Erik, I enjoy seeing your progress.

About your grinder, or in this case, your sander. Try to find metal cutting belts if you can. The belts designed for wood just wont last and will create so much friction you wont be happy. I made my first knife blade with a similar set up. So I can tell you that it can be done. However, you will want and see the need to upgrade to a professional grinder as soon as you are able.

You may have noticed that one maker's "style" could be very different from another's. The shape of the plunge grind, drop choil, ricasso, etc. Not in every case, but sometimes this huge difference is greatly due to the influence of his equipment or the limitations his equipment places on him. When you study other maker's work, attempt to determine how their equipment or grinding style influences their recognized style. This is above and apart from personal taste. Two makers I can give as an example are Charlie Ochs and Erick Markman, both are fine makers and have work that is not only attractive but recognized by their style, in the area of plunge or ricasso. My point is, if you want to choose a direction of style, you might want to consider the equipment used to create that style, in the future when planning your purchases.

Hi,

Thanks for taking the time and helping me out <img src=' http://www.americanbladesmith.com/ipboard/public/style_emoticons//smile.gi f' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':)' />

The grinder was the ONLY one available at that price class (I paid around 120 for it, which is amazing in Norway), everything else was running 4-6k. It looks more likely that I will end up building one rather than buying a complete one. I have seen indications that it can be made with a mig welder and some skill. Would be amazing though, so I will keep my eyes open and pay attention. Sometimes things land in your lap if you are ready for it. For one thing, Ill make sure to research what kind of motors can be used - you never know!

I like your idea of adjusting my work to the equipment slightly. Its not always easy for me, as a beginner, to spot all the small intricacies, but already its much more fun to look at forged blades (the same guy who lent me to forge has a small collection -all of them laminated. Bit of a tradition here you could say).

In terms of materials, I have done fairly well - pops spotted a steel recycling place that allows you to take what you want for a reasonable fee. If memory serves, the charge around 6USD for under 20lb and 12USD for 25lbs. These were numbers the guy just threw out there when I went to leave, so as long as I can find toolsteel with reasonable accuracy, I should have a nice supply for developing my craft.

Equipment wise, I am, as mentioned, researching the bigboy belt grinder. Its dependent upon a fair few things at the moment, and probably wont happen for a little while. There are a bunch of really weird parts involved too, so I doubt it would be a one-stop shop kinda project. There is also a supplier around that sells manual hydraulic presses up to 40 tons. This would require me to weld some sort of system to hold dies, and find, at least, some basic ones, like a squaring die and a stretching one. Maybe some people here have some they arent using - though the shipping costs. Well, its not a cheap project even though I have gotten away fairly well so far. A press would make certain materials easier to work with etc. But! I am quite pleased that, for now, I have whats required to swing my hammer! I would love a perfectly supplied shop with all the bells and whistles, but at least this way I wont be hiding holes in my skillset- I dont have the equipment to get lazy <img src=' http://www.americanbladesmith.com/ipboard/public/style_emoticons//smile.gi f' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':)' />

Question on the way out; the last part of the project is choosing a air supply. Lying around (which is best ofcourse) is a leafblower in perfect condition, that isnt being used, and a heat gun. Opinions? Oh and, is there a good site online for ordering belts? Just getting normal ones was really expensive here, so I might not do that badly with paying shipping etc.

If you're really set with working on a 4x36, I would highly recommend you try to take the guards off the sides of it. Those aren't very conducive to cutting in plunge lines. And be careful with the flat platen. Those usually don't butt up against the belt very close and you'll suck the blade into the machine. We've all done it haha.

Nic, Im not as much "set" on working with one, as much as I dont have an option at present. Belt grinders of the variety that "we" use are not very common in Norway - thus I have to save up money for a motor and all the bits and and whatnot, and build one myself. Which includes recovering from my initial investments - thats gonna take a while - and collecting the pieces, without being able to drive at present.

Basically - it was the ONLY way I was going to be able to complete a blade AT ALL for several months (unless something changes drastically). Anywho - point is, the next thing I buy will be a fathersday present (its on Sunday here at least), and then stuff for a belt grinder - it just takes time.

Anywho - just wanted to explain. The babygrinder was my only option if I wanted to get started forging, and that I do. Everything else is details. We didnt always have new gas forges and power hammers and belt grinders - there is a craft to being able to produce without all of that too. Almost an obligation when the tradition is dying out in my country. Naturally I'd like as much fancy equipment as possible! But I do feel like, at least knowing how it used to be done, has a value. Not quite sure what it is about it, but I think I need to learn to make a traditional Norwegian laminated blade without presses and expensive grinders. Obviously Im starting with monosteel - but over time.

I dont know how things are in the US, but I feel like, not only is bladesmithing disappearing (with a slight bump in popularity the last 10 years), but the techniques are dying. We are talking about an ANCIENT tradition of forgewelding, using nothing but the power of a human swinging a hammer (to be fair, they probably looked at slaves with a big sledge the same way we look at powerhammers). Most of the "knifemakers" I know of in Norway, buy a forged blade and handle materials, put that together and say they "made" it.

I guess what I'm trying to get at is this; there is PLENTY for me to learn and practice before I am able to build a bigboy grinder, and for the most part, I try to look at that as a good thing <img src=' http://www.americanbladesmith.com/ipboard/public/style_emoticons//smile.gi f' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':)' />

Hei, Erik!

Sorry I'm late to the party, and I in no way means to thread jack. But I did a couple of cheap and additional, easy mods to my 4x36 that have made it a bit more functional (for my needs).

First, I epoxied a 2x4x>.25" ceramic tile to the middle of my platen. directly above the tool rest. Also Had to cut a hole a little wider and deeper than the tile. This turned it into a 2x36" (two for the price of one belt!) grinder and protruded part of the platen out, allowing you to use the corners of the belt and plunge "past" the belt? I'm not sure how to accurately describe it. I've also noticed--I think the ceramic acts as a better heat-sink than the metal plating. I've noticed pieces don't get so hot, so fast.

Also, on the backside I cut gaps out on the side walls. This lets me use that small space as a slack-belt of sorts. (there's also a smaller slack area above the tile)

Again, I know I'm new here too and am not trying to steal your thread, just provoke thought into possible solutions should your need arise!