Advice for a newbie

[SamuelF]

Good day gentlemen. I am seeking some general advice as someone brand new to knife making. I grew up hunting and fishing so always had knives. Recently I thought it would be fun to try making my own. I bought a few knife blanks from Texas Knife Works, a supply store right down the road from me. I purchased scales and pins then proceeded to put handles on several blades. These came out fairly well and now I'm moving on to making the whole knife. I purchased some D2 stock and started in. It's 1/8th inch thick and I have the knife shaped. Now I need to grind the edges. I am going with a basic Saber grind and have a 1x30 belt sander.
My questions are:

1. Is there a chart that will show me the angle to hold the blade while grinding?
2. I'd like to build a jig that is adjustable for any angle and can be used for most knife styles. Does someone have plans for a good one? I have access to a machine shop and can have anything made for free.
3. Are there any vertical belt sanders you'd reccomend for $500 or less? (That's my budget currently)
4. Is there a chart that shows the different types of steel and which are recommended for knife making?

Thanks for any info you can provide!

 

[Drew Riley]

1. A quick search for "blade grind angles" revealed this: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/562593-Chart-of-Blade-Angles-for-Flat-Grinds
2. Fred Rowe's bubble jig is a common recommendation. I've not used one, but the idea is sound, and a lot of makers, both new and old, seem to like it. If you want to build your own, just do a search for bevel grinding jigs, and you should get plenty of ideas. Personally, I think jigs can certainly have their place, but they can also become limiting. Don't expect miracles.
3. Check out Polar Bear Forge's "Sling" grinders. If you have access to a machine shop, you might also look at EERF plans. You may be able to swing a $600 budget on that.
4. Not aware of any charts, per say, but take a look at the stickies at the top of the forum. They have everything you could ever want to know and more. As for my recommendation, I'm not sure I'd have started with D2, for various reasons (I assume you're outsourcing heat treat?), but 1080/1084 is probably the most commonly recommended for starting out on.

Good luck, and be sure to post some pictures!

Oh, and welcome to Shop Talk and this disease we call knife making.

 

[WaltE99]

2. You can also YouTube for easy to make adjustable jigs. The one I made (I believe) was from a Caleb White Knives or White Bone Knives video. While adjustable, I have given some thought to making multiples so that I can leave them set for certain width x thickness x type of grind. I have also considered the Fred Rowe Bubble Jig but haven't pulled the trigger yet. It is more of a teaching tool towards going jig-less. All in it's about $100. Welcome to the addiction from another newbie...it ain't cheap though!

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