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Keep a 2×72 running true and your shop moving: checkups, alignment fixes, belt changes, dust collection, lighting, storage and a workflow that saves time.
36 articles · written in Sterling, Illinois
36 articles
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.
A tool rest is the difference between guessing an angle and repeating it. Here is how I design and build a custom rest for the 2×72, from steel thickness and arm mounting to squaring it to the platen.
Profiling is where a chef knife takes its shape, and a 36-grit ceramic belt does it fastest. Here is how I lay out a blank, hog the profile on the 2×72, keep the tip cool and follow the belly.
A 2×72 will take skin, hair or a fingertip without slowing down. Here is the safety checklist I give every first-time owner: eyes, lungs, hands, belt inspection, bolting the grinder down, spark direction and how to shut it down fast.
Handles that feel right have no facets, and a slack belt is how you get there. Here is how I use the slack section of the 2×72 for organic handle transitions: belt choice, tension, where to work, and pressure.
A rounded spine feels better in the hand and looks finished, and the slack belt is the fastest way to get one. Here is how I radius a knife spine on the 2×72: grit, the rolling motion, and polish.
A contact wheel wears a groove, glazes over or loses its crown, and the grind goes with it. Here is how I assess a worn wheel, clean and re-face it, reinstall it true, and decide when to replace it.
Small bevels on thin stock are the easiest place to ruin a blade. A zero-clearance tool rest closes the gap so the edge cannot dip. Here is how I set one up and grind micro bevels that repeat.
A longer platen supports a chef knife and keeps a flat grind flat. A shorter one gives control on small blades. Here is how platen length changes the grind, the trade-offs, and how to pick for the knives you make.
Carbon steel, stainless, tool steel and damascus all grind differently, and a VFD lets you match belt speed to each. Here is how I set speed by steel on the 2×72, and why thin stainless wants slow.
The small wheel attachment opens up finger grooves, choils and inside curves. Here is how I install it on a Torus 2×72: power off, slide the arm in, set height, track the belt over the small wheel, test on scrap.
Built in Sterling
I machine the parts, hand-assemble, track and test each grinder before it ships. Most orders leave in seven to ten business days from time of order.
Fiber-laser-cut 6061 aluminum on the 9x12-inch base. Easier to tilt and move, and corrosion resistant.
My heaviest 2x72: a 3/8-inch steel chassis with machined dual-axis tracking. Bolt it down and it stays put.
Reaches the choils, finger grooves and inside curves a flat platen never will. Wheels from 1/2 to 1.5 inches.
Built to order
I answer my own email. Tell me the work you do and which grinder you are considering.
