many people ask me to build a machine like this, but. I'm not sure if this is really necessary. can the result be perfect with every knife

[@jamm197511]

You sir....are a fricking genius! 🤗😅😆 That is awesome to watch. Amazing for real. How are the bearings in the slide holding up? Keep up the awesome content man. Love your channel

[@mcseforsale]

What's the US equivalent of Princess Auto? Grainger...or Tractor Supply? Seems like Princess Auto has just aboot everything.

[@jeremiahcoakley4168]

Sooooo..... When can I buy the parts kit and plans from you? Hand sanding is the only part of knife making I don't like so I need this machine!

[@Nickporter17]

Very smart and very cool. My only question is about those hinges. I would think they'd be sloppy as hell when it comes to a precision job like finish sanding. Did they work? Or did you end up installing some proper guide rails?

[@0ddSavant]

It's not so much the tooling, or the milling machines, or the metal lathe, or the welding gear. It's not even the welding table and clamps and myriad drills and bits and rotary tools and accessories. I can understand the forge & the pneumatic accoutrements & at least 2 of the benches. I've got my head around most of that - but how do afford the frankly unreasonable horde of little containers of cutting fluid and machining oil? It's truly remarkable. Excellent video. Thank you for posting. Cheers!

[@sticustom]

Maybe a foot switch to turn on and off. Also quicker to stop than reaching for the switch? Just a thought.

[@pondafarr]

Great build, but the smart-butt in me has to point out, that it isn't "hand" sanding if you use a machine LOL (but I would DEFINITELY us this if I had the tools to build it!)

[@AlphaMachina]

Awesome machine. But yes, definitely very dangerous. Would rip or cut pieces right off of you and keep on going. But the same can be said for any large mechanical device. Look at what happens to people in car crashes, or those that screw up in factories. We're delicate flowers in a world of sharp edges and high torque.

[@SweetTooth8989]

Exactly what I'm looking to make. But with a large dead flat piece of float glass for perfect precision sanding and lapping of knife blades and other steel parts. I do that by hand right now when i want a piece that is perfectly flat, although i do have a mill that use first to get the parts 95% of the way there but the other 5% done by hand is... Not fun lol

[@HoY_82]

I've been wanting to make something like this for a couple of years, but unfortunately I've fallen back into my video game addiction. One of these days I'll snap back out of it and take on something like this.

[@Simplelittlelife]

Hahaha, right on buddy. Get out there sooner rather than later my man. The world waits for no one.

[@ГеоргийЗубиташвили-с3я]

First like and then watch🤝🤘

[@Simplelittlelife]

Woohoo!! Thank you!!👍

[@destroyedsevenfold]

Everyone knows hand sanding is supposed to hurt and cause early retirement… Superb build.

[@AlphaMachina]

Now, if you could just make an adjustable arm that can apply just the right amount of tension to hold your various grits and polishes against the blade for you. Perhaps an articulating arm with a piece of wood lined with felt on the end of it that sandpaper can be clamped around.

[@richardbranton2780]

If I had a choice of busted knuckles or hand sanding all of my knuckles would be bloody LOL. Great job I have got to have one

[@AlexanderHonsVonEber]

? Where can I get a sandpaper holder like yours? Love that rolling block design that holds down the sandpaper.. Great vid thanks

[@marcellomoruzzi8290]

Hello amazing machine ,congrats for the realisation ,is it possible to get the list of the parts you buyd to Princess Auto

[@lordscan1047]

Hand sanding is the worst, is it really worth it a pristine surface finish? My toughts on that is how much do you want to charge for your knife and what kind of use is going to get, maybe i dont like too much hand sanding and i lie to myself saying i dont want a mirror finish because i want my knifes to be used and not stored. Great job trying to look for a solution for that.

[@chrismathie5054]

Neat idea. Foot pedal instead of a light switch? Is that also the princess auto welding table? If it is do you like it?

[@Simplelittlelife]

I like the foot pedal idea! Excellent, thank you! It is the princess auto one and I have been super happy with it so far. Had it about a year and have used it a fair bit. I have no complaints 👍

[@Kevin-gh1cn]

looks great! when's the foot massage attachment video?

[@jacknissen6040]

I really need to make one too, but a sidenote here. Try to keep swarf out of the slides. They are generally rated at 50k cycles.

