Correct grinder?

S

swasenko

Joined
Dec 12, 2005
Messages
183
I am starting to make my own knives and so far I had to buy the blanks. I want to start doing my own profiling. I was wondering what would be the correct way to profile the blade of a knife.

Should I get a centerless grinder? A buddy told me that a centerless grinder shold do the profile of the knife. Do most guys just use a larger belt sander. It seems like that would be alot of work.

Thanks guys for the help.
 
Just did the profile of my first knife last weekend using a 6" coarse grinding wheel for the big removal . A 4x36 belt sander cleaned up the profile and made a good flat grind. It took a lot longer then I though it would but the end product looks like a knife:D
 
you can profile a blade many ways.

I use a cheap HF bandsaw will a Lennox Bi-Metal blade to get it close and then use 50 grit belts on the Bader3 grinder to finish it to shape.
 
Hi swasenko, There are a million ways to profile. Belt sander, laser, water jet, saw, cut-off wheel, snag grinder (stone type), drill holes around the perimeter and hack saw, plasma. Whatever works for you or the tools you have available. I buy steel in either bar stock or sheet and rough saw the knife blank out then profile on my 2 x 72. I think I can grind the profile about 5x faster than taking the time to carefully saw it out. That is how I do it, others milage may vary ;) :) Hi John :D ;)
 
Your buddy recommended a "centerless grinder" for the profiles? To my knowledge, a centerless grinder is a specialized piece of industrial machinery used to grind things perfectly round, like dowel pins etc. It's application to knives would be pivot pins?

I don't think we're using the same terminology here. What kind of grinder do you have in mind?

I'll add to David's list, a mill and a punch.
 
Swasenko, look under "Machines" at this link:
http://www.stephenbader.com/

Knifemakers usually call the machine we use a "belt grinder". Look at "Bench Model". This is a very popular machine using contact wheel and platen accessories for grinding both profiles and bevels.

As you will see under "Tubing polishers", a centerless grinder is more complex with the addition of a second idler wheel.
 
I didn't mean the initial cut out from flat stock. That I can do on a vertical band saw, or I have a machine shop that laser cuts them so cheap I can't beat it. I meant the side bevels on the blade itself. That is what I meant by profile. The blade has alot of material to remove to bring it down to and edge. Also many nice knives have mutiple bevels on the sides of the blade. Doing that by hand would be very difficult to get precise.

My buddy was saying he thought a centerless grinder would take the sides down acurately. If it only does round stock then that would not be true. I just like to do things properly and don't like the handmade look. I like to do things perfect and would rather invest the money in the proper machinery.
 
Then i think you're looking for a CNC double disc grinder

Double-Disc Grinding
This process involves efficient material removal from opposing planes. DIX Metals is capable of consistently achieving flat and parallel tolerances to .001 and finishes to 16Ra.

Double-disc grinders use two opposed abrasive disc wheels, each mounted on a horizontal spindle, to efficiently remove stock and meet tolerance requirements on two opposite and parallel sides of a material blank.

* Flatness and parallel tolerances to .001
* Smaller parts can actually be guaranteed within tenths
* Work piece capacity up to 24 inches square
http://www.dixmetals.com/Services/list.html

but your first knife will cost you hundreds of thousands of bucks...

If you don't like the look of a handmade knife, then why make one ?:)

the cheap way to go- without the skill is
a standard belt grinder such as the bader
and a blade grinding fixture which holds the material steady and feeds it uniformly into the belt.
- can't remember any fixture names - cant find any links right now- see the ads in Blade Magazine...

Steve
 
Looks like I might be looking for a surface grinder instead.
Click to expand...


A standard hard wheel surface grinder is designed to produce a high quality finish at precise tolerances.
It will remove very little metal at one pass
maximum roughing cut by some sources is:
0.003 inches or
0.075 milimeters

a finishing cut is
0.0005 inches or
0.0125 milimeters

A surface grinder setup to use abrasive belts may be what you desire here.
(search shoptalk for various threads Jcaswell has a nice setup)

However, it will only do straight lines, even with a coumpound angle plate

those sexy custom curves you see are done freehand or with a CNC


Steve
 
"
swasenko said:
I just like to do things properly and don't like the handmade look. I like to do things perfect and would rather invest the money in the proper machinery.
Click to expand...
"

"I just like to do things properly and don't like the handmade look."


Wow Swasenko, that's likely to rub some people here the wrong way.

Here is how I make a "perfect" blade "properly".

http://www.metalworking.com/dropbox/blade4_making_blade.jpg

All you need is a CNC mill and a few thousand hours of CAD CAM experience.

With that said, I think a nice hand ground blade is a lot cooler. Ever been to a knife show and seen real handmade knives? When done "properly" they are incredible. Jigs get between you and your art.


And no, a surface grinder is for taking things perfectly flat, kinda the same as, but opposite to, a centerless grinder. Certainly not the right tool for grinding bevels. You need a belt grinder and some practice. You'll be making awesome knives in no time.
 
Guys, please know I would never mean to rub anyone here the wrong way.

Yes I've been to alot of knife shows and the quality there is always amazing. I just mean that you cannot beat the tolerances and precision of a CNC. I have worked with CAD CAM before. Not as much as you Nathan. I worked in a CNC shop for several years and the things I made could never have been done by hand. So I put my faith in machinery and not just my hand and eye. What other do here is high quality and take years of practice. With the proper machinery I could take some time off that.

I appreciate all the help and I have been checking out all the links and info posted. Again, please know I would never mean to offend any of you as I am looking to you guys for advice. That means I'm putting my faith in you guys and I look up to those making these quality knives.

Thanks
 
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