I was using 4''x36''Clarke CS4-6D belt and disc sander which was modified to take 2''x36''. It was working fine, but it is too slow for some applications. For knife making it was not enough. It doesn't mean that you cannot use it - I've made three knives on that grinder, thinned a lot of them and did all my handles. However I wanted something more professional and more powerful - a 2''x72'' belt grinder. Machines like that are very expensive and usually you cannot just buy them in tools shop. They are custom made. I have found a good option here in UK, but it was expensive. For a belt grinder with engine, professional inverter and all equipment and attachments including contact wheels I would have to pay about £1700. Of course I couldn't afford it. And then I saw that post on Britishblades.com forum. Somebody have mentioned cheap belt grinder on ebay which was made in Greece.. People were talking about it and maker of that machine has joined conversation. It was way cheaper and after some hesitation I have decided to order it.
Now, after 7 months I got it, but there is negative side of the whole thing. You see, that guy have promised me that he will build it in three weeks. To spare you all details it looked like that:
- I have ordered my grinder. I have paid £835 in advance
- Instead of three weeks I got it two months later - incomplete
- I was promised that I will get rest of attachments quickly.
- I kept asking for my tools and was still promised that they will be sent on Monday
- I have stopped counting Mondays and also had enough of empty promises.
- Suddenly in January I received email with apologies and promise that I will get my stuff soon.
- I sent three emails and never got an answer.
- On 15th of March instead of sending another email I decided to post it on the forums in that guy's thread and I got polite answer few minutes later. He couldn't answer for my emails for two months, but he did when his reputation was in danger.
- Few minutes later he started sending me private messages in which he was threatening me with solicitors, because as he said ''I was destroying his reputation and slandering him on the internet'' bla bla bla.
I have reported that to admins and they helped me to solve that problem. I got my tools 7 months after ordering them. It is not acceptable to treat customers like that. Anyway here is my belt grinder.
Technical specification:
- 2''x72'' belts
- Three phase ABB 3GAA091001-BSE engine. Power: 1.50kW, Speed: 3510r/min
- Invertek ODE-2-22220-1KB4Y Optidrive E2. I can control every aspect of the engine with that inverter.
- Front flat platen with adjustable angle
- 10'' and 6'' contact wheels
- Small wheel attachment with different small wheels.
- Additional flat platen which will allow me to work on top of the belt.
My grinder is quite heavy so to avoid problems with transporting it I have settled it up on the storage cabinet on wheels.
It's dirty, but I was using it for some time:D
6'' contact wheel.
Small wheel attachment.
And after work I can easily store it near entrance to my bedroom.
Total cost of that machine was about +/- £1200. If I knew that I will have so many problems with a maker of it I would buy from different source in UK. The grinder itself is good, but it has some flaws. Especially attachments are not that good quality. Now I can't wait to use it.
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