# TW-90 Surface Grinding Attachment



## Don Nguyen

[video=youtube;43pMjGXgeq4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43pMjGXgeq4[/video]

Travis Wuertz came up with this surface grinding attachment for his grinder a while back. I'm sure some of you have seen it, but if not, it's worth watching to see an efficient way to do tapers (and many other applications).

It runs at a hefty price of around $800 if I remember, but there are clear pros and cons.

I drool over this, and can only imagine the possibilities....


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## jmforge

He also has a slightly less (or more, as the case may be) trick version for the Bader and KMG grinders.


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## RRLOVER

What would be the cons???? I used Randy's TW and I see one in my near future.


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## Don Nguyen

I'm not sure of cons besides the high price, but maybe size limitations? I'm guessing it's not as precise as a dedicated grinder either - I can't imagine being able to hold tolerances under a thou, but I could be very wrong.

It seriously looks awesome for some efficiency. Distal tapers and tapered tangs would be so quick with it. Overall the TW90 looks like a very, very good machine. I love the tension adjustment - actually, I love everything about it.


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## Dave Martell

I'd love a TW-90 if he'd only make a horizontal platen like I'm used to grinding on. I'm too stuck in my ways to change.


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## Don Nguyen

Dave, do you mean horizontal platen, oriented like this?


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## Dave Martell

Don Nguyen said:


> Dave, do you mean horizontal platen, oriented like this?




Yup, except I have 2" Coote laid on it's back spinning away from me with the contact wheel at the opposite end. This is the ultimate sharpener's set up that I was using when I transitioned to knifemaking, now I'm sort of stuck unless I retrain myself on vertical platens.


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## Don Nguyen

I remember you had a KMG or similar for some reason. I know you got that new disk grinder?


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## Dave Martell

I've also got a disc and an incomplete (welded) no-weld grinder in the works which I'll probably just use for a small wheel attachment.


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## HHH Knives

Thats a SLICK looking attachment. I might have to ask Santa for one for Christmas this year!!


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## Don Nguyen

Travis seriously makes some cool stuff. From the videos I've seen, it's an insanely quiet machine compared to others. Everything makes so much sense.

It is quite a bit more costly than the other grinders out there, but it's a big step up I think. So many _good_ options in that machine.


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## Bill Burke

one thing to consider is that the tw 90 comes complete, except for the SG. attachment. All other premium grinders that I am aware of, end up being close to the same price by the time you buy the basic machine. add a flat platen or large wheel, a small wheelattachment and several work rests, as well as a three phase motor and vfd that is bolted to the machine, wired and adjusted and ready to plug in and start grinding.


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## jmforge

I think that you are less limited on the size of things that you can grind on the TW than with the same attachment on the Bader or KMG. As for precision, I would think that you can get pretty close, probably about as close as you can get to almost any surface grinder that has been converted to use belts.


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## Eamon Burke

If you are going to get a nice grinder, that's the one to get. The tracking is brilliant. It is a wonder why nobody has done that before him.

The only thing that anyone had bad to say about it at the ABS show was a bunch of old dudes who were acting like the SG attachment was cheating.


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## Don Nguyen

Then any surface grinder in general would be cheating too...? Mills also. Heck, grinders are cheating, because you aren't doing it by hand. Forget kilns and forges - that's an "artificial" source of heat. We have to get there ourselves through friction.

I don't understand that way of thinking :eyebrow:


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## Eamon Burke

That's because you aren't selling 3" pocket knives for $3,000. :saythat:


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## WillC

I like it, but how would it work on wider blades? Can it move up and down as well as side to side? I think it would do my head in having one machine that does so many different things, constantly retooling it.
I forge taper my blades most of the way, saves allot of belts but thats not to say a surface grinder would not be very useful, I'm mainly thinking in parts of damascus making, and having nice perfect square sections for ferrules and endcaps etc.


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## jmforge

Will, IIRC, on one of his vids, Travis is using a 2 1/2 inch wide serrated contact wheel from a Bader and drifting the belt back and forth. For me, this would be useful for damascus that I might want to sell and for my forthcoming stock removal tactical knives to knock the mill scale off of the bar stock and save a buck or two having it done by Aldo. It would also be nice for folders, but I would wonder about the precision with them.


WillC said:


> I like it, but how would it work on wider blades? Can it move up and down as well as side to side? I think it would do my head in having one machine that does so many different things, constantly retooling it.
> I forge taper my blades most of the way, saves allot of belts but thats not to say a surface grinder would not be very useful, I'm mainly thinking in parts of damascus making, and having nice perfect square sections for ferrules and endcaps etc.


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## Bill Burke

.0005 tolerance is acheiveable with Travis' attachment.


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## jmforge

I thnk thats precise enough for tactical flippers, flattening damascus billets and such, no? 


Bill Burke said:


> .0005 tolerance is acheiveable with Travis' attachment.


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## Don Nguyen

Wow that's pretty amazing.


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## JMJones

I ran one for a minute or two and it was very quiet. The quietest grinder I have ever run is a Hardcore and this was about the same noise level. On my KMG I wear ear plugs or muffs, not needed at all with these two. They make grinding so much more enjoyable.


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