[@b80-s9i]

Ahhh...Ye Olde cheat Code self-build, I see!! Level up achieved! 💪😎👍

[@coreyscott690]

Can you tell me where you buy your steel? I can only seem to find online suppliers and the shipping is expensive

[@canadawoodcraft9722]

Holy Poop!! This is awesome!

[@Simplelittlelife]

Thanks👍

[@njbaquatics4827]

I like this if you could work out a way of it holding the abrasive as well it would be even better freeing you up to do other jobs

[@alvarezblacksmithing4043]

Did you get the idea from shurap here on KZbin? He’s a fantastic knife maker

[@nateand3]

Pretty damn slick man....just make sure you keep them fingers out the way

[@gavsgav90]

Awesome project. I need one of these in my life lol. What was the polish you used on the knife at the end?

[@mking3219]

Do you think this is possible without a lathe, and mill? Or could you build one for me?

[@bitsindustries9848]

Great work Jezza! Though I feel that maybe an indexing stroke ajdustment might be handy... For shorter blades, or the recessed bevel on a huntsman knife.

[@Simplelittlelife]

Thanks! By changing which hole I bold the are too changes the stock length.

[@justindoyle5972]

You’re laugh 😆 got me after you seen the shine on the blade

[@CadaMul]

First thougt: Ultimate Stabbing Mashine. It will improve workingtime for handasnding soooooo much.

[@Simplelittlelife]

Hahahaha! I was thinking of showing it stabbing a water melon or something like guys do with cutting tests of their weapons. But I'm pretty sure that would 100% get me a channel strike. You know, it's scary and all. 😆👍

[@thewoodlandforge9217]

Great build Jeremy, I have been thinking of making one for some time but I need a workshop that doesn't leak before I begin. I first saw this type of device from Koss on KZbin.

[@Simplelittlelife]

Thanks! I never knew he made one, I'll have to check that out. I found the one by Shuarp when I was just about finished with this but there really isn't a lot of info on the internet about these things. Cheers 👍

[@dmg4415]

How much faster than truly hand sanding?

[@spottedhoss1920]

I want one, I really do

[@Simplelittlelife]

If you were closer you could have this one. I actually don’t use it much….

[@youmandt]

Where did you get that awesome sanding block?

[@lewis-h7e]

This is a clever idea however you need to be a home machinist to make all the parts needed.There is no parts list so we have no idea how much this would cost. A shop would have to have a dedicated bench for the jigas opposed to using a knife vise and sanding manually.

[@Simplelittlelife]

Or this is just some guy in his garage using what he can find at a local hardware store to make something that was in mind. Just imagine if everyone could imagine….. and then work. Crazy right? Best just stick to buying from ikea

[@everydaybladesinc]

I don’t think those drawer slides are gonna hold up long. But that’s a great machine

[@Simplelittlelife]

I bet I get a few months out do them. And for $9 a pair and 5 minutes to swap them out, I figured it was a great place to start.

[@Imwright720]

Beautifully done, but I wouldn’t call it a hand sander.

[@ZPositive]

Glorious. Absolutely glorious. How much time do you think it saves you vs. the ol' elbow grease method?

[@masoodamg6633]

Dear Jeremy. It was great . You are an inventor. I liked it very much. that was perfect .👍👍👍👍👍👏👏👏👏👏

[@BillDerr]

It looks really good! Only issue I see is the drawer sliders. I would not have used them. They may be designed to open and close thousands of times, but not thousands of times in a row. They likely will wear out too quickly. I would have made my own rollers using larger bearings to help absorb the heat from the constant movement when it's in use. But other than that, it looks really good and solidly built!

[@Simplelittlelife]

These drawer slides are $10 a pair(on sale) and take 5 minutes to swap out. I see no sense in making something to use instead. Just a lot of added (unnecessary IMO) build time. I sanded two knives back to back and there was no heat on the slides. I bet I get a year or two before they need replacing. The one thing I doubted about them was if they would be accurate enough and not move around creating weird scratch patterns. I was very surprised they worked so well. Always start with the simplest solution first. 👍

[@brjo172]

awesome! what is that white goop you put on at 19:52 in the video? anyone?

[@TWILIGHTBLISS]

would you be interested in selling that device or making another to sell

[@Simplelittlelife]

I might look into making more of these for sure.

[@TWILIGHTBLISS]

keep me posted ill buy ur first

[@heyimamaker]

Looks like a success to me!

[@jaredverke3455]

That is so cool.

[@Simplelittlelife]

Thank you!

[@bigernbladesmith]

I want I want I want. My back and shoulders will thank me. Really cool project.

