MEMBER ITEMS FOR SALE
Custom Knives | Other Knives | General Items
-------------------------------------------
New Posts | New PhotosAll Photos



Go Back   The Knife Network Forums : Knife Making Discussions > Custom Knife Discussion Boards > Tool Time

Tool Time Let's talk shop. Equipment, Tips & Tricks, Safety issues - Post it here.

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 09-07-2006, 03:13 PM
SamLS SamLS is offline
Steel Addict
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 149
Dozier Grinder

Anyone have or used one of these grinders? How good does it work? Any advantages over others?

http://www.dozierknives.com/grinder.html
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 09-07-2006, 08:26 PM
hammerdownnow's Avatar
hammerdownnow hammerdownnow is offline
Hall of Famer
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Avon Lake, Ohio
Posts: 4,340
Send a message via Yahoo to hammerdownnow
Never used one and this is my first look at one. Off the top of my head,I would say judgeing from Bob's rep as one of the best knife grinders in the world. I would say he knows what it takes to build a good one. Judging by the price, I would hazard they cut no corners on materials nor craftmanship. Judging by the rave reviews by some of the best of the best....well...I would tend to take their word. Thanks for posting that.


__________________
"Many are chosen, but few are Pict"
"The doer alone, learneth" NT Neo-Devo
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 09-08-2006, 07:59 AM
SamLS SamLS is offline
Steel Addict
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 149
I like the idea of the air tension. It's the same and constant should the belt grow and would be easily adjusted with the regulator. I like to hear from a user or someone with something similar.
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 09-08-2006, 11:13 AM
Bob Warner's Avatar
Bob Warner Bob Warner is offline
Living Legend
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Royse City, Texas
Posts: 1,820
I saw it demonstrated at the Spirit of Steel show about three or four years ago.

Personally I was not overwhelmed. It worked fine and did all the stuff we would need it to do but changing functions was a pain. It took a while to go from platen to wheel. It took forever to get it set up because the air source was messed up and therefore the grinder was non-functional.

I just did not like the fact that if my air compressor breaks, I can't use my grinder.

It would not handle my kind of grinding. The stand is to lightweight and I would tip the thing over backwards. I would have to build a new stand and use the one that came with it for something smaller.

Just my .02


__________________



Tumbling down the road at 35 MPH is no fun, TRUST ME!
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 09-12-2006, 12:12 PM
gandalf23 gandalf23 is offline
Enthusiast
 
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Fort Worth, Texas
Posts: 64
My dad bought one just about a year ago. It's spoiled me rotten. None of the other grinders we have between us has a variable speed control (yet). We've got a Blademaster, a Bader(?), a big honkin' Powermatic, several John LeBlanc grinders, and a little 1x42 Delta grinder.

I thought it was silly to spend that much on a grinder right up until I used it. Now I just about don't use any of the other grinders at all. In fairness, I have not personally used the LeBlanc grinders, and they're in storage till we finish remodeling my parents house (needed the room in the workshop).

It's the easiest of the grinders we have, that I've used, to change functions. Undo the bolt and swap the platten for the contact wheel.

Hadn't thought too much about what to do if the compressor goes out. Guess we could use the portable air tank we use to air up tires. Dunno.

When we went to Mr. Dozier's shop to pick it up he let us use his 3hp grinder. Man that thing could hog out steel quick! We got a 2hp model, but it's still plenty fast on rough cutting the blade blanks. Watching Mr. Dozier turn a piece of steel into a knife, he makes it look so easy! “Making a knife is easy!” he said After playing around with the grinder we got from him, I can say that for me it's much easier on it that on the other grinders I've used.
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 09-13-2006, 01:37 PM
SamLS SamLS is offline
Steel Addict
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 149
gandalf23

How is the tracking?

Does it change when you push against the wheel?

Does the grinder and stand rock back when you push on it as Warner suspects, I thought it weighed around 300 lbs with stand?

Is the 2hp DC setup enough?

Thanks
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 09-13-2006, 03:51 PM
gandalf23 gandalf23 is offline
Enthusiast
 
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Fort Worth, Texas
Posts: 64
Trackings easy to mess with. Ours has a "T" handled allen wrench to adjust the tracking, real easy to do, although I always manage to turn it the wrong direction first

I haven't noticed the tracking changing when I push against the wheel. I'll play around on it this weekend and check. I'll take some pictures of it in action, too.

We keep the grinder against the wall right by the rollup door in our shop. To use it we drag it a bit into the doorway so sparks go outside and we get some light. The only time I've noticed it rocking is when one of the feet is on a cable or debris of some sort that I didn't clear out of the way before moving it. It's pretty stable, it weighs at least 200 pounds I'd say.

Yes, the 2hp is enough.

-Mike
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 09-19-2006, 09:35 AM
gandalf23 gandalf23 is offline
Enthusiast
 
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Fort Worth, Texas
Posts: 64
Sorry, was in the office all weekend on a rush job. Should be able to get pics this week though.
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 10-10-2006, 02:17 PM
gandalf23 gandalf23 is offline
Enthusiast
 
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Fort Worth, Texas
Posts: 64
The rush job turned into several. Sorry.

Here's pics:

http://gallery.gandalf23.com/grinders
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 10-11-2006, 08:00 AM
SamLS SamLS is offline
Steel Addict
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 149
Thanks for the pics. At the front of the grinder plate, what are the 4 large holes in front of the tapped holes which the brackets mount used for? Does the 14" wheel have bearings in it or are the bearings on the mounting arm like the KMG? Thanks
Reply With Quote
  #11  
Old 10-11-2006, 12:48 PM
gandalf23 gandalf23 is offline
Enthusiast
 
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Fort Worth, Texas
Posts: 64
The contact wheel's arm has a threaded hole on it, so when it's attached we put the bolt through the large unthreaded hole and into the threaded hole on the arm. There are four large unthreaded holes so that you can stick the contact wheel at four different heights.

I am not sure where the bearings are on the contact wheel, I will have to go look.

Updated to add:
Took a look at it last night, the bearings are on the wheel, not the arm.

Last edited by gandalf23; 10-12-2006 at 09:53 AM.
Reply With Quote
  #12  
Old 10-11-2006, 02:19 PM
Don Halter's Avatar
Don Halter Don Halter is offline
Guru
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Katy, TX
Posts: 1,261
I saw the same demo Bob did. It looked like it ran really smooth and tracked extremely well, even when slack-belt grinding. Other than the variable speed, it didn't seem like it did anything extraordinarily different that any other high-end grinder, though.

Of course, I use a 10 yr-old Grizzly, so driving over cattle gaurds seems like smooth action to me!


__________________
Don "Krag" Halter

Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
knife


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 03:34 PM.




KNIFENETWORK.COM
Copyright © 2000
? CKK Industries, Inc. ? All Rights Reserved
Powered by ...

Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
The Knife Network : All Rights Reserved