FBM - Chip or Dent??????

H

hawkinsa21

Joined
Jan 5, 2007
Messages
543
EEK!!!!

Check this out... is this a chip or a dent??


I was battoning through some logs yesterday, plain simple, knottless logs, when afterwards I noticed this little nasty... (big pic below)


You can see this is a perfect little 'V' shaped mess, but I don't know if its a chip or a dent... its NOT a roll, no metal was pushed to either side of the edge, it looks for all intents and purposes like a chip, i.e. missing steel, but it may well be a dent... it looks more like a chip though :(


I couldn't believe that wood battoning would do this, but hey it appears it did... no nails, or knots in the wood at all...


So, is there an easy way to fix a chip or dent?? As its not rolled, I can't put it back into line with a ceramic rod so I guess my only option is to grind the metal down, which will mean about 1mm off of the entire length of the blade, which I don't have the tools or skill to do, if I want a neat job...


Has anyone else experienced this type of chip or dent on the FBM? This is an unaltered edge, i.e. good old out of the box untouched edge...


If I'd have hit a nail or a large knot, I wouldn't be as surprised if this little begger appeared... but it was a simple, no frills log, not hard or seasoned, just a log... and a fairly small one at that...


Could the metal have been weak at this point?? I have heard that makers don't have much control over the metal making process itself..


Am I expecting too much??






Cheers guys,


Alex
 
Sometimes, as I recall, the factory edge can be frangible in some cases. Usually a resharpen to bring fresh metal to the edge cures all. I am sure someone with more experience with chime in soon. Does seem odd to me, tho.
 
Looks like a chip to me. You could send it back in and have it re-sharpened, or try to put a convex edge on the blade yourself and maybe the chip will just disappear. Polishing up the edge on choppers reduces the chance of chipping, or so I've heard. My FBM has a nice, polished convex edge which chops well and shows no signs of damage after chopping seasoned oak logs I have laying around.
 
I say ignore it, and call it a serration!
I can't really make a call, since the pic is blurry.
 
"You have broken what was unbreakable!"
gratuitous line from Excallibur, send it back to the Lady of the Lake...;)
 
Hey, Alex. What is the FBM lying on? It looks like the blade edge of a ww kayak paddle, eh? ;)
 
I have a few, on mine it looks like the grind marks line up on both sides of the edge, creating a weakened area. My hardwood stump knocked out a chip that's bounded by the marks.

I've been taking new edges out to ~ 400, to polish out the grind lines, and reduce the opportunity of a chip developing, and I like a polished edge.
 
Paddling_man said:
Hey, Alex. What is the FBM lying on? It looks like the blade edge of a ww kayak paddle, eh? ;)
Click to expand...



LOL, its actually a small dinner table and place mat... I wish I had the time to go Kayaking... :(


Hmmm, I was thinking about sending it back, but I wanted to make sure I wasn't over reacting... ps - If I thought I'd successfully put a new edge on it, I'd be on it already :p although I think I'll look at putting one on at some point...


For info, as the pic is a little blurred, the missing steel is almost a perfect V shape into the blades edge... and its not rolled, I don't know how easily the metal would have been squashed inwards, but hey, thats why I'm asking :)

steelnut said:
"You have broken what was unbreakable!"
gratuitous line from Excallibur, send it back to the Lady of the Lake...
Click to expand...


ROFL!!!! Nice 1 ;)
 
It looks like a little chip to me but what do i know. If you send it back the shop will make it right.
 
jimmyjones said:
I've been taking new edges out to ~ 400, to polish out the grind lines, and reduce the opportunity of a chip developing, and I like a polished edge.
Click to expand...

Hey jimmy, what do you mean by taking new edges out to ~ 400?? Are you talking about sand paper grit??


ps - silly question, but when I hear the term mouse pad, re: fixing your own edges, is this litterally sandpaper over a mouse mat, i.e PC one?? Or a workshop mouse pad...??


Cheers again guys


Alex
 
I've just done a search for convex edge on the toolshed, but returned nothing, so I guess I was searching too broadly...

Anyone have any links they know of on how to sharpen your own convex edge?? I feel I would be searching forever and a day by hand :(


Thanks
 
hawkinsa21 said:
Hey jimmy, what do you mean by taking new edges out to ~ 400?? Are you talking about sand paper grit??


ps - silly question, but when I hear the term mouse pad, re: fixing your own edges, is this litterally sandpaper over a mouse mat, i.e PC one?? Or a workshop mouse pad...??


Cheers again guys


Alex
Click to expand...

Yes, like Foo said, literally a sheet of sandpaper on a PC mouse pad:eek: I lay a sheet of 400 grit (or whatever grit, start low and work up) over a mouse pad ( I got a cool HD mouse pad thats too funky for computer use) and strop the edge (pull away from the edge). Don't use too much pressure or the sandpaper will bow up and change the edge angle (making it DULL).

I started sharpening my Khuk's that way, then gradgeated up to Busse's
 
jimmyjones said:
Yes, like Foo said, literally a sheet of sandpaper on a PC mouse pad:eek: I lay a sheet of 400 grit (or whatever grit, start low and work up) over a mouse pad ( I got a cool HD mouse pad thats too funky for computer use) and strop the edge (pull away from the edge). Don't use too much pressure or the sandpaper will bow up and change the edge angle (making it DULL).

I started sharpening my Khuk's that way, then gradgeated up to Busse's
Click to expand...


Nice one jimmy, thanks for the clarification... I will be having a go at this on my Busse.. I'm sure with some TLC, it won't go to far wrong! lol

Al
 
I think you will realize better results substituting the mousepad with a thick, flat piece of leather.
 
I've just done my FBM. I found it better to use sandpaper on a flat board and increase the angle towards the edge as I pulled the blade back on the paper. Thus creating the convex edge myself. I feel that I have more exact control that way - it works for me.

I did try the mouse-mat method and have used it successfully on several other (smaller) knives, but here I definately prefered the flat method.

Thinking about it, that's for moderate reprofiling, not for just a 'touch-up'. a touch up would probably be easiest with the mat.

Rick.
 
Regarding the photo in the first post, it's hard to tell if it's a chip or not given the blurry photo, and not knowing what the other side of the blade looks like.

You might try steeling it before you do any metal removal, to see how much of it you can move back into place. With any luck you'll find yourself pleasantly surprised.

Personally I'm also new to convex edges, but I think I may be sold on them. I've convexed an old beater Benchmade so far, and that came along very well. I ground the shoulder between the primary and secondary grinds on a course DMT stone, then when it was lower I took it (154CM I think) to sandpaper starting around 220 and all the way up through 2000 sandpaper then to a loaded strop, then bare leather. I was quite pleased with the results.

Next I plan to try my luck on a Custom Shop Howling Rat with 4 serrations on the (sharpened) swedge, that I picked up for the purpose of furthering my convexing skills. The swedge almost looks like it's got an asymmetric grind on it, which I might keep. But the edge is going convex for sure.
 
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