Cutting blade blanks

I did the first few dozen by drilling holes around the profile and connecting the dots with a hacksaw....the rest on a grinder
 
I have s cheap horizontal 4x6($40!) that I made a table for so I can use it vertically. You get closer to the finished profile off a bandsaw and save time grinding. I save old belts just for profiling on my contact wheel.
 
Pllaaasssmaaaa! I have started rough plasma cutting out the blank, leaving a good 3/16 outside of the template lines. 36grit 3M ceramic belt on the grinder to get it in shape and Bob's your uncle.

I can get a blank profiled completely done in the time it took me to just portaband one out without the refining on the grinder.

I even use it to cut out sections of the tang (on full tang knives, of course) which is awesome compared to drilling a ton of holes on the drill press. That perhaps saves as much time for me as anything. Now that I am thinking about it I suppose I could even do it post HT if I forgot. One time I wanted to change a pin hole but it was after HT. No problem. Burn a little hole in with the plasma and be careful during glue up.

I scored a Hypertherm airmax30 from Craigslist for a great price, however.
 
Haha sounds like your enjoying your plasma! It would be great to have but I think the portaband would also help with handle material
 
Maelstrom78 said:
Pllaaasssmaaaa! I have started rough plasma cutting out the blank, leaving a good 3/16 outside of the template lines. 36grit 3M ceramic belt on the grinder to get it in shape and Bob's your uncle.

I can get a blank profiled completely done in the time it took me to just portaband one out without the refining on the grinder.

I even use it to cut out sections of the tang (on full tang knives, of course) which is awesome compared to drilling a ton of holes on the drill press. That perhaps saves as much time for me as anything. Now that I am thinking about it I suppose I could even do it post HT if I forgot. One time I wanted to change a pin hole but it was after HT. No problem. Burn a little hole in with the plasma and be careful during glue up.

I scored a Hypertherm airmax30 from Craigslist for a great price, however.
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That is a good tip on punching holes, never thought about that. Also cutting out the middle for saving weight is a great idea as well. When ran at the proper speed a plasma will leave a very good cut finish and minimal haz
 
valknut said:
Haha sounds like your enjoying your plasma! It would be great to have but I think the portaband would also help with handle material
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Tool does not make good knives, skills yes :) Practice improves skills , so take the file in hand :thumbup:
How about this :eek:
[video=youtube;pMSyGOoesfM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMSyGOoesfM[/video]
 
I've got a Jet upright bandsaw but honestly I generally use an angle grinder, then straight to the coarse belts. I got tired of buying $30 bi-metal bandsaw blades every 10 knives or so when I can use a $2 grinding wheel and get the job done faster (but it is messy). I still love and use the bandsaw, just not for profiling.
 
I like the way my portaband is set up. I didn't feel the need to spend money on a swag table. I just made the table on my Dewalt bigger, and then i added a harbor freight foot pedal and mounted it all to the wall in my shop.

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Sent from my SM-N915V using Tapatalk
 
Lance Carrico said:
I've got a Jet upright bandsaw but honestly I generally use an angle grinder, then straight to the coarse belts. I got tired of buying $30 bi-metal bandsaw blades every 10 knives or so when I can use a $2 grinding wheel and get the job done faster (but it is messy). I still love and use the bandsaw, just not for profiling.
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More power to you I genuinely hate using the angle grinder to cut the profile out. I really don't trust the cut off wheel and flap disk takes to long lol

Bartlett that's pretty much what I had in mind to do
 
I've used the same 4 X 6 for 35 years. I've never tried one of those portables but they are very popular.
Frank
 
I just changed the blade on my Portaband and I hate doing it every time. I will use my angle grinder on my next blades and finish the profiles on the 2x72 just so I will not have to change that Portaband blade for a while. Larry
 
LARRYZ10 said:
I just changed the blade on my Portaband and I hate doing it every time. I will use my angle grinder on my next blades and finish the profiles on the 2x72 just so I will not have to change that Portaband blade for a while. Larry
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Is it that big of a PITA?
 
Valknut, Honestly, To me it is a PITA. I switch belts on my 2x72 many times per day and I change and cut sand paper for my 9 inch disc even more times per day but I hate to change my band saw blade and my Portaband blade. I put on a new 4 1/2" cutting wheel every second knife on my Dewalt angle grinder but I personally just hate to change those band saw blades. My angle grinder and 2x72 will accomplish profiling much faster than using the band saw. As always this is just my opinion. Larry P.S. I know that a lot of guys are afraid of angle grinders but I have a leather apron, earplugs, and a full face shield next to my angle grinder and horizontal knife vise just for this reason. Much quicker. The only downside is stepping on little triangle shaped hot steel pieces and having them stick to the bottoms of my rubber sole shoes and making a clip-clop sound when I walk. LL
 
LARRYZ10 said:
Valknut, Honestly, To me it is a PITA. I switch belts on my 2x72 many times per day and I change and cut sand paper for my 9 inch disc even more times per day but I hate to change my band saw blade and my Portaband blade. I put on a new 4 1/2" cutting wheel every second knife on my Dewalt angle grinder but I personally just hate to change those band saw blades. My angle grinder and 2x72 will accomplish profiling much faster than using the band saw. As always this is just my opinion. Larry P.S. I know that a lot of guys are afraid of angle grinders but I have a leather apron, earplugs, and a full face shield next to my angle grinder and horizontal knife vise just for this reason. Much quicker. The only downside is stepping on little triangle shaped hot steel pieces and having them stick to the bottoms of my rubber sole shoes and making a clip-clop sound when I walk. LL
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Yeah I think if I had a face shield and apron I'd be a little more comfortable. But I've just seen those things explode one two many times. My technique with using it could suck also lol
Thanks for the reply man
Justin Schmidt
 
not to brag or anything but this is how I have been profiling lately. [video]https://youtu.be/oVFKCHj-zcg[/video]
 
I'm with Larry. I hate changing portaband blades. Mostly because the thing is oddly shaped so hard to sit down and position, and because I have to remove a bunch of screws without losing them to get the cover on and off.

So I cut everything with 30 TPI and only change when it's dull.
 
I just don't see that guys. Now I'll agree on a standard wood cutting upright bandsaw as a pita to change, no doubt. However, gotta disagree on the portaband. One thumb screw to take it off the Swag table, lay the saw sideways on the table blade up, flip the tension lever, old blade off and new blade on, flip the tension lever, place the saw back in the Swag table and redo the thumb screw. From cutting with the old blade to cutting with the new blade maybe a minute. Took me longer to type it than do it. Just don't see the pita in changing a portaband blade. But thats the great thing here, guys can find what works for them. Your mileage may vary. I've been tracking the processes in my shop lately, trying to find an answer to that age old knife making question am I charging correctly. On a group of 45 blades (AEB-L and damamscus), cutting from the stock and profiling on disc, belt and small wheel, ready to start drilling holes 5 to 7 minutes depending on the complexity and size of the blade. That was over the whole batch average. That included 3 customer phone calls, one shop visit and a blade change, as life does happen while you're working.
 
Different portabands, different problems. If mine was one thumbscrew it'd be a different story.
 
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