[@pythagoras2647]

That's some fu*king machine 😉

[@acrrca9407]

nice rig ...

[@Simplelittlelife]

Thank you so much!

[@cheffandrewscookingshow1455]

I’m building one of those

[@Simplelittlelife]

Right on. This thing works so good I wish I had one years ago.

[@adriduplessis8572]

Can you supply plans and materiaal list A3

[@nicholaskillmeier4895]

Price plus shipping to NY? Seriously contact me :)

[@Simplelittlelife]

If you’re serious, you’ll contact me.

[@chadhutchins646]

😮👏🏻 Awesome build Jeremy

[@EphemeralRage]

That's insanely genius good sir! You are utterly brilliant! God bless!

[@Simplelittlelife]

Thank you so much! Got the idea for old steam locomotives. Thank you for watching! God bless you as well! Cheers 👍

[@bb_forge]

Hey Brother , another great video. Thanks! I have had a chance to see most if not all of your Knife Sharpening Tool reviews. I’m only a few years into this art at this point and still making knives for friends family and co workers as gifts. Im sure most go through this phase before actually feeling comfortable selling a piece. I need to up my sharpening game. keeping in mind Im not making any money at this point and its just a hobby.. which of the “affordably priced sharpeners would you recommend for someone like me at this phase . I like the idea of the knockoff Tormecs but I prefer the control of the bench rested tie rod type sharpeners. Thanks man and keep em coming.

[@Robpearceknives]

Great build Jeremy. I’d seen a similar tool on Sharup’s channel. I was always concerned about J-hooks with these, which kept me from building one, but you seemed to have overcome that. Did you do non-mechanized pull strokes at the end of each grit? Also, is there a mechanical advantage of the vertical sway bar? I would think your design would function the same without it, but I very well could be missing something there (not a critique, just curious).

[@Simplelittlelife]

Thank you! I was worried about J-hooks too but there do not happen at all. Zero hand passes with the machine turned off. The long sway are is necessary. I have a 20 minute video on the design aspect of this machine on my Patreon.

[@carycleland9506]

Now create an arm on a pivot that holds the sandpaper block, so all you have to do is hold the lever down, also gives you more downward force. I’m thinking something like a lever on mortising jig.

[@homemadetools]

Very cool. We shared this video in our homemade tools forum this week 😎

[@collinstphillip]

I like it. It’s terrifying, but I like it! Well done, once again, sir.

[@selador11]

I loves me some overkill! This is about like building a tank, to get a bicycle unstuck from the mud... LOL I wonder how much the reach, or 'throw' of a sewing machine could be extended, if laid on it's side? Pretty sure I could get the same throw from a windshield wiper motor and the appropriate disk. Instead of the clamp, what about a magnetic hold down?

[@reddogknives]

Now your talkin my lingo, plenty of 12v power supplies with a spring loaded sanding block so you could walk away

[@JustTex]

Looks like the scariest part is get your hands onto the knife while running , i was thinking maybe a a slow starting motor or just a footpedal to start and stop. Not sure that would be an improvement though. Cheers4 sharing sir.

[@mrstephenporter]

Really nice build Jer. Following on from some of the suggestions below, a cool and safe way to keep the digits out of the way might be a spring loaded bar that you can roll and slide back and forth (to the side kind of like a lathe feed knob) that reveals fresh grit. Definitely going to play with that idea in my head a little. Sore hands at 40 has me looking for options

[@joecoastie99]

Gotta love carbide inserts!

[@Simplelittlelife]

Oh yeah!! 👍

[@garrettlisenby8787]

Pretty sweet! It'll definitely get alot of use! A day or two of work beats hand sanding by a long shot! 😅

[@chrisjaustin88]

J would think there's a way to mount the sanding block as well with some slight angle and leveling adjustments to provide even pressure. Then it's a walk away and takes your hands away from the equation. Also can you list the cost of parts used for this project?

[@tobymaples7646]

I like that knuckle buster right up the middle! Very cool project

[@patrickvilda9929]

You are a genius 👍😂

[@lashazaridze813]

reminds me of somethin

[@SchysCraftCo.]

Wowsers that turned out very unique. Hopefully you get great use out of it for many years to come my friend. Keep making.

[@erikcourtney1834]

The “bloody knuckle gut gutter” I love it. 🤣 thought about making one myself

[@jackspradt1562]

this build reminds me of one that would have went down in the shipping container.