2x72 belt grinders · Sterling, Illinois
From my shop to yours. I machine the parts, assemble it, track the belt and run it before it goes in the box.
01 · Which one
Classic, Nova and Nebula share a machined billet-aluminum dual-axis tracking head, 90-degree tilt, standard 1.5-inch tooling arms and a 304 stainless ratchet tensioner. The chassis material, footprint and finish give each model its own character.
The Nebula 2x72 - Corvus Edition. An exclusive Gunmetal Grey / silver vein powdercoat finish, created for makers who appreciate craftsmanship, performance, and purposeful design.
These are the last Nebula chassis available until the next release. Once this run sells out, availability pauses until the next run is ready.
Next release: 10 more chassis expected Nov 17–Nov 24 (3–4 weeks from Oct 27).
Fiber-laser-cut 6061 aluminum with the full dual-axis tracking head. Light enough to tilt all day, rigid enough to hog a bevel.
The compact 9x9-inch aluminum tilting chassis at $1,095. Same tracking head, same tensioner, same 1.5-inch arms, the shortest step up from a 1x30.
| Feature | Torus 2×72 Classic Aluminum Belt Grinder | Nova 2×72 Aluminum Belt Grinder | Torus Nebula 2x72 - Corvus Edition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chassis | Machined 6061 aluminum | Fiber-laser-cut 6061 aluminum | 3/8-inch steel |
| Base footprint | 9 × 9 inches | 9 × 12 inches | 9 × 12 inches |
| Finish | Natural aluminum | Natural aluminum; custom powder coat available | Gunmetal Grey / silver vein powdercoat finish |
| Tracking | Machined billet-aluminum dual-axis head | Machined billet-aluminum dual-axis head | Machined billet-aluminum dual-axis head |
| Belt tensioning | 304 stainless ratchet tensioner | 304 stainless ratchet tensioner | 304 stainless ratchet tensioner |
| Grinding positions | Vertical and horizontal · 90° tilt | Vertical and horizontal · 90° tilt | Vertical and horizontal · 90° tilt |
| Tooling arms | Standard 1.5-inch arms | Standard 1.5-inch arms | Standard 1.5-inch arms |
| Included with chassis | Deep slack-belt flat platen, tooling arm and 4-inch drive wheel | Deep flat platen, tooling arm and 4-inch drive wheel | Deep flat platen, tooling arm and 4-inch drive wheel |
| Optional motor / VFD | 1 HP / 120V or 2 HP / 220V TechTop + KBAC-27D | 1 HP / 120V or 2 HP / 220V TechTop + KBAC-27D | 1 HP / 120V or 2 HP / 220V TechTop + KBAC-27D |
| Chassis price | $1,095 | $1,395 | $1,495 |
Every Torus runs one 2-inch by 72-inch belt over four wheels, and the whole head tilts 90 degrees on a pin with the belt still on it.
02 · What's different
I designed every Torus around them from the start: how it is machined, how it tilts and how it tracks.
A belt change is release, swap, ratchet, and once the belt is tight a tooth on the cam holds it there, not a spring that fades.
03 · What bolts on
The arm-mounted attachments each ride their own 1.5-inch solid aluminum arm, so they drop straight into any Torus grinder and swap in seconds. The motor package and quench tools bolt on in their own way.
Plunge lines, finger choils and tight radii. Add rubber wheels from 1/2 inch to 1.5 inches, $60 each.
Hollow grinds and fast stock removal. Choose an 8, 10, 12 or 14-inch wheel.
A 6x16 steel table that tilts and locks, for repeatable bevels and squaring tangs and scales.
A 4-inch throat of slack belt behind a flat steel platen face, for convex grinds and finish work.
1 HP TechTop for $1,295 or 2 HP for $1,395, each with a sealed KBAC-27D drive programmed for it. You finish the cord and plug wiring with the supplied guide.
A 4x14 cam-action vise with up to 2,500 pounds of clamp, to help hold a hot blade flat while it cools.
The last quench vises from this release. Once they are gone, availability pauses until the next run is ready.
Next release expected Nov 17–Nov 24 (3–4 weeks from Oct 27).
04 · Who says so
I could tell you the grinders are good. These are people who bought one, copied from Google word for word and linked back to where they wrote it.
Just received my aluminum grinder base kit and this grinder is legit. Every piece is machined so well. Not a single sharp edge to be found, other than where its intended to be. Solid as a rock.…
Just received my aluminum grinder base kit and this grinder is legit. Every piece is machined so well. Not a single sharp edge to be found, other than where its intended to be. Solid as a rock. I've been using another professionally built 2x72 grinder for 7 years and its served me well but this is a whole other level of craftsmanship. Not to mention it was packaged better than anything I've ever received in my life. It would be difficult for any shipping service to damage it. 5/5, would 100% recommend.
05 · What you'll learn
Two hundred-plus guides, 33 steel data sheets, 61 side-by-side steel comparisons, eight calculators and a troubleshooting library. No sign-up, no paywall. It exists because the same questions kept landing in my inbox.
Frame, tracking, tilt, motor and attachments: a practical guide to understanding a 2×72 setup.
Somewhere in every stainless steel’s heat-treat sheet is a phrase that confuses first-time kiln owners: “plate quench.” No oil, no dramatic hiss — the blade comes out of the kiln in its foil pouch and gets squeezed between two thick aluminum plates until it’s cool. That gentle-sounding process is a genuine quench, it’s the standard…
Kitchen knives are where blade geometry stops being theory and starts being dinner. A camp knife forgives a thick grind; a chef’s knife wedges apart a carrot and gets left in the drawer. The difference isn’t the steel and it isn’t even the sharpening — it’s geometry, and it’s why kitchen knives are simultaneously the…
From the bench
Grinder setup, belt progressions, business notes and the occasional closeout. Written between machining jobs, so it is short and it is specific.
The Classic is my compact $1,095 aluminum 2x72. It now uses the same dual-axis tracking head as the Nova and Nebula, with a smaller footprint and a motor-clearance limit to check.
I build the Nova in 6061 aluminum and the Nebula in 3/8-inch steel. The Nova chassis costs $1,395 and the Nebula costs $1,495. Both share the same tracking, ratchet tensioner and tilt. Your shop decides the material.
I build the Nebula from 3/8-inch steel for makers who want a heavier grinder on a permanent bench. The $1,495 chassis shares the Nova tracking, tensioning and tilt.
06 · Who builds it
I am Rich Linville, and I have been machining for more than twenty-five years. Every grinder that leaves this shop was built, tested and boxed by the same person who answers the phone.
07 · Your build
The grinder is not the point. The bevel is. These machines are built for first-knife hobbyists, full-time bladesmiths, sharpeners and fabricators who want the same three things from a 2x72: repeatable tracking, a flat platen, and tooling arms that swap with the job. Hands busy, phone down, one problem at a time — a grinder that fights you spoils the very hours you bought it for.
Next step
Most people buying a 2x72 are betting on themselves. Send me the blade, the shop and the budget, and I will tell you which machine fits, even when the answer is the cheaper one. Call or text 1-779-372-0262, or email, and you hear back from the person who built it.
