A question about files and filing

M

MadVlad

Joined
Aug 11, 2010
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Hello, everybody! I have a question for anyone who cares to answer it. I'm thinking about starting work on a D2 steel knife. The material isn't heat treated, so it's moderately soft, as soft as tool steel can be. My question is this: Is it reasonable, or even possible, to try and put a full flat grind on that kind of material, using only a grinder and some files? (note: I don't own a belt grinder, possibly because I'm from Transilvania) Or would it just take too damn long?
 
Files will work, it will just take a while. I'm starting an 8 knife set and my grinder is out of belts, I'm broke so draw filing it is! Good luck.
 
How long is too long? It's not much slower to file bevels on 1/8" stock. If you're making a big 9" chopper out of 1/4" stock, yeah it's going to take a while. But it can certainly be done.
 
Okay, thanks for the encouraging words. I'll set to work and post whatever I get out of that piece of steel.
 
It should be possible, but D2 is a VERY tough steel. Even in it's 'soft' status it is tough.
You can make a fine knife with just files and sandpaper, but D2 will not be your best choice.

Is there a reason you want D2?
More 'hand work only'-friendly steels are widely available all over Europe. Shipment to Romania (EU) shouldn't be a problem
 
You mention a "grinder and some files", what type of grinder do you have? If you can use it to hog away most of the waste and then refine the bevels with the files the job will go faster
 
I did a 4.5 degree bevel on both sides of my first knife - 3/16" thick (still working it), with a file in 2 hours.

It is 1080 hot rolled (not annealed). I don't know much about tool steel though.
 
I started working on it, I got rid of most the excess metal with the grinder (just a common bench grinder) and started working it with the files. For the basic tasks, just flattening out the bevels left by the grinder, I wrapped some sandpaper around a file, and it did the trick. Right now I'm working on improving the look of some of the edges on the blade. D2 isn't very soft. Not particularly. But it's getting there. I hope to have a few pics posted pretty soon. Thanks anyway for the attention and the advice!
 
Good to see you didn't let some incredibly tough alloy super steel scare you :p You must have good files ;)
 
I'm filing a knife from s30v and it's a beast! 10"x 1.75" 6mm stock.
Yes, it's definitely possible. But it takes a hell of a long time.

The great thing about filing a knife, as opposed to belt sanding it, is it takes sooo long to make a mistake, you might catch it before it catches you!:D
 
It works the other way around as well, as I once found out.
It takes just three seconds to mess up hours of work if you switch to powertools :o
 
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