*addendum. Replacing the washers used in the video with nylon washers to pace your wheels is a better option. Others have also pointed out that replacing the bolt used to control tracking with a finer thread count would be better. Also, it's worth mentioning that the 2x72 parts market has expanded greatly in the time since I made that video and a lot of things like the platten and tracking mechanism that I fabricated myself can now be purchased pretty inexpensively
Always nice when someone has a build they walk you through that is actually practical and working. Many shops with setups never go int ospecifics or parts they just tell you where to buy or how much it cost. Hope this video gets a good consistent amount of views/likes
Excellent Brother! I am at the point of needing a 2x72 to continue learning this craft and can't justify (or afford) buying a commercial one. This seems like just the ticket - a fairly easy and (much) cheaper DIY. I appreciate all of your videos, your devotion to verterans and for your service! I am a veteran myself (non combat) and lost a buddy (combat veteran) a couple of years ago to a PTSD related suicide. Your charity dagger build video hit me in the heart! Keep doing what you do!
William Freeman I’m still watching the video but the best price/quality I’ve seen so far is about 1600 😳 I bought it and it’s been built now but it hurt bad lol
Thanks John, I need one but cannot justify the thousands cost! This walk through gives me the trial and error experience without needing to go through it! Sourcing the wheels will be the hardest part, I’ll get on to it pronto!
Thank you for making this video! It's the most informative one on making a 2 x 72 belt grinder that I've come across. Great build. Now let's see him make something on it!
Built mine already and yes anyone Blacksmith anything should have one and I will say 1 HP is the minimum for power source., I'm not going to watch your video for I have mine , Seen your work before and before I build another I will watch this for I trust you to teach well,Sir thanks for helping me and the others who go to your teaching, Thanks
Have all the parts cut and ready to weld...using a treadmill motor with the speed control and it is also a 2.25 hp motor which will grind through anything. Had to watch the video about a hundred times to make sure I was doing it right😂. Thanks a lot man and this will be huge to my little knife making shop.
@Old Hickory Forge really appreciate your channel and videos. Looking at getting started in blacksmithing. Your the first I've found to make it seem possible! Keep up the excellent work!
Thank you so much for the comprehensive video and not simply playing music and not saying a damn thing like all these other knuckleheads do. Extremely awesome dude! Thank you so much
Thanks for the video; I now have a functional 2x72 grinder for less than a quarter of the cost of a commercial one! One gripe, though--the exact setup used here will get a belt speed of about 2,300 feet per minute, which is less than half of what you need to utilize a good ceramic belt. HF sells a 3hp motor with twice the RPM of the one used in the video for only $10 more (just make sure you have 240v power in your shop). To anyone using this exact setup: learn from my mistake, and don't waste good money on expensive ceramic belts. Stick to the zirconium belts--they're much cheaper.
At 5:35 or so,,When u attach wheels to platen! Use ONE NYLON WASHER ON EACH SIDE TO RIDE ON CENTER PORTION OF BEARING...HENCE ,TWO NYLON WASHERS....otherwisebig metal washer Will preventbearingfrom spring freely....GREAT VIDEO. ALSO..GOOD IDEA TO PLACE THE INNER TUBE SEAM TO ONE SIDE...NEVER ON TOP OR BOTTOM,,IT WILL MESS WITH CENTERING
Mine was tracking close to the tracking arm and I didn't realize it, I ground on a knife for maybe 20 mins then wanted to change belts, I put my hand on top of the post to depress the tension and found the metal to be smoking hot. Got a significant burn on my palm from that....... definitely check the tracking every time now. Great video
Great design just finished up yesterday using your design works awesome and you can't beat the price over buying one . Thanks dude for the upload and the plans this thing will now get a serious workout!!!
400ish eh? Well I'm sure alot closer to that than a couple of Gs I've seen others set up for. It will grind. That's the main and most important thing. Thanks for sharing!! Blessed days sirSir, Crawford out
Thanks for this video! I appreciate all the little notable asides about the points of function in the design and tips to prevent potential hangups. Great video!
Awesome build. I've been looking for a video like this for a while. I seen other "DIY build 2x72 grinder" videos that the person used special computer programs, cnc machines, and metal lathes and they fabricate ALL of their parts except for the motor. I'm like well that didn't help one bit. But this video helped out a bunch. I'm going to start buying little by little and build one now.
For under a hundred bucks extra you could turn your unit into a multispeed as well. I built mine out of scrap steel, used an old motor I scrounged, all up cost was for the wheels, around 125 bucks. The best bit though was the satisfaction of doing it myself for a 1/10 of the price of buying one.
