carbide platen

Tom Lewis

Tom Lewis

Joined
Feb 24, 2000
Messages
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I have had a lot of experiences with platens. I sold my first knife in 1980 and at that time used the steel platen that came with the Square Wheel Grinder. Sometime after that I started using a graphite type material on the platen. That worked well but didn't last very long. Then I heard of tempered glass and have used that with great satisfaction. Then I heard of the carbide platen and decided to try that.
I am really impressed. I use the flat platen to taper tangs and to sand blade flats. I have tapered several tangs on the carbide platen and it cuts faster, smoother, and with more control than the glass platen did.
 
I have a tapered tang to do on already hardened 3V soon(ish), and I am looking forward to seeing how much easier it will be with the carbide platen I've been using for the past couple months. So far it is amazing for grinding, and for squaring edges of materials for composite scales (yes I do that freehand on my 2 x 42 grinder, what a weirdo, I know).
 
sometimes I'll hold the back of the platen for fine work, and when I was using a glass one it would shock me with static electricity unexpectedly. Not so with carbide.
 
I've been reading about these carbide platens for a while now. Just why are they that much better than a glass platen? it seems glass would be about as hard 'n flat as carbide. Glass might not last as long, but it seems like it would work very similar to the carbide platen. I do understand the carbide doesn't have the same static electricity problem as glass.

Is the only source for carbide platen still in Europe?

Ken H>
 
Robin even makes carbide bark for his radial platens. I want one so bad but they are mucho dinero
 
Carbide laughs at belt wear; Pyroceram fights it but eventually loses. If you're grinding a ton, carbide's the "set it and forget it" king for longevity.

Trust the science! ( ;) )


Tungsten Carbide Material Properties - Imetra, Inc.

Tungsten Carbide Material Properties Hard and rigid yet has very high impact resistance and high strength and higher compressive strength than all known melted,
www.imetra.com www.imetra.com

Borosilicate Glass vs. Tungsten Carbide :: MakeItFrom.com

www.makeitfrom.com www.makeitfrom.com
 
I understand what ya'll are saying about long lasting, but how much difference in a new glass platen and carbide platen before the glass has a chance to wear?

I'll check Contender... edit: Just did and their platens are 7.75" long- not an even 20cm, but 19.685 cm. Seems an odd length when 8" seems to be more a usual platen length. I'd even like a 10" platen, but I made my wheels too close together for a 10" platen. All my platens are 8" long.
 
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Lorien said:
sometimes I'll hold the back of the platen for fine work, and when I was using a glass one it would shock me with static electricity unexpectedly. Not so with carbide.
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I have (had) two grinders with glass and one without, it never occurred to me that the problem was the glass—thank you!
 
Carbide really is an order of magnitude better than glass for a platen.

In terms of wear resistance, tungsten carbide is around 3× harder than glass and easily 10–20× more abrasion-resistant in real grinding use. Glass will scratch and groove from ceramic belts and steel dust, while carbide barely shows wear.

Thermally, carbide conducts heat 30–50× better than glass, which is basically an insulator. That means carbide pulls heat out of the grinding zone instead of trapping it at the surface—cooler belts, less glazing, and a more stable grinding interface.
 
Ken H> said:
I understand what ya'll are saying about long lasting, but how much difference in a new glass platen and carbide platen before the glass has a chance to wear?

I'll check Contender... edit: Just did and their platens are 7.75" long- not an even 20cm, but 19.685 cm. Seems an odd length when 8" seems to be more a usual platen length. I'd even like a 10" platen, but I made my wheels too close together for a 10" platen. All my platens are 8" long.
Click to expand...
Hey Ken,

The platen is on purpose made at 7.75”. Especially for machines with an 8” long platen, so there is a bit room left to make a small notch underneath the carbide for safety,

In case the carbide lets loose it will stay on its place because of the notch.

Can be done either with small setscrews or welding a piece of steel on the bottom of your platen bracket.
 
Ken H> said:
I've been reading about these carbide platens for a while now. Just why are they that much better than a glass platen? it seems glass would be about as hard 'n flat as carbide. Glass might not last as long, but it seems like it would work very similar to the carbide platen. I do understand the carbide doesn't have the same static electricity problem as glass.

Is the only source for carbide platen still in Europe?

Ken H>
Click to expand...
It’s much harder that glass and does not wear. Over 250 knives done so far most high hardness high wear resistance and no wear at all on the platen.
 
David Mary said:
Thermally, carbide conducts heat 30–50× better than glass, which is basically an insulator. That means carbide pulls heat out of the grinding zone instead of trapping it at the surface—cooler belts, less glazing, and a more stable grinding interface.
Click to expand...
Now that is a solid reason to purchase a carbide platen - with the spray coolant I've got and adding a carbide platen there just might be frost on the edge while grinding {g}

guess I'll have to order one. I like the idea of a couple setscrews below the platen to help take stress off the double sided tape holding it on.
 
OK, ya'll cost me $207 shipped today. I've already cut the 2"X8" aluminum backing plate. I like Aluminum better than steel, tends to conduct heat better, and when holding the blade with a magnet it doesn't attract to the back plate. Since there is the facing (glass, carbide, etc) over the back plate aluminum wears just as good as steel.

Now to get the holes drilled and setscrews on bottom.
 
I also like aluminum for platen backing plates and building various grinder arm tools. I use 3/8" thick 2"X2" or 2"X3"angle for platen mounts. Easy to cut and drill ... won't rust from the spray.
 
I use mild steel for my platen backers, but only because I use a magnetic platen attachment system so I can swap platens quickly (mild for hogging, glass for grinding, 2 different felt platens, a leather platen and radius platen). Funny thing is, since the Carbide platen, I swap a lot less! I go to a mild steel one I ground an angle into the back to help do hidden tang shoulders so I can get a nice 90 degree shoulder, but the Carbide is staying put most of the time! However, the blade does get attracted to the platen from the magnets behind it. Rarely use the leather, felt or radius platens on my hunters.

I made make up a set up just for the carbide platen since I use it so much and then do the magnetic set up for the other platens.
 
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