grinding with shaped backing plates

[Dago Red]

Hey guys,

I was just looking at another post about grinding wheels, I had no idea some of them were that overly expensive. It made me remember something a friend of mine (now passed away) said about how they used to grind certain portions of old rifles. I can't remember what he said they were called, or if there was a name for them, but essentially they were shaped plates/forms that the belt ran in front of. The concept being that the part being ground would be ground against this, the belt would follow the contours of the plate and grind that shape into the part. From the way he described the machines (belts were very long and driven from overhead by a shaft that drove more than one belt) the belts must have been bigger, wider and probably softer cloth.

I was wondering if anybody here knows anything about that, and if any of you think there is a way to make that work for knife making. I would think it would be cheaper to make your backing plate than buy different wheels, but of course less functional.

Red

 

[Jeremy Barnard]

I believe I've seen what you're referring to on a lathe. It was used to make copies of table legs.
I've never heard of it being used in relation to knife making though.

from others responses I miss understood what you were referring to entirely!

 

[Bill DeShivs]

What you are referring to is a curved platen. The belt follows this curve just as it would if it were being driven by a large contact wheel.

 

[Britt_Askew]

Here is a thread that shows a picture of some radius plattens Nathan made a while back http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...s-early-sale?highlight=Radius+Grinder+Platens

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

I believe he is referring to a shaped contact wheel. They use them in some industries. Think of the knife edge 1" wheel for the Bader and KMG. Anything beyond a simple radius or angle cut will not work, though.