Budget Belt Grinder: Bucktool 1 X 42 Combo Belt/Disk Grinder
Is the cost of belt grinders keeping you from making knives? In this video bladesmith Walter Sorrells reviews a combo 1 X 42 inch belt grinder and disk sander from Bucktool. Is this this budget tool your key to getting started as a knife maker? Find out here!
This video is aimed at knife makers, but grinders and sanders are useful for woodworkers, craft hobbyists, metal fabricators, welders and other craftsmen, too.
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Walter, please review 2 x 42 budget grinders. Thanks.
I actually bought that exact machine 6 months ago. I'm new to making knives and so far it has worked out well. I actually love it because I use it for everything that needs sanding. Wooden handles for hammers axes and profiling knives, nuts and bolts etc. I would love to aventually get a 2x72 grinder but until then I think I'm good with this one.
What the advantage of that is if still only 2 inch wide?
I love this series walt, I started out with the bucktool 2x42
I have their 2x42 combo belt and wheel grinder and am very happy with it
Hello Walter, thank you for all your knowledge. Do you plan on trying the Grizzly knife grinder?
Loving this series!
i would love to see this type of videos develop in a series
1HP is 6.25 amps at 120V, so the 'high' setting is (in theory) 3/4 HP. Then again, the marking isn't clear, but the motor looks about that size.
Hey Walter, thanks for this and all of your videos. Especially for the budget end of things like the hair dryer blower forge and similar. Wondering if you''d consider building a straight belt grinder, no sanding disc, with a budget of say 300 bucks or less.
Thanks for the info. This is a fantastic hobby. This demo is very valuable knowledge. It will help a lot of people make a choice.
Just wanted to let everyone know the link to this tool in the description leads to the single speed version not the dual speed. Just got mine in yesterday and didn’t notice until I opened the box. Hope this helps at least one person who doesn’t read like me lol
I have the single speed version of this machine. I bought it for customizing Buck Knives. So I use it for shaping, fitting and finish work. The 1" belt gives plenty of flex for shaping handles and the 8" disc is great for fitting scales from Mammoth Molar to.macarta. The machine is smooth and quiet. A big improvement over the the Harbor freight 1x30 I had before.
My old Delta 1x42 had steel everything, solid tables, 1/2hp motor and psa 8" disc. Used it for years and bought a used 2x48" Kalamazoo with a Baldor 1/2hp motor, great for hogging steel, but it is only one speed so it is what it is.
I've got a similar model after another youtuber recommended it, and yes its worth the money, and is well suited for the beginner
I've made several knives/full swords on hand held wood sanders....sooo. Any power sander saves time, but for the price/utility...a $40 black and decker hand sander 3x21 gives you both a large flat and a small round (perfect for grooves). It is slow, no mistake, but if you have time and patience, but are short on cash, it works.
I bought mine from Amazon for $129.00. It functions. It is a 1 X 30 single speed.
Thank you for sharing
Hey Walter. Can you check out the bucktool 2x42 belt grinder? That’s the one I bought when I started knife making and I feel it does great work having done some mods to it. Thanks for your videos and forge on
I'm using their 2x42 unit. Added a larger work table and cut the bottom guard at the large wheel off to accommodate coarser belts. Also removed the padding off the platen. Getting ready to put a ceramic glass platen on it. Seems like I did something else to it, but it's not coming too me right now.
I have the 2x42 bucktool grinder and it's a total beast! I love it. Just got it a few weeks ago and I have definitely put it through it's paces. It's worth it's weight in gold and I want to get a 2x72 eventually but as of right now I am more than happy with the one I have.
I am relatively new to knife making. I was looking at the bucktool 2x42. What is the model you are using? Glad to hear you like it.
@@Rick40years I can't remember offhand I know it's the one w bench grinder attachment
Can you do a review on the 2x42 bucktool belt grinder or one of the many of the 2x42 belt grinders. Great videos.
