First try at grinding bevels

B

Bob Duguay

Joined
Aug 28, 2017
Messages
204
Did not go so well lol. I made a small jig and at first it was going real good. But I could not get the bevel move up high enough before my edge was getting to thin. I have a bevel chart and on it 1/8” blade 7/8” bevel it says 4.2 degrees. So I set my platen to 4 degrees. After a awhile I tried to make some adjustments buy keeping the edge out but ending up with more then one beveling going on. Then I went up over my line then ended up trying a full flat grind. basically trying to free hand grind and grind with a jig at the same time lol..
Anyway the degree I set the platen does that seem correct?
 
Bob,

Don't sweat it. It is something that comes with practice. Others will chime in soon. Some will swear by the Bubble Jig. Some will swear by this jig or that jig. I personally like freehand. They all work and they all have their place. I'm sure your jig works well too. I think you got just what you were supposed to for a first try. Do it again a few more times and play with it a bit. You'll be dialing it in very quickly.
 
A pict of your grinder and your jig would help give some pointers.
 
Trying to post pic but working out like my bevels lol
Can you post pics off Imgur on a IPad? Cause I am trying to follow the thread about it and I don’t see the same things on the site.
 
I think jigs have their place, but sometimes it's just as quick and easy (or more so) to freehand, and make small adjustments as needed.

That said, if you're set on using the jig, I'd make sure that you still scribe a centerline (or 2 centered lines) to help ensure you stop at the proper edge thickness that you're shooting for. If you make it to your center lines and still find that your bevel isn't wide enough, you can always make an adjustment or two to chase the bevel a little farther.
 
For jig related items I found a carbide guide to be one of the most usefull things because it takes making the plunges even off the board and allows you to focus on the flats.
 
What a couple of others said about Free Hand Knife Grinding! I did it that for way for over a decade without any angle jig! It taught me how to shape steel and improved my designs, well at least my customers say my designs improved!:D Seriously!! Get out there on that Flat platen and grind!!:thumbsup:
 
Bob Duguay said:
Trying to post pic but working out like my bevels lol
Can you post pics off Imgur on a IPad? Cause I am trying to follow the thread about it and I don’t see the same things on the site.
Click to expand...

No. You can't get to the same links from a mobile device. You could back when websites gave you a choice to view the real website rather than the mobile one, but almost all of them force the mobile site now days, and for whatever reason the BBC link isn't available from that.
 
If you have a double bevel you can always smooth it up by pressing lightly on a slack belt and get a little practice hand grinding. It wont be a true flat grind but if you are just starting out it is better to fix a mistake than to toss it and get frustrated.
 
Bob Duguay said:
Anyway the degree I set the platen does that seem correct?
Click to expand...


I just checked an angle chart I have saved from a long time ago and it says 4.2 degrees, so essentially the same as what you have.

It also helps to first grind in a short & steep bevel on each side of the blade to "cut" the corners of the square edges off down to your scribed lines before actually concentrating on the height of the bevels. This will allow you to focus more of the bevel height (grind line) and less on how far to grind into the edge, since it will have already been ground in.


~Paul
My Youtube Channel
... (It's been a few years since my last upload)
 
I went back to the grinder yesterday and was able to clean the blade up and it looks real good. One of the plunges is higher and a bit to deep at the top. The other side looks good. I will post pic when I can.
 
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