Hi I am new to the world of blade smithing and have been looking to buy an anvil and grinder. i have been looking at the KMG grinders and a ridgid #12 anvil. Frist I would like to know what hp grinder is best and if Variable Speed is worth the extra cost over the belt and pulleys that you can just switch the belt to a new pulley set and have another belt speed. I know that you could get the exact speed you were looking for with the Variable Speed But how important is having feature in the long run. also i have been looking at the ridgid #12 anvil are they worth the cost over a pored tool steel anvil. i have looked at the older anvils and i am sure there are great ones out the but I just want to buy a good anvil the first time as well as a grinder and be done with it. I don’t like to be buying things over and over. Any help would be appreciate it! God bess!
Hi Trent,
I can not advise you on the Rigid Anvil, however, I can tell you that I have used three (3) different 2"x 72" name brand grinders, with and without variable speed, as well as a small light duty 2"x 42" grinder (sander, really). I happen to prefer the KMG and think it is an excellent investment. As far as variable speed goes, if you can afford it, get it. It was one of the best decisions I have made. I was going to go with the pulley system, but after attending the Intro class and grinding for two weeks with variable speed, I realized that having the ability to grind at whatever speed I wanted was invaluable...to me, anyway. The pulleys work well, and early on they are all you need, but as your skill builds, you will end up moving to variable speed. Your tools are only as good as you are, but you are only as good as your tools <img src=' http://www.americanbladesmith.com/ipboard/public/style_emoticons//cool.gi f' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='B)' />
Ed C.
ok thanks for the information! I have been looking into one of the intro classes and hope to take one next year if i can make it work!
That anvil will work for you. A neighboring knifemaker turning bladesmith got a used one. It weighed 282 on the scale. Mine weighs in at 107. It has a nice rebound and a great ring to it. I also used a variable speed grinder in my intro class. It's the way to go if you can afford it. I'm looking at the TW90 as my next grinder. I used it on & off for a week at my last ABS class at Haywood. The availability of the surface grinder attachment has me hooked. It's a very stable unit with a lot of options. While it seems pricey you need to do the math, when you see what all you get for the money it is worth it. IMHO
Do you have the #12 or the #5?
I have an anvil that weighs 107 lbs. I am noting it for size as a minimum size. My friend has acquired a #12 that I have used while at his place showing him what little I know about bladesmithing. The #12 has good rebound, great ring, and is very solid. In my opinion it would serve you well.
Trent I cannot speak about the anvil. I have two peter wrights that are over 100 years old and work fine, also a 300 pounder from a tool shop that is my main anvil. Amazing what a larger anvil can do for your forging. The big one cut my forging time by at least a third, due to the weight. So in anvils heavier is better in my opinion.
Definitely get the variable speed if you can afford it. It makes life much easier. Best grinder investment I ever made.
Brion
Brion Tomberlin
Anvil Top Custom Knives
ABS Mastersmith
Trent,
I have a grinder with a pulley system and 3 speeds just is not enough. With skill it will get you there but that is something I haven't developed yet. For me it would be nice to have the speeds on the low end of the spectrum. Then I wouldn't have to do so much hand work on my blades. Yes I will be getting a new motor eventually with a variable speed. If it is in your budget most definitely get the variable speed and the best grinder you can afford. I will have to make do for now until I can afford it.
You have received a lot of good advice to buy the variable speed, "if you can afford it". I say that you can't afford not to. Variable speed makes the grinder a much better and more useful machine. You will lessen the machine's value to you and you will not do as well grinding with the change belt arrangement.
Too, I guarantee that you will wreck something that you are grinding, because you don't want to take the time to change the belt on the pulleys. You'll have two minutes of grinding to do on a piece and think that you can get by with the machine running at the wrong speed for the job. Then, you ruin your work because you didn't take time to change the belts. I know this from experience. Been there.
Thank you all very very much for your advice! does any e know of a well built Grider kit that you can just weld together? or where i can get plans to build one. or am i better off buy one like the KMG?
If you must build one I would take the plans to a good machinist and see what he can do with them. Unless you are one yourself and have a milling machine it would be difficult to get the precision while drilling the holes and tapping them. I did just that with the plans on Don Fogg's website. They were free for the printing. You will have to buy the steel and the bolts and nuts and possibly assemble it yourself. If that's the rout you choose to take just don't scrimp on the motor if you can help it.
Ok thanks for the info!
It looks like i just gave my self a bad review on that last post! I was trying to get rid of the post because i typed something incorrectly and pushed the the - button in the corner of the post thanking it would delete it. Thats what you get for clicking to many buttons i guess LoL!
OK thank you very much! Thanks for all the information and help everyone!