When you tap a hole, push the tap until there is tension, and then back off a turn. This breaks the chip. If you just keep trying to force it, you will risk snapping the tap.
MAN! This is what I was looking for! Thank, you, thank you, thank you!!! I have everything but the wheel kit, motor and D plate. I have all the hardware and steel. You have made my day. Blessings! You have my subscription!!!
Excellent build! Thanks for going though this step by step! If I ever need another 2x72... I'll think of building one like this. It looks great! Hell can't hurt to have two 2x72s in a shop........ 😀 :)
Thanks for this video!! I want a 2x72 belt grinder and I have seen how expensive they are. I figured it wouldn’t be hard to build if there was a good video that described it. I have been making knives now for about a month and a half. Been using. 1x30 grinder and I got a 4x36 grinder, but I need to get a 2x72 grinder. I have posted a video, well several, of my first knife build. Juddie - J&J TOA
John, in building this sander, looking from the front. I’ve found that on the tracking mechanism if the pivot hole is drilled 1/8 off center to the right. The tracking has much more adjustment. It allows the piece to pivot beyond 90 degrees both ways. I hope this is understandable.
Awesome vid John, I found your channel about 5 days ago, and have been watching your vids, learned a few things that have helped in my blacksmithing journey, and after watching this, I think it might be time to upgrade from my 2x36 multitool....
i have watched several videos for this type of grinder, by far the best design for the home based build. Just watching the video made me want to make one...so i did. i have been fabricating for many years but believe a novice fabricator would be able to produce a good working grinder. Thanks
Why is it blacksmiths have the same idea the same week. I’m fairly sure we don’t discuss it but it happens a lot. You and Tim did grinder videos, I’ve seen it happen several times with several channels.. must be like a subliminal wave link or somthing. :). Nice video
Old Hickory Forge oh I bet, I film mine sometimes months before I release them. I don’t think either of you realized the other was doing it. I bet both of you filmed it a bit before today, and released it not knowing. That’s why I find it funny because you and Tim wasn’t the first pair that it happened to. I just find it funny :)
Yup I'd noticed that too. It's kinda like things go in waves...thru the waves lol. As in this case two creators put out videos on a higher tech subject within hours of one another. Just too much has to go into these videos to be intentional lol lol.
I am building my first 72 in belt grinder. The hole thing is built but I cant get real poser out of the tread mill motor. It spins up to speed but then i apply pressure to the belt and it comes to a stop. I am at a loss to figure out what is going on. Any help would be great.
Ken Lewis treadmill motors are made to do that. It’s a safety feature so that if someone falls on a treadmill it’s supposed to stop. They have very little torque for that reason. I’m a big guy and even if I really run fast my feet will hit the belt hard enough to make it shut off
Thanks for this video! i've got my materials on the way, do you have a blueprint PDF stashed away anywhere? or should i just wing it off your drawing, real excited to get started on it
I've seen several videos on making this type of sander and yours is the best. But one thing I'm confused about and that is the motor RPMs and and VFD. Is a VFD necessary? What would be the best RPMs if a VFD is not needed? I've priced to motor and VFD and that's way out of my price since I'm just starting to get into this as a hobby. Thanks.
A VFD is not technically required but they are very nice to have. Like the sander pictured does not use one. So you only have one belt speed to work with. Belt speed can be figured out apparently by the RPM of the motor and the diameter of the drive wheel. With a 4 inch drive wheel you get a 1-1 ratio of motor RPM to belt feet per minute. For every inch of drive wheel you add. You gain another 1 thousand surface feet per minute. So a motor with 3450 RPM is better. The one we used here was only 1800. Which I would really consider the bare minimum.
Has anyone asked about putting a speed control dial on it and would that work in place of a vfd? Awsome video I'm in the middle of building one but I think I'm going to change my plan and use some of your ideas
If you want speed control you really do have to run a VFD with a 220v circuit. Wiring a speed control to a 110v motor is really hard on them and will significantly shorten the life of the motor.
Great video. I'm going to follow this for my first build. I already have some scrap metal to start with, but my square tubing is 1.5" and 1". Do you think this will be a problem or will this work? Also, will a 3600 rpm motor work on this?
Great build. Need one and this is the best build I have seen for someone that doesn't have a full on machine shop in their garage. Quick question..is there a way to add an arm for work table etc.
i threaded a hole opisite the d plate to bolt a tool rest on and the angle can be adjusted, also bolted the table to the support arm with adjustment in and out for prober belt clearance.
