From the shop
I write down the setups, abrasive choices, tracking adjustments and maintenance checks I use at the grinder.
Articles 13–24 of 127
Archive page 2
Filed by what you are doing at the machine — grinding, sharpening, heat treat, maintenance, or running the business side of a shop.
A cleaver is wide, heavy and easy to rock, and a short rest lets the edge wander. Here is how I sharpen large cleavers on the 2×72 with an extended work rest: full support, angle setup, and safe handling.
Steel is stiffer per inch. Aluminum is lighter, corrosion resistant, and in a solid 1.5-inch bar is plenty rigid for any attachment. Here is how the two compare, and why every Torus arm is solid aluminum.
Vertical for bevels, horizontal for handles and flats. A grinder that tilts between the two without tools changes how you work. Here is what each position is for, and how a pin-and-handle tilt makes the switch a ten-second job.
Belt tension is the setting nobody teaches. Too loose and the belt flutters and rounds your bevel; too tight and it eats wheels and bearings. Here is how I set tension on the 2×72, and why a ratchet holds it.
Steel dust and sparks do not belong in your lungs or on your floor. Here is how I built dust collection for my grinder station: hood placement, sizing the collector, a cyclone separator, fine filtration, spark control.
Every arm-mounted attachment on a 2×72 lives on its own tooling arm, and arms pile up fast in a small shop. Here is how I store them: wall racks, under-bench slots, a quick-change layout within reach, and keeping arms clean.
Brass, copper, aluminum and titanium each misbehave on a belt in their own way: loading, smearing, sparking. Here is how I grind non-ferrous metals on the 2×72 safely, from belt choice and speed to dust handling and protection.
A leather belt on the 2×72 turns a sharp edge into a scary one in seconds. Here is how I make my own stropping belt: cutting and joining it, loading compound, and how slow to run it.
You cannot grind a line you cannot see. Here is how I add LED task lighting to a 2×72: where to mount it so it lights the platen without shadows, beam and color temperature, and keeping wiring away from sparks.
Etching reveals a damascus pattern, but a frosting belt is what makes it pop. Here is how I run frosting and surface conditioning belts on the 2×72 after the etch: which belt, how slow, how light, and what to avoid.
Thin kitchen blades overheat in one long pass. Pulse grinding fixes that: short passes, a dip between each, sharp belts and a slower belt. Here is how I do it on the 2×72 and why it saves the temper.
Surface conditioning belts turn a scratchy 400-grit blade into a clean satin in two passes. Here is the knifemaker’s guide: which grade does what, belt speed and pressure, tracking a soft belt, and making them last.
Built to order
I answer my own email. Tell me the work you do and which grinder you are considering.
