After i get the blanks cut, now what?

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pintail_drake2004

Joined
Jun 9, 2007
Messages
18
Well my bro and i will cut out our first blanks tomorrow from a saw blade, how do we grind the bevel? I have read that people use a belt sander, what kind of belt do i need?
 
Welcome to the Bladeforums.
This is not directly aimed at you, but applies to many new makers:

Would you go to a brain surgeon who ,after opening your skull, went online and posted,"I got the brain exposed,Now what should I do?"

The answer to that ,and your question, is that you should read some books on the subject BEFORE you start. A full understanding of the entire process ,beginning to end, is necessary to avoid real problems.

Read the stickies at the top of the forum page.
Read at the very least ,"The $50 Knife Shop", by Wayne Goddard (and a couple more books, if possible).
Plan the knife on paper from beginning to end. When and where the holes will be drilled, how you are going to shape it. How the HT will be done.EVERYTHING.
THEN, get your steel and cut it up.

You said the blades you cut out were from a saw? What kind of saw?

This is not an attack on you,personally, just good advise on how to get started.
Stacy
 
do what stacy said and read before jumping in and starting to grind. get the right equipment to do the job. practice on scrap before using good steel. most of all just read and ask questions. there are a lot of people here who will help you out if asked. it might be a good idea to find out what type of steel that blade is made from. there is a member here who will test a piece for you. all he needs is a piece about 1" square. his name is matt doyle. do an advance search to find him.
 
try profiling some blanks on thin pieces of wood. That will kind of show you how steady you are at grinding. If you have a hard time trying to control the piece of wood, then grinding blades will be somewhat more difficult. But definitely less time wasted and definitely easier to profile and shape to try again and again on new pieces of wood. a paint stick at home depot is cheap and a good piece of wood to try out on.
 
I'm finally starting my first knife and I will do the entire thing with files and sandpaper. Much slower but far less mistakes i'm told.

Bastard file
2nd cut
smooth
snadpaper
vise

I'd say start with files, but overall Stacy's advise is pretty much right on

take care

aj
 
i have read the topics several times, but i dont not recall what type of belt/disc i need to use on my grinder to work the blades? i am following a build along from a feller but he has not responded to my pm's/emails about the question. I am pretty much set after i get that part figured out.
 
What type of grinder do you have?
What is the steel?
Is it already hardened?

Assuming a plain carbon steel blade:
The first grind is usually a heavy grit, from 50,80,or 100 grit (depending on blade size) ,to remove the bulk of the metal. Then you go to finer grits,usually about doubling the grit size each change (50,100,220,400).
From there you go to HT.
After HT, go back to 220 ,400, and finer if desired ,right on up to mirror polished.

The belts are of several types made for metal work. The cheapest are Aluminum Oxide (AO), then Silicon Carbide(SC), then Zirconium,Ceramic, and shaped grit ceramics, (and others). With belts, you get what you pay for.The cheap ones don't last as long and cut as well.Each grit type has its special use.Them there are the different backings.Light flexible cloth (J and JF), stiffer canvas (C and X), canvas resin bonded(XF), (and more).
http://klingspor.com/products/KlgprBlts.htm is a good source for almost any size and grit you want. The belts from HF and the lumber yard generally won't work.
Discs come in the same grits and several backings.

Let us know more of the details of the project and we can be more specific.
Stacy
 
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