Grinding after the heat-treat

Burchtree

Burchtree

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I know some of you do "finish grinding" after the heat treat. How much heat will ruin the heat treat? I'm working on a small dagger (pain in my rear), and I'm finished it up after I heat-treated. It seems like I can barely make one pass on the grinder and it heats up pretty good. I go gloveless, so I can feel how hot it gets -- but how hot is too hot?
 
It will get too hot to hold before any damage is done to your heat treat or temper. I usually can make two to three passes on the grinder before I dunk the blade in water.
 
provided you do not heat the blade up enough to cause a color change in the steel ie turn the edge gold, blue, purple ect. you should not have a problem. Basically as long as you keep the temp of the blade below your highest tmepering temp you do not change the properties of the blade. As a precaustion I always use a fresh belt to put the finish grind on blades.
 
One point I would lie to bring up make sure you are not getting to thin in your bevels also watch your point,that is were it seems to heat up the most.Arthur was right a good belt will cut down on the heat build up because there is less pressure put on the blade when grinding.
 
Thanks, hopefully I get this little dagger done soon. I don't know why I decided I needed to do a dagger -- they're no fun. :grumpy: :D
 
the place you have to be most careful on is the tip, as it is thin and you tend to linger there...........

Art's advice is right on.
 
Not to beat a dead horse but be extra special careful when sharpening as well. That is just one more advantage of having a variable speed setup.
 
Michael,
I do all my grinding after heat treat. You get used to it, and like
CL said about the advantage of variable speed, it's well worth it.
 
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