![Building a Machinists Belt Grinder - The Trilogy [Part 1]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/gaIVzdJ2V5w/mqdefault.jpg)
![Lil Uzi Vert - We Good [Official Audio]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/DrSfBULAsek/mqdefault.jpg)
*addendum. Replacing the washers used in the video with nylon washers to pace your wheels is a better option. Others have also pointed out that replacing the bolt used to control tracking with a finer thread count would be better. Also, it's worth mentioning that the 2x72 parts market has expanded greatly in the time since I made that video and a lot of things like the platten and tracking mechanism that I fabricated myself can now be purchased pretty inexpensively
Always nice when someone has a build they walk you through that is actually practical and working. Many shops with setups never go int ospecifics or parts they just tell you where to buy or how much it cost. Hope this video gets a good consistent amount of views/likes
Easiest 2x72 build I’ve seen that doesn’t look all janky and cobbled together. Thanks
Yep and works properly. I got a free treadmill on marketplace that has almost all the parts i'll need.
Excellent Brother! I am at the point of needing a 2x72 to continue learning this craft and can't justify (or afford) buying a commercial one. This seems like just the ticket - a fairly easy and (much) cheaper DIY. I appreciate all of your videos, your devotion to verterans and for your service! I am a veteran myself (non combat) and lost a buddy (combat veteran) a couple of years ago to a PTSD related suicide. Your charity dagger build video hit me in the heart! Keep doing what you do!
William Freeman I’m still watching the video but the best price/quality I’ve seen so far is about 1600 😳 I bought it and it’s been built now but it hurt bad lol
I love this design it’s simplistic but highly effective and doesn’t look to hard to build!
Thanks John, I need one but cannot justify the thousands cost! This walk through gives me the trial and error experience without needing to go through it! Sourcing the wheels will be the hardest part, I’ll get on to it pronto!
Thank you for making this video! It's the most informative one on making a 2 x 72 belt grinder that I've come across. Great build. Now let's see him make something on it!
The best build I have seen,basic tools nothing fancy and explained in Lyman terms, Thanks guys.
Good job explaining the whole process. This looks like something I could do. Thanks.
Thanks John this will be a big help in building my 2x72.
Coffee's Forge I know!!! This is the best video on building a 2x72 I have ever seen! 👍
Great job on the build. All you need for the basics. Thank you.
"Dull wood chisel and a hammer" had me laugh out loud. Well done 👍👍
Built mine already and yes anyone Blacksmith anything should have one and I will say 1 HP is the minimum for power source., I'm not going to watch your video for I have mine , Seen your work before and before I build another I will watch this for I trust you to teach well,Sir thanks for helping me and the others who go to your teaching, Thanks
Have all the parts cut and ready to weld...using a treadmill motor with the speed control and it is also a 2.25 hp motor which will grind through anything. Had to watch the video about a hundred times to make sure I was doing it right😂. Thanks a lot man and this will be huge to my little knife making shop.
Thank you for all that info. Question
Could you have Installed a speed control on that motor??
Thanks again for all that info!!!
@Old Hickory Forge really appreciate your channel and videos. Looking at getting started in blacksmithing. Your the first I've found to make it seem possible! Keep up the excellent work!
Thank you so much for the comprehensive video and not simply playing music and not saying a damn thing like all these other knuckleheads do. Extremely awesome dude! Thank you so much
The Vegvisir deserves this man a follow
Thanks for the video; I now have a functional 2x72 grinder for less than a quarter of the cost of a commercial one!
One gripe, though--the exact setup used here will get a belt speed of about 2,300 feet per minute, which is less than half of what you need to utilize a good ceramic belt. HF sells a 3hp motor with twice the RPM of the one used in the video for only $10 more (just make sure you have 240v power in your shop).
To anyone using this exact setup: learn from my mistake, and don't waste good money on expensive ceramic belts. Stick to the zirconium belts--they're much cheaper.
Hands down best diy video. Makes it look easy
Probably the best video I've seen on these. Well explained and didn't insist on building something stupid high end znd 220v right off the bat.
Nice how you presented this. Easy to follow and simplified the build. Thanks
Looks solid and relatively easy to build. Nice work.
Nice vid and this is the first I've ever saw one built as a right side (looking at it) unit. Good looking machine too.
At 5:35 or so,,When u attach wheels to platen! Use ONE NYLON WASHER ON EACH SIDE TO RIDE ON CENTER PORTION OF BEARING...HENCE ,TWO NYLON WASHERS....otherwisebig metal washer Will preventbearingfrom spring freely....GREAT VIDEO.
ALSO..GOOD IDEA TO PLACE THE INNER TUBE SEAM TO ONE SIDE...NEVER ON TOP OR BOTTOM,,IT WILL MESS WITH CENTERING
Good to see a left handed grinder in the world! Thanks!
