Hollow grinder

So I found this hollow grinder on Craigslist an wondered if it was worth a damn. I kinda wanna start making razors even if I have to start with blanks an files until I can forge my own so this looked like it may be a good start for a grinder as that's what it's designed for but it also kinda likes cheap. Any thoughts/ suggestions?

Wen "wet"
Wheel machine
Hollow grinder
Sharpener
Honer
Sharpen scissors dress & restore screwdriver tips sharpen pointed tools at precision angles dress sharpen or grind axes

Features
Full 3" wet grinding wheel
Gear driven
6' cord
Precision protractor calibration
Rigid steel adjustable tool rest
Continuous cleaning water applicator and wiper
Powerful universal motor
Built in scissor guide
Double insulated
Recessed switch
break resistant housing
Dual locking knobs

It'll probably take a long time to grind anything with that.
But aside from the speed and the details: imagine you are grinding a razor with that, will the tang be in the way in a manner that makes it impossible to grind?

I can't see it properly in this picture, but that could be an issue.

The wheel is very small in dia.
A double hollow is something like 4" over 5"

Thank you Bruno for your input I just figured since it was advertised as such it would work an it would do the job just fine. As for it being slow since I'm thinking of starting out, slow would be good so I don't rush it.

10 pups do you mean that the top wheel should be 4" an the bottom should be 5"?

I also found this one what do you think of this one?

I’ve used something similar to the grizzly (i.e. a Scheppach TIGER2500S) for the final grinding on a couple of razors I have made out of old files.

It’s painfully slow, and you will want (need) something faster to the initial hollow grinding of the hardened steel. I used a 6’ bench grinder with a Norton 3X wheel, they run really cool, but do throw of a bit of dust.

I also modified the water grinder to make it run twice as fast (by putting a collar around the drive shaft) and put a courser/narrower wheel on it (10x1 inch 46 grit bench grinder wheel) to improve its cutting power (compared to the 200 grit 2 inch wide wheel it came with).

I had the water grinder lying about (from a previous life sharpening wood working tools) and it did the job, but I wouldn’t buy one for the sole purpose of grinding razors.

If I had to start out again I would probably just use a bench grinder with a CBN wheel (CBN Grinding Wheels| D-Way Tools), they run absolutely cool (no need for water cooling) and they are explosion proof (so you can take the guards of and run a bigger wheel on a small grinder).

FYI I’m in the process of upgrading from the Scheppach, to something similar to (although homemade and not nearly as aesthetically pleasing as) the water-cooled grinding wheel used by mastro livi.

Thank you DrDalton. I kinda thought that I was just gonna have to shell out some cash to build something better instead of trying to get by with something cheaper I just wasn't sure since these items claim to be built for these kinds of projects. That's why I came here so I could get good input not just guessing.

I just meant the smaller the radius the more difficult to hollow. The smallest I have heard of anybody using is 4" and 5" to do a double hollow. That would be grind the bottom half of the blade to 5" dia. and then on top of it with a 4 " wheel. Not too many do that. I use 6 and 8" wish I had a 10" . If you look at blade profiles you will see the radius I am talking about. Some of the wedges look like over 18" dia. You can do it with a smaller wheel it's just a PITA IMHO :<0)

For What it's worth. I have ground a few blanks with the WEN/ Sears type machines.
They are nice for a refund on an older wedgey blade. I did cut one wheel down to about 1.5"dia.
Slow and there is barely enough clearance for scales on a long blade. Cheap at garage sales.
But! Damn good for a starter!
~Richard

A lot of us started with pretty simple tools. Check out post #28 here; http://straightrazorpalace.com/get-t...as-meet-3.html

Charlie Lewis had many grinders made from shopping cart wheels and such.

For what it is worth we are all using 2"x72" belt grinders now.

My first razors were made with what I could obtain with what money I had. Here is a thread on my first razor using a 4x36 belt grinder and a sears wet grinder like you posted above. Yes, the 2x72 grinders are the cats meow...but if you use the brain that God gave you, you can make do: http://straightrazorpalace.com/forge...ake-razor.html

Ok I understand what you're saying 10pups.

Thank you geezer I wasn't sure how the geometry on this machine would work it just said that it was made to do this so I thought I'd ask before jumping on it an being sol.

Bluesman7 if I may ask why did you guys all go to a belt grinder instead of the double hollow grinders ( basically what are the advantages of this)?

Thank you scottgoodman that was a helpful read I have read a lot about what people have built an are using. I just thought I might be able to use those 2 machines I showed an maybe I still can but it looks like I maybe better off just starting out with what I need an what will do the job right an in a timely fashion.

I imagine most guys end up with a belt grinder because of its versatility i.e different belt types and grit ranges are available, as well as different attachments that allow different types pf grinding (e.g. various wheels and platens). They can also be used on a variety of materials (steel, brass timber, horn) that may be encountered when making complete razors (i.e. scales, wedges, inlays etc).

A double hollow grinder is a very specialized machine that only allows one specific operation (i.e. double hollow grinding). It has its place in an industrial setting where the same operation may be done hundreds of times a day, but for an artisan it would be over capitalising on a single machine and they would still need a belt grinder (or similar) to do the other operations needed.

That makes complete since why spend money buying/ building a specialized machine that only has one function when you could buy a multipurpose tool an have all that saved money to spend on other supplies tools an materials.

So now that brings up another question do you guys start out grinding a wedge with the belt sander an the move in to hollow grinding or do you just go hollow from the beginning? Sorry I know I have a ton of reading still to do because I have other questions but this just came to mind with what you stated! Thanks again.

There are many roads to Rome and each will take a different one depending on where he starts from.

I do stock removal only (for now) and start hollowing from the beginning as I only have grinding wheels.

Other stock removal guys might grind a wedge first heat treat (to avoid warping) then hollow grind.

I would think that the guys that forge would forge to a wedge shape (as close as possible to the finished shape) and then hollow grind only.

Of course the best way to do it would be the one you are most comfortable with.

I get rid of as much metal as possible before HT. Like this;
http://straightrazorpalace.com/attac...40927small.jpg

That is a Chinese copy of a Tomek sharpening machine and it runs at 90 RPM.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by KsStraightShaver

Thank you Bruno for your input I just figured since it was advertised as such it would work an it would do the job just fine. As for it being slow since I'm thinking of starting out, slow would be good so I don't rush it.

10 pups do you mean that the top wheel should be 4" an the bottom should be 5"?

I also found this one what do you think of this one?

---

WEN- have one that I got in a bunch of tools I bought, kinda worthless IMO for razor grinding.

I have an 2"X72" Belt grinder which should be the minimum for serious grinding, an 1x30" will work but they are in the slow class almost as slow as the wen, which would burn out 2-3 motors to clean up 1 razor blank.

The Grinder for making Razors that would be interesting, has a pair of counter rotating wheels that I have seen Old Razor Grinders from the early 1900's sported.

Where are these grinders now? There has to be a few still around and WHO made them?

Blueprints of the grinders should still be found if we can find the original makers names.