I havent tried this one, but i will say my Rikon 1x30 with variable speed is a great little grinder. The variable speed is nice, it has a 3/4 HP motor which doesnt bog down as easily, and you can tell its made with better materials than say the harbor freight version
hey walter! firstly i gotta say, you have been one of the most straightforward and informative people to learn from about knifemaking on youtube. i was also wondering if youd consider checking out the Grizzly G0864. Its between this and that harbor freight one in terms of price and features, AND also the disc sander on it takes PSA discs, so maybe that one could have more utility? not that knifemakers need much from a disc sander anyways haha. another thing I'm curious about is a removable piece over one of the wheels on it, and whether or not it'd be safe to actually use as a contact wheel or not. I'm actually just getting into forging knives, and been stressing trying to find good info on a decent belt grinder i can afford, so these videos trying out the more entry level side of things from a professional like you have been amazing!
thanks so much for this series on NOT 2x72 belt grinders. I see a lot of 2x42 and 2x48 belt grinders some are getting up in price as to make it cost prohibitive or making the 2x72 a viable option at that price point. I look foreword to seeing whats next.
Walter, thanks for this session of videos. Take a run at a 2” by 42” belt grinder. (Slavic Tely style) I’ve had great luck with it. As long as you know limitations.
Hi Walter, I wanted to ask you a question and thought this was the best place for it. I'm retired from the dairy & cheese industry as a mechanic & fabricator. When working on stainless or any metal I always kept my sanding & grinding supplies separate for each material, stainless, aluminum & black iron. When I retired and took up knife making I followed through with this process not to cross contaminate materials from embedded particles. I was wondering if this is something you do or know of other knife makers who do the same. Thanks for your time.
An online calculator puts this HP at about 0.29HP assuming 95% efficiency using the 2.1A number. Not too bad considering the price point and features.
I had the same problem with belt changes on my old 2x42 Craftsman. The cover is easy, it’s the table that’s in the way. As I use jigs, I had to zero out the table every time I changed belts. Short answer was to cut out a diagonal section of the table just off of the right side of the platen. 2 inch ceramic belts are stiff so I just kept cutting until I could change without moving the table. Oh I scrapped the cover anyway. Burned up the motor eventually and swapped in a 4hp off of a compressor. Can’t bog it down now😂
Walter, I'd love to see a review of the Eastwood 2x42!
I love them for sharpening axes
Thanks for this video. Is a wider belt better and easier to get better grinds with? If so, is there a beginner or budget machine you'd recommend with a wider belt? Thanks!
I'm contemplating going with their 1 horsepower 4 x 36 for knife-making but I never see people using the 4 inch belts is there a reason
do you experience stat electric shock when you use the belt grinder? I do with my 1x30, any advice
Hopefully you can give the 2x42 bucktool a go and let us know what you think .
Yes. That what I’ve been using for a couple months. Nice jump from the Harbor freight 1x30!
Whats interesting is the 1x42 from bucktool has a more powerful motor than the 2x42. The 1x42 has a 3/4 hp motor whereas the 2x42 only has the 1/3 hp motor which is what the harbor freight 1x30 belt sander comes with. I do wonder if you could get their 4x36 belt sander that comes with the 8 inch disc sander not the one with the 6 inch disc sander and find a way to modify it to run either a 2x42 belt or a 2x48 belt because the 4x36 with 8" disc sander comes with their 1hp motor. U have an older 4x36 bucktool that is 3/4 hp and honestly it is a pretty strong motor compared to the 1/3 hp motor on the hf belt sanders.
Have the 2x42 grinder combo. Best I can say is it works. Vibration and noise is bad, platen is a bleep to square up and won't hold square. Work table attachments are only around till I can fab ones that are actually solid enough to use
Looked up the specs on the single speed version 3/4 HP
Looks nice! Wonder if it’s really worth it?
How can your sharpen blade running to the knife
Hi Walter. Any chance you'll be reviewing the Work Sharp Knife and Tool Sharpener with the Blade Grinder Attachment? Thanks.
