About Platens?

Trace Rinaldi · May 3, 2000

I was wondering what you guys use? Currently I have a piece of precision ground A2 on mine with the sides rolled. I have heard of guys using MANY different things including tempered glass, graphite, etc... What do you use? Why? and how does work for you?

Take Care
Trace Rinaldi

Bruce Evans · May 3, 2000

I will tell you a DON'T use steel.....That is good old cold rolled mild steel!!!!!!! I made the mistake of using this on my Grinder when I built it.It now has the best wave grinding capabilities,I have tobe real careful of where I grind or I'm in for alot of hand work to smooth it up.I cant wait to get a new one built and I dont care what it's made out of as long as it will harden....Just my opinion and findings,Bruce

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The Soul of the Knife begins in the FIRE !!!! Akti # A000223

Ed Caffrey · May 3, 2000

I use a variety of platens on my grinder. I have a surface grinder in the shop, so using mild steel is no problem for me. I have one platen of fully hardened 440C, 3 of mild steel, and 2 glass platens. Each has it's own intended use. Some have squared edges, and some have radiused edges. I modified my grinder so that the platens are attached with two small socket head screws, making change-out, a 30 second process. The graphite canvas has it's uses, but wears rapidly, and can cause "wave" problems if not changed regularly.

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Ed Caffrey
"The Montana Bladesmith"
www.caffreyknives.com

Jerry Hossom · May 3, 2000

I use a hardened, preecision ground D2 platen that has held up well for a lot of years. I don't flat grind with it, but I do use it to taper tangs on all my knives and some profiling. It has served me well. Were I to do it again, I would likely use CPM-15V for it's extreme wear resistance.

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Jerry Hossom
www.hossom.com

R Dockrell · May 4, 2000

Got a chunk of old leaf spring (5160) straightened it and annealed it. Drilled and taped mounting holes then hardened it and left it at full hardness. Gave it to a machinest friend that surface ground it for me in a liquid cooled surface grinder.
Works good 2 years no wear no warps.

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Robert
Flat Land Knife Works
rdblad@telusplanet.net
http://members.tripod.com/knifeworks/index.html

Bruce Evans · May 3, 2000

Boy do I wish I had a surface grinder rite now so I could straighten up my platen!!

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The Soul of the Knife begins in the FIRE !!!! Akti # A000223

Darrel Ralph · May 3, 2000

cpm 10 v hardened will do the job or cpm 420v
These steels have fantastic wear properties.
Also the Vallotons have sone corning wear slabs for sale that you can glue to you platen. Havent used these but sounds great..

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Web Site At www.infinet.com/~browzer/bldesmth.html
New Web at www.darrelralph.com

NickWheeler · May 3, 2000

I have a piece of precision ground D2 with radiused edges. I did this after JP Moss showed me his that is just the same. All Jerry grinds is flat ground blades, and he's had that same platen for years.

I can't seem to figure out how to search the archives here, but about 9 or 10 months ago this same topic was brought up and one of the most interesting and heated replies was from a fella that uses regular glass applied with glue. He doesn't use tempered glass, just plain-old glass.

I haven't ever tried it, but I'm really curious to see how it would work out.

Thanks
Nick

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"Yesterday is experience. Tomorrow is hope. Today is getting from one to the other as best we can." ~John M. Henry~

Jerry Hossom · May 3, 2000

Beknives, you probably don't need a surface grinder. Buy some precision ground steel, drill and tap it, harden it. then bolt it over your present platen.

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Jerry Hossom
www.hossom.com