best way to reprofile machetes fast?

A

AmadeusM

Banned
Joined
Jul 1, 2004
Messages
1,799
How does something like the Lansky Puck compare with large files?

What's the quickest way to remove large amounts of metal without power equipment?

Thanks
 
A coarse stone is much slower than a coarse file on machetes. You need to lock the machete in place so you can press down hard with the file for maximum metal removal. However you can pick up a cheap angle grinder for really cheap which you can use to rip off heavy amounts of metal off of large rough blades and then clean up with a file rapidly.

-Cliff
 
My fear is of screwing up the temper with overheating. How do I prevent that? If I frequently stop and cool (dipping in cold water?), does that help? Also, how do I know how far I need to go before cooling is needed?

Thanks again.
 
In order to overheat the blade you have to heat it up over the temper temperature which at the lowest for carbon steels is 325F, as long as you can handle the blade with your hand there is no danger of it overheating. With really large blades with thick edges like machetes you can often do multiple passes without them overheating. Just keep a feel on the edge and cool it when it start to be uncomfortable to touch.

-Cliff
 
Cliff -

I heard a machinist once say that even though you might be able to handle the knife, unless you have a water feed on your grinder, it is very easy to get the primary micro-bevel up over the tempering temperature with a grinder. The entire blade doesn't get that hot, just the cutting edge.

Agree?
 
It depends on the blade , specifically the thickness of the edge. Steel will conduct heat very well and thus if the blade is large it will act as a heat sink for the edge and rapidly draw heat from the edge before it can overheat. It is very difficult for example to overheat a machete because of all the metal which sucks heat away from the edge. However on really thin blades it is really easy to overheat them, you need really sharp abrasives and a light touch and need to cool after each pass. if you go really hin you probably need a water wheel.

-Cliff
 
Thanks for the insights. I wonder of the type of steel has much effect on the ability to conduct heat. For instance is D2 a better heat conductor than say s30v?
 
This will change, but not significantly, it is very fast for metals in general, some are much higher than others, but the more critical factors will be thickness of profile and grindability.

-Cliff
 
I have an older version of one of these and they work very well for something like a machete. Mine was around $20US, but you might find one on sale. The stone sits in a water bath so that reduces heat. They'll fling water all over the place though, so if you get one be careful where you use it. :o

There are a couple of other more expensive models, but they are overkill for a machete in my opinion. They are "temporarily out of stock" anyway.
 
Cliff Stamp said:
A coarse stone is much slower than a coarse file on machetes. You need to lock the machete in place so you can press down hard with the file for maximum metal removal. However you can pick up a cheap angle grinder for really cheap which you can use to rip off heavy amounts of metal off of large rough blades and then clean up with a file rapidly.

-Cliff
Click to expand...

Or you can spend hours on a coarse bench stone like I just did. My dad always said I wasn't too bright. :rolleyes: On the other hand, my machete now has a bragging edge (at least until I use it again).
 
A belt sander works great on machetes, axes and other great big knives. I do a lot of shaping on my belt sander. You need to keep several new belts in med and fine grits. A dull belt will overheat the blade.
 
Bought a coarse flat bastard file for 6 bucks at Menards. Eats machetes and scissors for breakfast. :D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top