How To Carbide Platen Prep

GRapp said:
Aside from the lack of cracking/chipping from glass, how are these carbide platens so much better?
Click to expand...
Glass will ultimately wear and need replacing. Carbide is very flat and will stay that way. I mic’ed the carbide platen and only saw a variance of a few ten thousandths of an inch over 20-30 points I measured.
 
GRapp said:
Aside from the lack of cracking/chipping from glass, how are these carbide platens so much better?
Click to expand...
I was actually annoyed by a glass platten as it did not stay flat as long as I was led to believe then it is a pain to change out. When I realized how dished my glass platten was I want back to a hardened A2 platten that I kept flat with the SGA.

I have had a carbide platten now for about a year from RD knives and it is still flat and shiney. One of the better purchases I have made for knife shop.
 
Seedy Lot said:
I was actually annoyed by a glass platten as it did not stay flat as long as I was led to believe then it is a pain to change out. When I realized how dished my glass platten was I want back to a hardened A2 platten that I kept flat with the SGA.

I have had a carbide platten now for about a year from RD knives and it is still flat and shiney. One of the better purchases I have made for knife shop.
Click to expand...

I've not been around as long as the rest here, but I wonder if the glass platen users who are happy with them grind softer, easier, lower carbide steels?

Glass Sucked for me, I felt ripped off, like I was lied to. I expected it to last a year or more. It was already getting bad around a month or so.
 
Seedy Lot said:
That could be the reason. I just assumed many of the glass lovers just don't grind as much.

I also felt a let down from the hype.
Click to expand...
I think the general abundance of ceramic abrasives has a lot to do with it. That stuff blows right through it.
 
I go through about 2 glass ones a year; sometimes they drop or slip off the magnetic platen assembly I use (I need to redo it), fall off my table, etc. I grind hardened Magnacut, S90V, CPM 20CV, Cruwear, 3v, etc as well as other lower carbide steels. I find the edges chip easily, especially if I use the corners to do some profile grinding when I forget to put my mild steel profiling platen on.

RD, can you do an 8x2" one on a mild steel backer with no drill holes on it? I use a magnetic platen face so I would need to put a mild steel backer onto the aluminum backer. Or would you suggest keeping the aluminum for heat dissipation and adding the mild steel onto it?
 
Taz said:
I go through about 2 glass ones a year; sometimes they drop or slip off the magnetic platen assembly I use (I need to redo it), fall off my table, etc. I grind hardened Magnacut, S90V, CPM 20CV, Cruwear, 3v, etc as well as other lower carbide steels. I find the edges chip easily, especially if I use the corners to do some profile grinding when I forget to put my mild steel profiling platen on.

RD, can you do an 8x2" one on a mild steel backer with no drill holes on it? I use a magnetic platen face so I would need to put a mild steel backer onto the aluminum backer. Or would you suggest keeping the aluminum for heat dissipation and adding the mild steel onto it?
Click to expand...
Yeah no problem at all do so.
On request i make them on steel aswell.
Then 8” carbide i have are a bit shorter then 8” actually to make for the 2 setscrews underneath.
For heat doesnt matter that much.

The carbide platen heats up more then glass platens but less then mild or hardened steel ones.
Best part is that they just stay perfectly flat.

if you sent me a dm or email to rdknivesandtools@gmail.com we will work it out👌

Also the carbides wont damage with profiling work. I do a lot of fabrication stuff aswell and tough grinding on the platen without any chips or wear on them.
 
Not all of these glass platen liners are created equal. People have sold everything from the neo-ceramics to plain old glass as platen liners. It's the former one wants, but doesn't always get.
backin the day, the two we used were mostly either Pyro-Ceram or Neo-Ceram brands.
And, I could see Crag's point about these new alloys being so obnoxious to grind that they eat the glass faster.

A question about these carbide liners: when you use epoxy or tape to adhere them and then grind, do they counteract that damnable static-spark you get with the glass platens? If no, does something metal-loaded like JB Weld alleviate that and allow conductance? I hate that little spark going tik-tik-tik against the fingers when grinding. Hard to concentrate!:oops:

I get some health back, I want one of these things. Will we be able to do an order through PMs here, RD_knives RD_knives ? I shut down my IG recently and don't go there. Thanks!
 
fitzo said:
Not all of these glass platen liners are created equal. People have sold everything from the neo-ceramics to plain old glass as platen liners. It's the former one wants, but doesn't always get.
And, I could see Crag's point about these new alloys being so obnoxious to grind that they eat the glass faster.

