Thinking about getting a Disc Sander

opaul

opaul

KNIFE MAKER
Who has one and do you use it enough to justify the cost. I'm looking at a variable speed 9" model with a tool rest - and it will be must a little over $1k.
 
you can buy some nice 18" used in that price range. They're a fairly simple machine (easy to rebuild if necessary).

Hard to beat for establishing a straight edge (unless you have a mill)
 
Smallshop said:
you can buy some nice 18" used in that price range. They're a fairly simple machine (easy to rebuild if necessary).

Hard to beat for establishing a straight edge (unless you have a mill)
Click to expand...
Do you have any sources for used ones?
 
i usually hunt ebay or craigs list...and a local face book online garage sale. If you're in a large city you should have good luck.
 
In that price range check out the Nielsen disk system on the Grinders page of my web site. You will now have to get the hub and disks from Rod. I can supply the motor, VFD, VFD mounting bracket and wiring kit.
Being able to change flat disks for bevel disk, the forward/reverse and the variable speed control is well worth it for getting straight, even grinds. You can think that you have the bevels straight, until you put it on a disk.

Let me know if I can help you. I prefer e-mails.
 
I was thinking about one of them. I watched the Nick Wheeler video and Ekim knife on You Tube. Just to many irons in the fire right now to even consider it. Besides I need a HT oven before one of them. I'd be interested in what you decide.
 
I have one and to be honest it doesn't get much use.

But I also have a surface grinder. When I want something flat a SG can't be beat.

I installed a switch so that I can use the same VFD for the 2x72 grinder and flat grinder. Saves some money on adding an additional VFD.
 
Motor City Mike said:
I have one and to be honest it doesn't get much use.

But I also have a surface grinder. When I want something flat a SG can't be beat.

I installed a switch so that I can use the same VFD for the 2x72 grinder and flat grinder. Saves some money on adding an additional VFD.
Click to expand...
I'm pretty sure a surface grinder isn't in my budget.
 
If you have a vfd on your grinder already you can save the cost and wire the disc grinder to use the same VFD. That's what I did, wired the output of my VFD to a 220v outlet mounted on my workbench. Then used 2 dryer cords from each of the motors, when ever I want to switch machines, just unplug the dryer cord and plug in the other :)
 
Op,,,,
Mike has a good point. If you watch a Nick Wheeler video he will spray the grinder disk with adhesive then put a standard sheet of whatever grit paper he wants on it. I have a 2x72 & a 12" disc sander. A 12" disc = $$$$$
 
opaul said:
I'm pretty sure a surface grinder isn't in my budget.
Click to expand...

I got my surface grinder for ~$1200 plus $100 for a chuck off craigslist. It's made in China and is a table top unit. Works great. I can hold a couple 1/10th with it. More than adequate for my needs.

That said, there's times where my disk sander is just quicker and more convenient to use.

A SG requires set up where a disk sander only takes a flick of a switch.

Disregard the mess on my bench. I swear I'm going to clean my shop soon. :)

u2kUXMil.jpg
 
Motor City Mike said:
I got my surface grinder for ~$1200 plus $100 for a chuck off craigslist. It's made in China and is a table top unit. Works great. I can hold a couple 1/10th with it. More than adequate for my needs.

That said, there's times where my disk sander is just quicker and more convenient to use.

A SG requires set up where a disk sander only takes a flick of a switch.

Disregard the mess on my bench. I swear I'm going to clean my shop soon. :)

u2kUXMil.jpg
Click to expand...
Where did you get it?
 
Motor City Mike said:
Disregard the mess on my bench. I swear I'm going to clean my shop soon. :)
Click to expand...
Many of us seem to share the same interior decorator...I like to call this commonality the "creative explosion" movement....

That is about the coolest little surface grinder I've seen. I have a Chevalier 6-18... I rarely use (good candidate for belt mod)...I also have an Apex 16 inch Disc Sander...I rewired the motor to be 110 and it kick the breaker every time i fire it up...so I am thinking of ditching my tempering oven (just an old electric range and oven) and rewiring the sander to 220. But then I have to come up with ANOTHER tempering oven.

I need the disc sander worse than the surface grinder. When I was a toolmaker I would sometimes spend days finish grinding jigs/fixtures/inspection tools....I loved it....I think this is why I like belt grinding...it's the same "mental groove" though one is accuracy and the other more aesthetics.
 
Smallshop said:
Many of us seem to share the same interior decorator...I like to call this commonality the "creative explosion" movement....

That is about the coolest little surface grinder I've seen. I have a Chevalier 6-18... I rarely use (good candidate for belt mod)...I also have an Apex 16 inch Disc Sander...I rewired the motor to be 110 and it kick the breaker every time i fire it up...so I am thinking of ditching my tempering oven (just an old electric range and oven) and rewiring the sander to 220. But then I have to come up with ANOTHER tempering oven.

I need the disc sander worse than the surface grinder. When I was a toolmaker I would sometimes spend days finish grinding jigs/fixtures/inspection tools....I loved it....I think this is why I like belt grinding...it's the same "mental groove" though one is accuracy and the other more aesthetics.
Click to expand...

I just picked up a 6" wheel to do a belt conversion an hour ago on another forum.

I know what you mean about spending days on a SG.

When I worked in Tool & Die we had dedicated surface grinder guys that only did that. Every once in a while I would fill in if they were swamped or short a man.

I absolutely loved it too. You fall into that groove and almost space out. Plus the satisfaction of finishing an ultra precise piece with complicated compound angles and radiuses...they were kind of beautiful.

And time would go by so fast.

I thought about moving over there permanently but it would have meant a pay cut. That wasn't happening.

Still, it was fun while it lasted.
 
Assuming a person is located in the U.S., a 9" disc is going to be your most versatile machine. As Mike pointed out, you can use any wet/dry sheets on it.

Some of the best money I've ever spent was for a neilson disc for my disc grinder (http://www.nielsendesigndiscgrinder.com/discs/) I have a total of 9 disc "faces", some are flat, others are the 1 degree bevel, each sits in a rack next to my Beaumont disc grinder, each with a different grit on it, and are changeable in a matter of seconds.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top