a good example of what NOT to buy

bladegrinder

bladegrinder

Well-Known Member
Here's a good example of what not to buy. this looks like an old bench top Sanford - Frankenstein paperweight.
but obviously by the price this seller thinks he has a diamond in the rough.
tampa.craigslist.org

SANFORD SURFACE GRINDER - tools - by owner - sale

SANFORD SURFACE GRINDER with magnetic chuck, absolutely perfect for knife making. Comes with additional grinding wheels of different types and grit. Cabinet stand also included with grinder. NOTE:...
tampa.craigslist.org
 
OH GOOD GRIEF!! THAT is a prime example of what I mean when I talk about people trying to take advantage of Knifemaking's current popularity! Can you say..... Smokin Crack? o_O
 
Exactly, I'll bet somewhere in this guys head forged in fire is floating around and he's hoping to swindle some unsuspecting person wanting to get into knifemaking.
This guy is really over the top with this posting.

I think I'm going to flag it and hopefully save someone some grief.
 
You’d think he could wire wheel some of the rust off for $1450. What a joke!

I only paid $450 for my Reid 618.
 
I just surfed Craigslist and found another surface grinder posted today in the same area...

https://tampa.craigslist.org/pnl/tls/d/clearwater-surface-grinder/7245516351.html

While this one appears at first glance to maybe be a somewhat reasonable price to some, it leaves a lot of questions...
he advertises it as a manual machine while sitting next to it is a hydraulic tank and pump, another thing is it's an import with no brand name. if the hydraulics don't work and you can't fire it up where it's sitting, what else could be wrong with it?

after searching for a long time I found a 1990 USA made Harig, one owner, well maintained, ran in front of me, then palleted, shrink wrapped,
and loaded on my trailer for $850.00. I feel I lucked out, it also came from a local machine shop that had four surface grinders all running at the time I bought it.
This proves to me that while you can find equipment on Craigslist you'll rarely find a "deal", that favors to your side.

One other thing is if anyone plans on setting up a three phase surface grinder on a VFD, you don't have to worry about figuring out
any fancy control panels, they have to be deleted. VFDs cannot have any switches between it and the motor it's controlling.

I don't know about elsewhere but the tool section on Craigslist in Tampa Bay is hardly worth looking at anymore.
 
bladegrinder said:
Here's a good example of what not to buy. this looks like an old bench top Sanford - Frankenstein paperweight.
but obviously by the price this seller thinks he has a diamond in the rough.
tampa.craigslist.org

SANFORD SURFACE GRINDER - tools - by owner - sale

SANFORD SURFACE GRINDER with magnetic chuck, absolutely perfect for knife making. Comes with additional grinding wheels of different types and grit. Cabinet stand also included with grinder. NOTE:...
tampa.craigslist.org
Click to expand...
Hay screen shots are the way to give everyone a heads up as by the time us newbies look at your link = long gone...with no clue as to what to look for / at..etc
 
I tried to call up those adds from the links given and they seem to have already been take down by Craigslist.

Doug
 
Sanford benchtop surface grinders always have a premium price tag regardless of condition because of the rarity and small benchtop footprint. It is not just knifemaking, but any hobby metal worker in a small basement shop or small workshop. On the hobby machinist forums they are coveted.

In most cities (mid West, Eastern at least), there is a large supply, low demand for regular surface grinders. The Harigs, KO-Lee, Boyar Shultz can usually be found easily at great prices.

The issue is moving it, especially someone with a basement shops with difficult steep steps.

The Sanford fits a niche that isn't currently served of tiny footprint, capable of being moved by one person, hobby grade, not requiring high tolerances. The nearest alternative from size perspective is to get a surface grinder attachment SGA for a 2x72.
 
I was by no means saying Sanford grinders are no good or not worth anything. I have one in my shop now next to my Harig. I rarely use it anymore but when I did it sufficed for what I needed it for, slowly, but did what I asked of it.
What I found is it's woefully under powered and limited by the wheels it'll take. while I never really use it anymore it's just a cool old nice machine to have around.

The one on the Craigslist link I posted two years ago at the top of this thread was junk, maybe worth 1-2 hundred dollars for spare parts. I forget, but I think that guy was asking around $2000.00. it was slightly better then a boat anchor by the pictures he posted. it was rusted beyond belief and I doubt it even ran.
below is the one in my shop, it runs good.

ox86kGX.jpg
 
ashwinearl said:
Sanford benchtop surface grinders always have a premium price tag regardless of condition because of the rarity and small benchtop footprint. It is not just knifemaking, but any hobby metal worker in a small basement shop or small workshop. On the hobby machinist forums they are coveted.

In most cities (mid West, Eastern at least), there is a large supply, low demand for regular surface grinders. The Harigs, KO-Lee, Boyar Shultz can usually be found easily at great prices.

The issue is moving it, especially someone with a basement shops with difficult steep steps.

The Sanford fits a niche that isn't currently served of tiny footprint, capable of being moved by one person, hobby grade, not requiring high tolerances. The nearest alternative from size perspective is to get a surface grinder attachment SGA for a 2x72.
Click to expand...
The issue with moving it reminds me of my grandpa’s basement. He had a machine shop in his basement, had a Bridgeport down there and a big CNC lathe. In order to get them down there he had to have an excavator dig out one basement wall, then they took out the block to get the machines in. Once done, they blocked it back up and back filled it. I sometimes wonder what happened to some of his equipment. I doubt it was taken out when he died.
 
Edwardshandmadeknives said:
The issue with moving it reminds me of my grandpa’s basement. He had a machine shop in his basement, had a Bridgeport down there and a big CNC lathe. In order to get them down there he had to have an excavator dig out one basement wall, then they took out the block to get the machines in. Once done, they blocked it back up and back filled it. I sometimes wonder what happened to some of his equipment. I doubt it was taken out when he died.
Click to expand...
I wonder the same thing. How many old guys pass and leave a full workshop down there that gets sold with the house? Every watched Mr. Pete on YouTube? (Tubalcain). The guy's basement looks like a Detroit production shop in its heyday. He said in one video that he disassembled his bridgeport and they carried it down the steps into his basement in pieces and put it back together (!). I hope his friends got more than beer and pizza for helping move that one. I helped a friend move a gun safe down narrow stairs like that one time and all I could see in my immediate future was the likelihood of a fractured femur, or having that thing careen down the stairs over top of me and turning me into a ketchup stain on the stairs.
 
John Wilson said:
I wonder the same thing. How many old guys pass and leave a full workshop down there that gets sold with the house? Every watched Mr. Pete on YouTube? (Tubalcain). The guy's basement looks like a Detroit production shop in its heyday. He said in one video that he disassembled his bridgeport and they carried it down the steps into his basement in pieces and put it back together (!). I hope his friends got more than beer and pizza for helping move that one. I helped a friend move a gun safe down narrow stairs like that one time and all I could see in my immediate future was the likelihood of a fractured femur, or having that thing careen down the stairs over top of me and turning me into a ketchup stain on the stairs.
Click to expand...
I’ve never watched Mr Pete. I’ll have to check it out.
 
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