I swear every time I need to do a project the video I end up watching is from you.
Mine was tracking close to the tracking arm and I didn't realize it, I ground on a knife for maybe 20 mins then wanted to change belts, I put my hand on top of the post to depress the tension and found the metal to be smoking hot. Got a significant burn on my palm from that....... definitely check the tracking every time now. Great video
Awesome! Getting hit w/ hurricane Ida. Will save this and finish later. ThankQ.
Great design just finished up yesterday using your design works awesome and you can't beat the price over buying one . Thanks dude for the upload and the plans this thing will now get a serious workout!!!
Thank you so much! Tons of questions answered!
Really like this, love your toolmaking videos, helped me alot, thank you!
Just built my first grinder using your plans! Thanks!
400ish eh? Well I'm sure alot closer to that than a couple of Gs I've seen others set up for. It will grind. That's the main and most important thing. Thanks for sharing!!
Blessed days sirSir, Crawford out
Thanks for this video! I appreciate all the little notable asides about the points of function in the design and tips to prevent potential hangups. Great video!
"light enough to pick it up and move it", says the 6" 5" tall dude with 19" biceps 💪😛😁😎👍❤️
Nice build, compact. I wish I built mine that size..
Awesome build. I've been looking for a video like this for a while. I seen other "DIY build 2x72 grinder" videos that the person used special computer programs, cnc machines, and metal lathes and they fabricate ALL of their parts except for the motor. I'm like well that didn't help one bit. But this video helped out a bunch. I'm going to start buying little by little and build one now.
👍 before I watched the video because you put out quality workmanship.
Thanks again!
This is the best tutorial of a 2x72 I have found, thanks for doing this video. Good work!
Awesome build!
This was a great instructional and to the point! Thanks
"Eat, sleep, hit stuff, repeat!" Love that shirt!❗
For under a hundred bucks extra you could turn your unit into a multispeed as well. I built mine out of scrap steel, used an old motor I scrounged, all up cost was for the wheels, around 125 bucks. The best bit though was the satisfaction of doing it myself for a 1/10 of the price of buying one.
When you tap a hole, push the tap until there is tension, and then back off a turn. This breaks the chip. If you just keep trying to force it, you will risk snapping the tap.
Super nice step-by-step. Thanks !
A few more and you will be in production. Looks good buddy 👌
MAN! This is what I was looking for! Thank, you, thank you, thank you!!! I have everything but the wheel kit, motor and D plate. I have all the hardware and steel. You have made my day. Blessings! You have my subscription!!!
This looks even simpler then the dcknives build. Hell yeah
Good basic easy to make grinder that will do most things people want, good stuff :)
Great video! I starting to make my own 2 x 72. Very helpful. Ty
Just pick it up and move it says the man big as a bull moose, great info thanks for sharing.
Nice build. I just built one last week and i like how many different ways these things can be built.
Appreciate the DIY help
Its probably really heavy but light to him
thats what i thought lol
Man ... You Rock!! This is the absolute best! Thanks so much for ALL the details. This is AWESOME!
Thank you for this video!
I am going to make 2 of them just because.
Excellent build! Thanks for going though this step by step! If I ever need another 2x72... I'll think of building one like this. It looks great! Hell can't hurt to have two 2x72s in a shop........ 😀 :)
Excellent video mate, thanks for sharing
Super także sam sobie taką maszynkę wykonam 👊🏻😁
Great video. clear and to the point. excellent work.
Now that is totally doable! Thanks John
Great video lots of detail, it helped me out a lot.
great info, many thanks. best belt grinder video out there. practical design and lots of good details
Wauw, super nice step-by-step how to! And the grinder looks good too.
I enjoy your videos. Thank you for making these.
Really Nice Job!
Awesome build brother
Thanks for this video!! I want a 2x72 belt grinder and I have seen how expensive they are. I figured it wouldn’t be hard to build if there was a good video that described it. I have been making knives now for about a month and a half. Been using. 1x30 grinder and I got a 4x36 grinder, but I need to get a 2x72 grinder. I have posted a video, well several, of my first knife build. Juddie - J&J TOA
John, in building this sander, looking from the front. I’ve found that on the tracking mechanism if the pivot hole is drilled 1/8 off center to the right. The tracking has much more adjustment. It allows the piece to pivot beyond 90 degrees both ways. I hope this is understandable.
