new to this

[inzane]

i am totaly new to knife makeing and i recently started looking into buying a belt sander i found a few at home deopt and lowes and i am wondering what size belt and motor would be good to use , also im figuring on buying a kit and i am curious to what other tools i will need any help would be awsome, thanks

[derek parker]

if you are going to be doing a kit, youll want a scroll saw/band saw, drill press, vice, files and a dremel for sure.
welcome to the addiction and please post any pics of knives that are finished.

[JediOkie]

I agree with Derek, but if you are in a pinch you could probably get away with a few good files and the Dremel then use regular sand paper and hand finish. I did my first kits with just those tools and a drill that was a gift.

If you go with on of the home improvement belt sanders try and find a 2" belt sander or the 1". A lot of people (including myself) started with a 4" x 36" and while it was handy for the most part I found it to wide really quickly, but it is farely good for most handle work and you can get good belts from online stores like www.supergrit.com

Welcome to the addiction. Just be glad you don't live really close to a knife supply house or you would spend a lot more money quickly.

[AcridSaint]

You could look into a 1x42, I started on a 4x36 and even recomended it to Jayson. I think that having the narrower belt will be more convenient for you now that I've worked with other equipment. The Delta 1x42's you can get at the hardware store often have an aluminum disc on them too, not too bad for knife related things either.

Also, a lot of guys here started with the craftsman 2x42, it can usually be had for about the same money. If I'd known about that one before, my money might have went to it.

If you're married, I hope you have a really nice wife, you're going to be spending a lot of quality time in the shop

[Bearpaw]

I've made a lot of blades on a Montgomery Ward 1"X42" I bought about 35 years ago. I now use a Bader II I traded a friend for some of my sheaths. Still use the old MW. Of course he now has a Bader III. Oh well!

[JediOkie]

The 4x36 is a nice machine to start with, and I passed my machine on too another newbie who is just doing kits for awhile. I just couldn't make it work for grinding blades, and I moved into that varily quickly...not that I'm any good, I just like to be able t omake my own blades.

[NJStricker]

I use the 4x36 primarily for handles. It moves too fast and heats up the blades too quickly if you are thinking about grinding your own.

You'll want a drill press, or at least a drill.

A wide variety of sandpapers (zirconia or silicon carbide for metal, in grades from 320 to 1200 or higher, depending on what kind of polish you want.) A lady on Ebay that sells paper has some good prices, she goes by barbkat.

If you plan to do decorative filework, then you'll want a small set of files. Harbor Freight has a set, but I find that they are not always square and tend to clog quickly. But if you go slow they will do the job until you can afford the good ones. Otherwise, look into a chainsaw file and a small 3-square.

A disk sander is nice to have for getting flat surfaces, especially on dovetailed bolsters. I'd steer clear of the combo belt/disk sanders. Whichever one you're not using will be in the way, they are just too close together. In lieu of a disk sander, follow Wayne Goddard's example and get a flat piece of marble, or check around with contractors for a broken slab of Corian countertop. Glue your sandpaper to it and move the blade back and forth over the sandpaper.

A good overhead worklight. You won't see all the imperfections in your work until you light them up!

A respirator or at least a face mask to keep out dust and fumes from your lungs.

You will find a Dremel tool to be very useful. Or, if you need more power, a Foredom.

[inzane]

awsome advice guys i think im gonna pick up the 4 inch belt sander what are some of the good books out there for begginers

[NJStricker]

How much is the 4 inch sander you're looking at? I think Sears Craftsman has a 2x42 for around $130 based on what others have posted here. [Here: http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/produ...eBVCookie=Yes]

Before you buy, look at what your belt options are. That may be as much a limiting option as price. If you are only going to use it for handle materials then aluminum oxide in a variety of grits will be fine. If you plan to grind metal (and if you get addicted to this hobby you will eventually want to) then you'll want zirconia or silicon carbide belts--hard to find in 4x36 belts.

As for reading material, start here: http://www.knifenetwork.com/forum/sh...ad.php?t=13921

Then read every tutorial you can find. Look at the tutorial sticky at the top of the Newbies Forum.

[derek parker]

add to the book list......wayne goddard, $50 knife shop
someone correct me cause i dont have the book in front of me, and im not sure if thats the title.
also, look into some of the DVDs. more knowledge from the books, but definitly better examples to study on the dvds.

[Peldor]

And a few places to get cheap tool (good for a beginner not looking to spend too much)

Harbor Freight
Got a few little sanders and an angle grinder from them, abused the hell out of the angle grinder and it finally broke about 2 years after purchase.
The little palm sanders are still going strong (and hey for $10 you don't feel so bad when you tear the thing apart to "improve" the sandpaper backing)

Cummings Tools
Have a friend that has one of their "5 speed bench-top drill press" and he has been happy with it. The small press only sees light work, steel less than 1/2" (He also has a bigger free standing drill press for bigger work)

eBay
If your going to buy it look here first, there are some great deals to be had if your patient and look around.

Well good luck with this new addiction and ask questions often!
I just remember what my dad used to say :
"Their are no stupid questions, only stupid people who ask questions." Hey wait a second!

[inzane]

the two i have looked at were a ryobi in home depot for 99 and another one from harbor freight for 150 both looked good i havent seen much for 2 inch or one inch sanders

[NJStricker]

Check out www.trugrit.com for belts. Or, if you hop on ebay, look up a seller users name of barbkat.

Okay, consider this. You're looking at belt sanders in the range of $100-150. What do you want it to do now, and what might you want it to do later? The 4x36 will take care of what you want to do now--shape handle material and soft metals (maybe) for bolsters on kit knives. So will a Craftsman 2x42 for about the same money. If you REALLY like knifemaking then eventually you won't be satisfied with kits and you'll want to make your own (just ask any of us here--a lot of us started with kits and now are doing our own knives.) . At that point you will probably have wished you had gotten a 2x42 (or something even bigger).

Here are your belt grinder options:

If you go with a 4x36, go with the low-end ones from Harbor Freight for around $50 or so.

If you want to spend in the $100-150 range, go with the Craftsman 1x42 or 2x42, especially if you have any desire to make your own blade. Check around on Ebay for some of the older Craftsman 2x42's that have 3 wheels instead of the new 2 wheeled ones.

In the $250-400 range you are now looking at the Grizzly belt grinders in 2x42. More powerful motors, a little more power for grinding metal.

$400-800 you are in the range of a used Wilton 2x60 or Kalamazoo 2x72. Lots of belt options for knifemaking in the 2x72.

$800 and up--now your talking the KMG 2x72, the premiere machine. By the time you're spending this kind of money, you should be serious about knife making.