Has anyone built a belt grinder?

[melonkernel]

I was looking at the blueprints of Hofis shop, and there was this:

And, I realized it would be possible to build a belt grinder. My sister-in-law works at a sandpaper factory, so the belts are hopefully easy to get, my father is an electrician (and i am his apprentice), so electrical engines are not difficult to come by. So, any ideas?

[Mills]

NExt step is what features are you looking for? What type of work will you do with it? I believe that a search for grinders on the web will yield a lot of ideas for you to think about incorporating into your design.

[TarAlderion]

As Mills suggested, you need to really consider what you will use the grinder for and what it will be required to do. This is always the first step in engineering anything. Write down a list of things that you will do with the grinder currently, and anything else you might consider doing with it in the future. Think about: Does it need exchangable contact wheels for grinding different radi and curves? Does it need a flat platen for flat grinds? Does it need slack belt capabilites? Will it need a special small wheel attachment? How often will you be changing the wheels or attachments? Does the speed of the grinder require control and potential adjustment? Will your grinding be heavy or light? And what size grinding belts are available to you?

These are just a couple of things to consider when developing a grinder design. It is foolish to build a grinder that is something way more than you need, it will cost more and take longer to build, and if you don't really need all the extra, then it was a waste of your time and resources. BUT at the same time, unless you want to go and build multiple grinders in the future, you should really try to build a grinder that will satisfy all you needs for your current uses and any potential uses you may have for it.

That being said, if you want a grinder that will do it all, and one that you can easily modify, is easy to work with, fairly easy to build (you can even get by without welding anything), and easy to upgrade and make more attachments, I would go with a KMG based design. I have an actual KMG that I purchased from Beaumont Metal Works . And I must say it is the best grinder I have used. I am a bladesmith, so a good grinder is very very very important to me, and I need a grinder that will do just about anything, from flat grinds, to hollow grinds, to convex grinds, to linear grinds, plunge cuts, large and small radi, fast speed for heavy material removal, slow speeds for control, etc. And I need abrasives in the widest range available from 40 up to 3000 and even into the micron grits. I have a few pictures of my KMG on the first page of my website Fredeen Blades that should give you an idea of what the KMG is and its basic design. The basic design is really very simple, but very effective and highly versitle. The KMG is also one of the more popular designs to copy when building your own, and some sites have plans, material lists, and assembly instructions you can purchase if you choose not to attempt to engineer your own design. Here is one such site ! Plans for the No Weld Grinder . Anyway, thats my recomendation, if you don't need something as fancy or versitile as the KMG, then go with a more simplistic desing, like the one you showed in Hofi's picture. But be warned, if you have a more simplistic grinder because you "dont need anything else" you will inevitably find yourself wanting and needing to do something with it in the future that you didn't "need" to in the past. Once you get a tool that will do it all, you really wonder how you got by without it in the past.

[NateDJ]

The link to your web site is wrong the correct one is Fredeen Blades | Custom Hand-Forged Blades
Thanks for the look at the grinder, I too am thinking about making one.

[TarAlderion]

Oops, sorry about that, don't know what happened with the link, typo I suppose. I fixed it in the original post. Thanks for pointing it out and giving the correct one.

I love my KMG, and of all the grinder designs it is the most versitile, and the most simplistic. The bader B III has a similar design, as far as exchangable tooling arms, and the drive wheel, and idler pully set ups, but it is not as easly translated into a build it yourself design. The KMG is also built super heavy duty, and goes way overboard with the materials. But that is not something to complain about .

If you guys need any extra pics, dimensions, or sketches of what the real deal looks like, or possible ways to substitue/modify the design, let me know and I can get them for you. Additionally if you run into problems durring construction and need some pointers or a new idea I would be glad to help.

[Ken Kelley]

Here's an example of a KMG type grinder I built a couple of years ago. It's not a difficult build but it helps very much to have access to metal working power equipment. If you have an interest in building a KMG clone I can guide you to full plans and other sites where you can get more information.

[MJ Hofbauer]

In regards to the KMG, it actually started out as a DIY project thru a wishlist of features by various guys. Rob is actually very approachable by people wishing to build their own and will answer questions people have. Not to mention sells the harder to come by parts.

I just have a Grizzly, heh -MJ

[JohnW]

There's grinder plans at http://www.dfoggknives.com/PDF/GrinderPlans.pdf

[Hunterbow Smithy]

Melonkernel,

There are lots of posts & pictures on the web of guys who have built their own grinders. I am in the final stages of getting mine running and would be glad to send you photos of the material I have collected of various types of grinders, so you can get some ideas.

Cheers,

Chad

[kovacija(blacksmith)]

I am going to make one too...(my father is also electrician)
yust I must figure out how fast it will be also I have a lot of el engines around my shop house...etc