I'm looking to get into knifemaking at an entry level. I was looking between the bucktool 1x42 and 2x42 models. Anyone have a recommendation for the best ones under 300$.
3M Cubitron II ceramic belts do the job on grinders like that with low power...last super long ,cut crazy fast yet have low resistant when grinding
I reckon if you screwed the grinder to a piece of 20mm (3/4”) ply, with enough room to then screw down a pair of small ‘table’ like work rests, and throw away the belt cover and rests that came with the grinder it would work fine for the money. I started out with a ‘Block and Docker’ PowerFile, screwed to a block of wood, held in my bench vice, which was ok for roughing out, prior to hand filing and sanding.
I sharpen mostly axes and other tools. I would remove guards and try he platforms and lay it on its back.
for the money. i think the grizzly 2x42 beats hell out of this. thanks for all the work you put in too these vids Walter. you do a good down to earth review. cheers!
I have a 2x42 Norse brand that was only about 200 at Ace Hardware
I know this video was on a belt grinder but I have a question. I have not started making knives but I am trying to refurbish an old Bowie knife I found for my nephew. it has some severe pitting from rust is there a way to remove or fix the pits without grinding them out? Thanks Randy
Unfortunately, I don't know of any way to make pitting disappear without grinding and polishing them out. However, don't despair. You can always do a light resurfacing of the faces and leave the deeper pitting in, then do a wash of Ferric Chloride (it's an iron infused acid, so be careful), and then clean it off with baking soda and water to neutralize it. You'll be left with a more rustic and also durable finish because the surface will be oxidized. Knives in history like the classic Bowie are only mirror polished in film and TV. Carbon steels slowly oxidize over time, getting darker with use and age naturally, and it can make for a pleasing "lived-in" aesthetic that I personally find appealing. Who knows, maybe your nephew will dig the look of it, too. It doesn't necessarily have to look brand spanking new to be cool AF.😎👍 Best of luck to you on your restoration project!
I'm wondering how difficult it would be to swap the 1in wheels for 2in. Their 2x42 has a less powerful motor and isn't dual speed.
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We bought a homemade style 2x72 at my shop for me to mess around with making stuff, and it turned out to be everyone’s favorite tool lol. If you can afford a little more, just buy a shitty 2x72 and build it up to make it better. You can make it entirely but that’s a lot more annoying than having a base to work with (I welded supports to it, gave it hand-operated knobs, balanced the pulleys and also put some masking tape on the tracking pulley to make it work correctly). The belts are the most annoying part tbh, they will dull quickly when grinding heavily, even high end ceramic belts. They’ll cut still, but the heat will become extremely noticeable as they wear.
Once you start using a belt grinder you'll wonder how you ever did without it. As far as I'm concerned I could live without the disc part, but it has it's uses as well.
Love these Walter! 1:45, assuming the numbers are right 2.1A at 120V = 0.338 HP. A better comparison for belt change is to leave the guard off the smaller machine.
Great review Walter but I could buy four harbor frights for that price
@@michaelmosley254 Are you saying the Bucktool doesn't have better construction or performance than the HF?
@@larrybudThat's kind of a straw man argument, as Michael didnt say that at all. I think the price/performance balance is different for each of us. If you are just seeing if you like making knives (or whateve), know you probably won't make a lot, have more time than money, or just limited on funds, the increased cost may not be worth the perceived benefits. Besides, if construction and performance were the main consideration, Walter wouldn't be reviewing these- he'd be showing us the best 2x72's.
Can't see this in any store for the UK at all. It's like it doesn't exist. Amazon sell cheaper crapier versions that are small.
To be fair it needs to be compared to CENTRAL MACHINERY1 in. x 30 in. Belt and 5 in. Disc Sander.
From the tag it appears to draw 240 watts on low and 440wtts on high. 746 watts is 1hp. Just FYI
The 'domestic' grinders have panels covering the belt and wheels away from the working area... your pro one doesn't... why don't you just leave them off these entry level ones? And save the trouble when changing belts?
