mcraigl Posted July 26, 2009 Share Posted July 26, 2009 Give me your thoughts on what size of contact wheel to buy for knifemaking. I'm running 2" and 4" on either side of my platen currently, but want to be able to make nice hollow grinds. And by the way... Holy cow those things are spendy! Also, what's your sources for them. I've just looked at them at Tru-Grit a minute ago. I've also seen them on one of the other knife supply websites. Any input would be appreciated, especially if you give me your reasons for one size over another. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Hale Posted July 26, 2009 Share Posted July 26, 2009 (edited) The size you need is really dependant on what thickness and width of stock you wish to grind and to some extent on whether you wish to just grind one hollow to a side. Think dagger for the two hollows per side. Let me 'splain; I use an 8" contact wheel and almost all of my blades are 1" to 1 1/2" in width and run from 1/8" to 1/4" in thickness. For a 1" width I can run the hollow grind almost right up to the spine and it looks really nice. If I were to use a 6" wheel it may look the same but the blade would be really thin in the middle of the grind. The same stock ground with a 10" or 12" would be much thicker in the middle of the grind. Not many poeple would notice these thickness differences. But if they put that one ground thin in the middle to a tough task it may fail. When I grind a 1 1/2" width blade I simply cannot run the grind line up very far on the blade or I will have the same problem. But then for that width blade I use 1/4" stock, thicker means I can go up farther with out losing strength in the middle of the hollow grind. One of the knife supply companies use to sell a chart to tell you all of this. I have one contact wheel I use for everything. When one of you (known after as my very bestest friend) wins the lotto I would like a ten inch wheel thank you. If I were to buy a new grinder I would get a 10" I am not going to spend all that money for one now as I am fairly happy with what I am able to do with the 8". Think really hard and peek into the future about what you want to grind and base a wild guess on that. Most machines come with an 8", that is a big clue as to what most folks are using if it is not saying it is what most folks would like to have. Hope I have not muddied the waters too much. E mail me if I missed or confused something. Edited July 26, 2009 by Rich Hale .................. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markb Posted July 28, 2009 Share Posted July 28, 2009 (edited) Hi Mike Here's one source. I've been using a 10" and a 2" but I'm just beginning as you know. You're welcome to come over and I'll show you what I have.Urethane, Polyurethane, Custom Urethane Products, Urethane Products Manufacturerhttp://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=661341 Edited July 28, 2009 by markb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 28, 2009 Share Posted July 28, 2009 I use a 10" wheel as that was what the fellow I trained under used and so I went for it when I bought my bader rather than getting a smaller wheel and then having to pay for another. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcraigl Posted July 28, 2009 Author Share Posted July 28, 2009 Thanks all, exactly the kind of info I was looking for. So Rich, do you "wish" you had a 10" instead of the 8" if that's what you'll buy for your next grinder or are you saying you "wish" you had both sizes? I can't see myself grinding blades much wider than 1 1/2" as that seems to put me in the "sword" realm, and it takes me long enough to finish a knife sized blade as it is. Don't see myself doing swords for a long long time if ever. Will the 10" wheel still put a nice hollow grind on the 1 -1 1/2" size range? I recall JPH saying he was really enjoying the 14" (if I recall) wheel on his new grinder. Is that more because he does some larger blades? JPH, you out there??? What do you think? Thomas, you grinding many knife sized blades on that 10" wheel? I really like the sounds of Sunray as a supplier Mark. Thanks for that link, I've already sent away for their brochure and durometer kit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Hale Posted July 28, 2009 Share Posted July 28, 2009 Do I wish I had a ten"? .....Hmmmmmmm I wish I had an additional hard core grinder with a ten inch on it alongs side the one with the eight inch. That is not likely to happen anytime soon. Now if I ever do decide to add a ten" would I switch back and forth between them? I believe I would. On a blade one inch wide I really like the look of the hollow grind that an eight inch gives me. I believe I would also like the look on a wider blade that a ten inch would produce. I visit with a very active knifemaker fairly often and he has switched to a ten or twelve, not sure. His knives are what I always start out trying to produce. (maybe it is not the wheel size?) So for a direct answer...I dunno! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPH Posted July 28, 2009 Share Posted July 28, 2009 Hello: Someone take my name in vain?? Ok///I use to run a 8" wheel..did so for oh.... 35 some odd years or so...now that I built Frankengrinder...my 14" wheel is just a delight to grind on.... I LOVE IT....and at 7200 SFM it cuts like butter.... I am going to get a 8" for it one of these days for smaller stuff...The 14" wheel looks almost like a flat grind....it's soooooo niiiice to grind on and when the wheel is serrated..but it just hogs off the steel... Hope this helps... Back to work for me JPH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcraigl Posted July 28, 2009 Author Share Posted July 28, 2009 Rich, How does that 8" look on 1.25" wide blades? Is that the point where you start wishing you had a larger wheel. JPH, no vanity here bud. Thanks again you guys. Still torn between the 8 and 10... JPH had to bring up serrations... How many are running serations vs. smooth on their contact wheels? Do the serations keep you belts cooler? Contact wheel cooler? Other benefits? Make the grinder more aggresive I assume? Can still polish with finer belts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devins Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 And while you are answering these questions can you tell me if anyone has had any trouble with an 8" or larger poly wheel overheating? I have held off purchasing my large wheel because I like the price of the polyurethane but the vulcanized has the track record of handling the heat. Has anyone had any trouble with a larger poly wheel from Sunray or any other supplier? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPH Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 Hello: Serrations makes the wheel cut a bit more agressively, and (at least with my set up) a larger wheel extends belt life a good bit. Some folks don't care for the "feel" of a serrated wheel, I find that it cuts "better" for me and that I can "feel the grind" better than a smooth wheel. Some folks also say that a smooth wheel makes a "smoother" grind, bUt I cannot tell the difference myself, so I just do what I feel works best for me... Serrated wheels do have some "whine" to them but it's not bad... Hope this helps... JPH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Sayers Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 If it tells you anything, KMG has stopped making serrated wheels. They say smooth grinds were too problematic, and that with today's belts, serrations simply aren't needed. I imagine they make a bigger difference with cheap belts. Bader still sells them and maintains the claim that they increase cut rate and prolong belt life. I have also heard that serrated wheels tend to track better, but I couldn't say from my own experience. There's a long discussion about this on blade forums BTW. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamesr6815 Posted January 26, 2016 Share Posted January 26, 2016 Texas knife maker on ebay has the best deal I've found on 10 inch contact wheels that's where I bought mine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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