Awesome vid John, I found your channel about 5 days ago, and have been watching your vids, learned a few things that have helped in my blacksmithing journey, and after watching this, I think it might be time to upgrade from my 2x36 multitool....
i have watched several videos for this type of grinder, by far the best design for the home based build. Just watching the video made me want to make one...so i did. i have been fabricating for many years but believe a novice fabricator would be able to produce a good working grinder. Thanks
Great video! Thanks for all the information.
Damn good video very informative giving me confidence to tackle my own grinder build
Can you give us the length of the 1 1/2" platen arm piece that inserts into the frame?
Awesome dude great video thanks for explaining everything. Looking to build my own real soon.
That’s awesome John! I’m going to have to give this a shot sometime soon.
Why is it blacksmiths have the same idea the same week. I’m fairly sure we don’t discuss it but it happens a lot. You and Tim did grinder videos, I’ve seen it happen several times with several channels.. must be like a subliminal wave link or somthing. :). Nice video
Ouroboros Armory to be fair this video has been planned for several weeks
Old Hickory Forge oh I bet, I film mine sometimes months before I release them. I don’t think either of you realized the other was doing it. I bet both of you filmed it a bit before today, and released it not knowing. That’s why I find it funny because you and Tim wasn’t the first pair that it happened to. I just find it funny :)
Yup I'd noticed that too. It's kinda like things go in waves...thru the waves lol. As in this case two creators put out videos on a higher tech subject within hours of one another. Just too much has to go into these videos to be intentional lol lol.
Great video. Thank you.
Just built an exact replica of this, besides fabricating my own wheel kit!
Thanks for sharing. That was a great video.
I am building my first 72 in belt grinder. The hole thing is built but I cant get real poser out of the tread mill motor. It spins up to speed but then i apply pressure to the belt and it comes to a stop. I am at a loss to figure out what is going on. Any help would be great.
Ken Lewis treadmill motors are made to do that. It’s a safety feature so that if someone falls on a treadmill it’s supposed to stop. They have very little torque for that reason. I’m a big guy and even if I really run fast my feet will hit the belt hard enough to make it shut off
I don’t know if there’s any way to bypass that feature. A fully enclosed farm duty motor is the best bet if one can be acquired
Can you use 1/8 thick tubing instead?
Thank you so much for doing this.
Great video
Got my steel 2day. It was nice 2 just turn on this vid. Make a list n got 2 the supplyr.
Sweet video man!
Thanks for this video! i've got my materials on the way, do you have a blueprint PDF stashed away anywhere? or should i just wing it off your drawing, real excited to get started on it
I've seen several videos on making this type of sander and yours is the best. But one thing I'm confused about and that is the motor RPMs and and VFD. Is a VFD necessary? What would be the best RPMs if a VFD is not needed? I've priced to motor and VFD and that's way out of my price since I'm just starting to get into this as a hobby. Thanks.
A VFD is not technically required but they are very nice to have. Like the sander pictured does not use one. So you only have one belt speed to work with. Belt speed can be figured out apparently by the RPM of the motor and the diameter of the drive wheel. With a 4 inch drive wheel you get a 1-1 ratio of motor RPM to belt feet per minute. For every inch of drive wheel you add. You gain another 1 thousand surface feet per minute. So a motor with 3450 RPM is better. The one we used here was only 1800. Which I would really consider the bare minimum.
Hey! Camillus is right down the road from me! lol I live in Syracuse
Has anyone asked about putting a speed control dial on it and would that work in place of a vfd? Awsome video I'm in the middle of building one but I think I'm going to change my plan and use some of your ideas
If you want speed control you really do have to run a VFD with a 220v circuit. Wiring a speed control to a 110v motor is really hard on them and will significantly shorten the life of the motor.
Great work
I'M GONNA TRY TO BUILD THIS
Great video. I'm going to follow this for my first build. I already have some scrap metal to start with, but my square tubing is 1.5" and 1". Do you think this will be a problem or will this work? Also, will a 3600 rpm motor work on this?
I wish I had watched this sooner 😂
When using straight edge from tracking wheel to platen wheels...use the middle of wheels,, tracking wheel is much wider..it will be easier to adjust
CASTLEDOME KNIVES we can’t press it against the middle of the wheels and see if it lines up because the bolts are in the way
@@OldHickoryForge the middle of wheel where the BELT rides..not edge of wheel. U can also use a string(very tightly secured) to find centers
I just plug my grinder into a heavy duty power bar and the power bar is my power switch.
So! Great video!
Good job
Great build. Need one and this is the best build I have seen for someone that doesn't have a full on machine shop in their garage. Quick question..is there a way to add an arm for work table etc.
i threaded a hole opisite the d plate to bolt a tool rest on and the angle can be adjusted, also bolted the table to the support arm with adjustment in and out for prober belt clearance.