A question about these carbide liners: when you use epoxy or tape to adhere them and then grind, do they counteract that damnable static-spark you get with the glass platens? If yes, does something metal-loaded like JB Weld alleviate that and allow conductance? I hate that little spark going tik-tik-tik against the fingers when grinding. Hard to concentrate!:oops:

I get some health back, I want one of these things. Will we be able to do an order through PMs here, RD_knives RD_knives ? I shut down my IG recently and don't go there. Thanks!
Click to expand...
I dont have the sparky tik tik anymore. I mounted my own platen 2,5 years ago with jb weld.

Sold loads of them and there is a small fail rate with jb weld tho with platens come loose. Just very few tho.
With the 3m tape its way better! No fails anymore. Also way easier method aswell.
And the carbide comes in contact with the setscrews and to the platen machine.

You can either sent me an dm here or an email to rdknivesandtools@gmail.com.

Am almost off for the night but will get back to you tomorrow then👍
 
fitzo said:
Not all of these glass platen liners are created equal. People have sold everything from the neo-ceramics to plain old glass as platen liners. It's the former one wants, but doesn't always get.
backin the day, the two we used were mostly either Pyro-Ceram or Neo-Ceram brands.
And, I could see Crag's point about these new alloys being so obnoxious to grind that they eat the glass faster.

A question about these carbide liners: when you use epoxy or tape to adhere them and then grind, do they counteract that damnable static-spark you get with the glass platens? If no, does something metal-loaded like JB Weld alleviate that and allow conductance? I hate that little spark going tik-tik-tik against the fingers when grinding. Hard to concentrate!:oops:

I get some health back, I want one of these things. Will we be able to do an order through PMs here, RD_knives RD_knives ? I shut down my IG recently and don't go there. Thanks!
Click to expand...

I use gorilla glue's version of double sided tape.
No zaps or sparks that I know of.
 
Double sided carpet tape here. I ‘ve only cracked one platen and that was due to operator error. Scary sh*t when the blade got sucked in between the platen and rest!
 
RD_knives said:
....

Am almost off for the night but will get back to you tomorrow then👍
Click to expand...
It will be a bit. I am just home from my 7th surgery in 13 months; knives are a hobby and on a back burner at the moment since I can't get down into my shop!
I'll be in touch eventually, I hope. I want one of these platens bad. :) My first gig after college was for a carbide company, VR/Wesson, as lab tech in R&D. I have have made, formed, ground, and polished a lot of carbide. My ears perked up immediately the first I heard of these.
 
Seedy Lot said:
Are you saying ceramic dust from the belts getting on the platten causing the premature glass wear?
Click to expand...

That's is what I'm thinking.
And we are using alot of ceramic belts with the super steels..... So that might be a stronger wearer on the glass
 
Seedy Lot said:
Are you saying ceramic dust from the belts getting on the platten causing the premature glass wear?
Click to expand...

Yes, they can generally be shaped with ceramic belts so I’m assuming the ceramic is pretty tough on them. A lot of people radius the edges and other things that way. To Fitzo’s point they’re not all created equal. The first one I had got grooves down the length of it in a few months. The current one I’m using has held up better so far.

Note: touching glass to the working side of a grinding belt can be extremely hazardous in a multitude of ways and I personally don’t recommend it.
 
I have been using mine for about a year now..no wear, still flat as can be.

Prior to that I used tempered glass and noticed dips and wear in about 6 months.
 
when I first got my grinder a couple years back ago or so, I smoked the glass platen with the work rest and chipped out a chunk of it right at the height of the rest. I generally am only using the rest for shaping the profile of things so I lived with it for a long ass time. Near the end it was getting real cupped, too. Then I slapped a carbide plate in there and it's like the heavens opened up and angels came down to give me...well, it was a memorable experience using that carbide for the first time, I'll tell you what!

I have not noticed any static electricity anymore, either. I like to hold the back of the platen with my fingertips sometimes and getting shocked when I'm doing that is a little too exciting for my tastes. I can see how some people might be into it though.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top