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Large aluminum contact wheel with black rubber rim and red belt, steel work table in front, on black with a purple glow

From the shop

Knifemaking starts at the grinder

I write down the setups, abrasive choices, tracking adjustments and maintenance checks I use at the grinder.

127 articles · written at the machine in Sterling, Illinois

Latest note

Fresh off the bench

Classic aluminum grinder fitted with a motor and abrasive belt on the shop test stand
Belt Grinders2 min read

Torus Classic The $995 Proven Original

The Classic is my compact $995 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.

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Shop updates

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A note when something is worth knowing: a new attachment, a run of grinders ready to ship, a giveaway. Not often, only from me, and a reply takes you off the list.

The machine

What a 2x72 actually is

One 2-inch by 72-inch belt run over four wheels, and the length is the point: a 72-inch belt runs cooler and lasts longer than a short one.

How the belt runs on a Torus 2x72

  • a 2-inch by 72-inch belt
  • 4-inch machined aluminum drive wheel with 5/8-inch keyed bore
  • machined billet-aluminum dual-axis tracking head
  • 304 stainless ratchet tensioner
  • Deep flat platen attachment on a 1.5-inch tooling arm
  • 90-degree tilt on a pin

A 72-inch belt runs cooler and lasts longer than a short one, a 2-inch face covers a full bevel, and a flat platen gives you a reference surface you can trust.

Every Torus uses the same machined billet-aluminum dual-axis tracking head. All three tilt, take standard 1.5-inch tooling arms and use a 304 stainless ratchet tensioner.

Values marked on the figure: vertical; horizontal; 72 in.

Shown on a Nova. The longer story is in my history of the 2x72.

The archive

Every shop note

Filed by what you are doing at the machine — grinding, sharpening, heat treat, maintenance, or running the business side of a shop.

  • Torus Nebula grinder tilted horizontally, with its flat platen and three aluminum wheels exposed.
    Belt Grinders2 min read

    Nova vs Nebula Same Machine, Two Metals

    I build the Nova in 6061 aluminum and the Nebula in 3/8-inch steel. Both chassis cost $1,295 and share the same tracking, ratchet tensioner and tilt. Your shop decides the material.

  • Nova aluminum 2x72 grinder with flat-platen tool arm and abrasive belt, three-quarter view, on black with a purple glow
    Belt Grinders2 min read

    Nebula 2x72 The Case for Mass

    I build the Nebula from 3/8-inch steel for makers who want a heavier grinder on a permanent bench. It shares the Nova tracking, tensioning, tilt and $1,295 chassis price.

  • Digital caliper measuring the 0.5-inch diameter of a cross-bracing rod on the Nova grinder arm
    Belt Grinders2 min read

    Nova 2x72 Maximum Machine, Less Weight

    I build the Nova with the same tracking, tensioning and tilt as the Nebula, in a lighter 6061 aluminum frame. Here is where that difference helps in a working shop.

  • Nebula 2x72 grinder, front three-quarter view: aluminum arm, black plate, Safety Rules label, on black with a purple glow
    Belt Grinders2 min read

    The $845 Torus Steel Closeout

    Here is the plainest sentence this blog will ever run: a fully assembled, American-made, tilting 2×72 with a ratchet tensioner for $845, down from $1,195, in stock now. It is on closeout to make way for the Nova.

  • Nova aluminum 2x72 grinder with flat-platen tool arm and belt fitted, side view, on black with a purple glow
    Belt Grinders3 min read

    Which Torus 2×72 Is Built for You?

    Four machines wear the Torus name: the Classic, the Nova, the Nebula and the closeout Steel. Same tilting chassis, ratchet tensioning and 1.5-inch arms; different mass, price and purpose. Here is the straight answer for each.

  • Knife profile templates cut from metal and plastic laid over graph paper beside a finished knife
    Knife Making3 min read

    Freehand vs. Jig: The Bevel Grinding Debate, Settled Honestly

    Freehand or jig? One camp calls a jig training wheels, the other calls freehand gatekeeping. Both are wrong about the other. Here is what a jig locks, what freehand buys you, and the middle path most working makers use.

  • Beginner knife blank with scribed layout lines beside a file, marker, and paper template on a bench
    Belt Grinders3 min read

    How to Dial In Belt Tracking on a 2×72 Grinder

    A belt that will not stay centered rounds your platen, chews your work rest and throws off every bevel. Here is how I dial in tracking on a 2×72: tension first, wheels on one line, small moves.

  • Hand gripping a stainless ratchet tension arm, with teeth, pivot bolt, and spring visible.
    Business Tips2 min read

    Why Consistency Beats Speed in a Small Knifemaking Business

    Speed feels like the goal when orders stack up, but speed without consistency makes more rework, not more knives. Here is why repeatable processes build a small knifemaking business, and where to start improving yours.

  • Open ammunition can used as an oil quench tank with a partially forged blade blank resting inside
    Belt Grinders2 min read

    Running a Small Knifemaking Business… Without Burning Out

    Most knifemaking businesses start as a passion and end up as a pile of overdue orders. Here is how to run a small shop without burning out: honest pricing, a layout that flows, equipment that grows, consistency.

Rich Linville in the Torus CNC shop with a finished 2x72 belt grinder

Built to order

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