best way to add serrations?

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I'm looking for anyone's suggestions on how to add serations to a production knife (most likely a folder).

I'm thinking about using my Dremel tool to grind them in but, I'm worried that it will destroy the heat treatment of the steel. If I'm careul not to generate too much heat and grind very slowly, will that avoid the problem? What if I clip a small wet rag to part of the blade to soak up the heat as I grind? Will that help?

Should I use a hand file? Where would I get one that small? What other ways are there to add serrations?

Please, I'm not looking to start a smooth versus serrated blade argument. I'm just looking for some advice.

Bernie
 
Bernie, This is a good question. They can be put in with a dremel on high speed using a carbide bit. A mist cooler would be nice but a wet rag would help keep it cool. The carbide doesnt build alot of heat unless you press hard. Serrations are rare on custom knives. Mel Pardue files his in I think.
 
He files them in before heat-treating, I would like to stack some narrow grinding wheels together. Each wheel would be rounded to the correct shape. Im just brainstorming here but wouldnt it work? Bruce
 
A year or so ago Mike Turber offered a service to serrate blades. He had a wheel made to serrate blades. Ask him if he still offers the service.
 
Actually, Mike added serrations to a few blades of mine. But, I wasn't completely happy with them. The teeth were not nearly as sharp as I would have liked. The wheel would grind the teeth in at too steep of an angle. Also, with that wheel, he could only add them to straight sections of the blade.


Bruce, when you say "carbide" bit, do you mean silicon carbide?

Bernie


[This message has been edited by Bernie (edited 01-06-2001).]
 
A dremel chainsaw-sharpening kit and a few diamond cylindric shaped bits do the trick for me... And cheap too.

Don't worry about ruining the heat-treath, just don't push too hard and let your dremel cut.

greetz, Bart
 
I'm refurbishing a partially serrated delica right now and had to redo all the serrations after I ground the blade. I used a small ( probably 1/8" in diameter) cylinder shaped grinding point( I think aluminum oxide)witha dremel to start each cut. Then I finished with a coarse diamond rod. The dremel is great for starting the serration because it bites right in. I liked the file for finishing it out because it gave me more control. I could work right up to the points without worrying about heat or grinding one clear off with one slip.
The file is just a 1/4" in diameter half round diamond rod with a fish hook groove in it. I got the medium and the fine. the medium eats steel pretty quickly and doesn't take long to cut a groove with. The fine puts a pretty keen edge on. They were about $8 each. the woodcraft here in town is where I got mine but they don't have them on their website
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I may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer... but I've got the sharpest knife in the room.
 
Interesting question how do you put serrations in blades I have been asked to do it but borked at the request. I've experimented on some scrap steel with small chainsaw files but the result looked like s**t.
does anyone have any suggestions apart from using a dremmel
Regards
Steve
 
I've done one. I used the dremel drum sander, leaving a 1/8" or so space between cuts, and used a triangular file in those areas. I put them in at around a 20 degree angle, but that's just a guesstimate. I chisel ground the blade from the side opposite the serrations to make it sharpenable without a jig. It was for my father in law, and he loves it.
 
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