Are the plans worth $25? What if I don’t think they are? I’ll refund you the full price paid up to 5 days after you get them. My reputation means more to me than keeping 25 bucks of yours if you don’t think it’s worth it.
Can I weld this instead of bolting it together? Absolutely. Assemble it, weld it mig, tig, stick, your choice. Once it is assembled, welding will take 15 minutes, tops. If you try to weld it with out bolting it together I am certain it will warp a bit. Clamp it down good if you are going to weld it with out bolting it all together.
How much are the wheels? go here: http://www.USAknifemaker.com for the latest prices also look above for cost break downs on the major parts.
Are you going to put out a kit? I have no plans to put out a complete kit at this time or in the for see-able future.
Will you drill the holes for me? Sorry but no. See the bottom of the page.
Where do you get your wheels, they look like Beaumont Metal Works parts? They are. I am a reseller of idler wheels, power wheels, small wheels and contact wheels for Beaumont Metal Works.
Can I use these parts on a KMG later? yes, they are the same wheels found on a KMG. I can’t guarantee Rob won’t change the design but there really isn’t any reason for him to that I can see. Rob will sell you just a frame if you ask him. You can then transfer parts over to your KMG frame if you decide to ‘step up’ later.
Can I substitute pipe that is little thicker than the plans specify? Probably. I used 1/8 thick in most of it because it was slightly cheaper. If you scrounge some 3/16” or even 1/4” at a good price, use it. The only one to watch is the 2”x3/16” pipe needs to fit over the 1 1/2”sq pipe.
Can I substitute aluminum plate for the steel plate used in the flat platen or slack belt attachments? Yes but it’s going to cost 3 to 5 times as much as the steel plate will even if you find scrap aluminum plate. Keep in mind the more mass you have, the more vibrations will be dampened.
Can I use longer belts? Yes, just make the tool arm longer. There is a practical limit. I haven’t tried it yet but I’d think you can go up to 120” in belt length fairly easily on a full size contact wheel.
Can I use a 14” (or 12”) wheel? yep. Contact Rob and Beaumont Metal Works. I don’t carry them but I will if I get enough requests. I do stock 10” and smaller contact wheels.
I’ve heard there are free plans for the KMG clone grinder out there. Do you have those? I’ve seen them. They are very complete but sorry, no I don’t have them.
I am really pressed for time or not good with tools -- Will you make me a grinder and sell it to me completed? No, sorry. I am just too busy to take that on.
Can I sell the plans to some one else after I am done with them? yes, license is like a book. You can not keep a copy for your records. You can read a book (use it) and pass it on. You can’t copy a book for your library and then pass it on.
Can I sell complete grinders I make from these plans? yes. See the bottom of the page.
Instead of cutting a square pipe for the tracking assembly brackets, can I use just use some 1/8” x1” flat stock and bend it? yes, I wish I had thought of that. I have added this to the plans.
I don’t have a drill press. Can I use a hand drill? I drilled several of the holes using a hand drill and a step bit during development so yes, you can.
Grizzly has really cheap 10” contact wheels, can I use those? Sorta, but you will have to make some changes to the plans. The Grizzly wheels are decent enough. I have used one on my KMG for last couple of years. They do NOT have bearings in the hub. The plans call for wheels with bearings. You can still use the Griz wheels but you will have to mount a 3”x4”x3/8” plate on top of a tool bar, attach 2 pillow block bearings to that plate and then run a shaft through the bearings to the wheel. It sounds a bit odd, but it works.
What is the cheapest, bare minimum setup I can make? The wheels are nearly half the cost, a motor is another large portion of the cost. The cheapest set up is a single speed motor with flat platen. In all cases, you will need a power drive wheel (around $53) and a tracking/tension wheel (around $58) and 2ea idler wheels (around $48 each). An 8” contact wheel is $253.
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