First thing I did to my 1x30 was ditch the cheap plastic guards. They come in handy if you're running a dust collector through the ports, but otherwise they just get in the way. I vac out the wheel assembly between turns at the grinder instead of using the ports and it also helps to decrease the likelihood of sucking a hot spark into some flammable dust that might be left in the collector from switching between materials without emptying out the dust collector. I just use a shop vac, myself.
They usually have plastic wheels and not exactly heavy duty motors so my guess would be the excessive steel dust can damage them easily.
@Sk0lzky It can if you let it build up, but that'll happen with or without the guards if you're not using a ported dust collector. Removing the guards makes changing belts and cleaning the machine much easier, and I also abuse my own grinder by using the top wheel almost like a contact wheel for small radius grinds. I know I'm hurting the wheel by doing it, so I don't recommend it to anyone else. But it's survived longer than I ever anticipated, and so long as it's running, I'll continue to use it to any advantage I can think of.
@@brianlawson3757 I do the same with my 1x30. Makes the radius grinds much easier.
You don't need belt grinder there's always files that are a lot cheaper. Make a blade with a file one time and then if you want to keep knife making go for it. What do you think blacksmith had years ago just saying!!!
👍👍👍👍👍
Listen..... people have been making absolutely amazing knives, swords and other tools for centuries without power tools, and even on stuff as simple as stones from the yard. A cheap belt grinder gives you magnitudes greater advantage than the vast majority of knife makers in history have had. Most knife makers in history would have killed to have a cheap 1" belt grinder. Dont whine about your tools or listen to people that say they are junk and incapable.
Exactly, I think in a world of over-abundance and insane amounts of options, people get picky for no reason. I’ve finished knives with my bare hands, and I’ve finished knives with a $100 4x36 grinder. I’ll tell you, my hands will be very sad if I ever have to do one entirely by hand again haha.
"Listen why are you looking at modern options and picking the best one on your limited budget wanting something that will last and do the job you need it to, people 9 centuries ago didn't have that option so be happy with any trash on the market" Seriously though people at one point hunted with sharpened sticks and rocks Are you going to complain about people looking up information for a good reliable rifle chambered in a cartridge that's effective?
Make a scagel next video, dying to see you make a scagel
@WalterSorrellsOnNicegramApp I'm a cripple mr sorrells sir, but I've been a "knife nut" since my first try at age ?? Around 1985 or so, when I found your KZhead channel it became a spark that rekindled a great love of the craft & I thank you sincerely for that, just a hobbyist that sits on a stool & uses it as a foem of therapy, but once again thank you & a scagel style in your method will be stunning & have no doubt an inspiration, thank you again for your work
Jimmy Buffet knife maker is right …. Harumph!!!
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You can, of course, make a knife without a belt grinder. It just takes longer. OK, a lot longer. But it’s been done many, many times.
I prefer the harbor freight one by far. It's much better made and looks manlier.
@WalterSorrellsBlades Hi Walter. I think a scammer is using your page to target people. Unless you run free giveaways by randomly choosing comments to give prizes to?
Unfortunately your knife did not make the cut pleas surrender your blade and leave the forge
10x more than a real machine yet 3x more than the 1x30... buy the 1x30 and use it for 6 months or a year until you can afford the real machine!!
All you have to do is leave the cover off, and changing belts would be the same as your machine.
I was thinking it would be a much fairer comparison, but getting around that table would still add some time. I presume one would get better at it though, too. Or modify the thing to make it easier. Now that I think of it, if you said remove the cover and table, you'd be dead on.
Please wash off that tattoo!
I reckon if you screwed the grinder to a piece of 20mm (3/4”) ply, with enough room to then screw down a pair of small ‘table’ like work rests, and throw away the belt cover and rests that came with the grinder it would work fine for the money. I started out with a ‘Block and Docker’ PowerFile, screwed to a block of wood, held in my bench vice, which was ok for roughing out, prior to hand filing and sanding.