blade grinding

C

cddc

Joined
Dec 29, 2005
Messages
28
Hi all (Dave Knifemaker from sunny California),

first off thanks for all the help in the past!!!

Secondly I have been having trouble maintianing a streight grind line when i grind blades. I have no trouble when grinding all the way up to the spine (maintaining a flat grind).

I have been flat grinding on a KMG fitted with a ceramic platten liner and have been using new belts. I have had some success but right now my success rate is about 50%.

Does anyone else have trouble with this ?

any advice would be greatly appreatiated. thanks


dave
 
do you get a deep part about 2 inches in from the ricasso? If so, it is just a problem of keeping the blade flat against the platen. As you push the knife up to the ricasso, the ricasso will move the knife out a little, making the blade hit the edge of the platen on the opposite side of the ricasso. This creates that cut. I have had the same issues as you in the past, and I really just focused on keeping just a hair away from the ricasso, and doing that area by hand. Every once in a while I forget, and end up with a divot again, and I have to move the bevel line up towards the spine a bit more to compensate.

Did that make any sense?
 
make a scribe line at the height you want the bevel to go up to and just think of the line as the spine when grinding.You just need to keep practicing and eventually you will master it.
Bruce
 
matt,

yes that did make sense, i will be extra concious of this tonight when i grind. Thank you.

Bruce,

I do use layout fluid and scribe a line. However I think more practice may be in order aswell.
thank you

If any of you other guys have any pointers i would be glad to hear from you. thanks
 
Just rememeber that you need to lock in the elbows and hold the blade at the same angle every pass (tip to tang angle) dont let the tip be high one pass and then the tang be high the next or you will never get the line straight,you can straighten up a line by adjusting this angle to even things up and then lock in on the main angle....Yep Practice practice practice
Bruce
 
Something someone posted on here one time has really helped even out my grinds: pay attention to where the sparks are flying. Make sure the sparks fly from the center or across the whole width of the platen, and that will tell you if you are holding your blade flat in the horizontal. I didn't even realize I was rocking the blade until I watched the sparks.

--Nathan
 
Great advice guys!!!!!

I managed to fix one of the blades I was grinding on Saturday last night. And successfully ground the damascus one which i ground start to finish last night. I began the second damascus blade and it is about 80% and the lines are pretty good. Over all my lines turned out basicly streight but arent perfect. I think I need more practice and will pay extra attention to all of your advice.

P.S. Rocking the blade, good point, now that you mention that I have been doing that too. Grinding tanto's is not for the faint of heart lol.

Thanks so much!!!!! it has been very helpful, I was so frustrated, and still a bit nervous but I suppose that will pass in time.
 
if your having that 2" mark trouble also flip the belt around the other way around. Seems to work for me when I cant solve that problem otherwise.
 
blgoode said:
if your having that 2" mark trouble also flip the belt around the other way around. Seems to work for me when I cant solve that problem otherwise.
Click to expand...

Good tip. Bob Engnath told me that many years ago and it really worked. I was bearing down more on one side than the other leaving better cutting action on the opposite side. Flipping the belt solved the problem.
 
If you are just starting out grinding a hollow grind, things are a little different in how you grind. One thing is to do not get in a hurry. Grind slow til you get on to it. reversing your belt may help but remember some belts are designed to run one direction. So play around on some scrap at first. Also make sure all your nuts and bolts are tight. Sometime this can cause the belt not to track correctly.:)
 
once you get that line cut (I call it a 2 incher) it is a total pain to get ground out again,seems it just wants to kepp getting deeper.I started angleing the blade first one direction then the other keeping the flat of the bevel the same and thus grinding across the groove and once it is removed I go back to my regular grinding position.Hope that makes sense.
Bruce
 
It makes good sense, That 2 incher is a killer. You guys have been very helpful. I attribute my recent success in grinding my last 3 blades to you guys (two were damascus, which is a darn shame to have to scrap) I will finish my 4th blade tonight. Thanks so much.

Dave

Guess I will owe u guys some pictures of my finished work. Keep an eye out for a post with some finished pics if you would like to see.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top