Helpful Hints Thread

Layout fluid is something I refuse to go without, it holds up better to grinding heat and being dunked in water than magic markers, grease pencils and what-have-you, and actually isn't any more expensive. A can lasts a long time. Easier to use, too... *spritz*, wait a few seconds, bang it's dry. I use Dy-Kem in a spray can. Blue seems to be the standard, but I find red shows up scribe lines better.

Ever grind a blade of carbon steel and not get back to it for a few days or weeks... then get mad as heck because it now has to be re-ground to get rid of pits and rust? I found out by accident that layout fluid seals well enough to prevent that.. My only complaint is that I can't find it locally... so I just include a can once or twice a year when I order from Enco or a similar supplier.
 
Recipe for my favorite satin finish:

60 grit blaze

180 grit gator

very fine green scotchbrite belt. (a tip within a tip - spray the scotchbrite with wd40 while running. Makes everything more even.)


Tip for kydex sheaths:

Use a horizontal strip of gorilla tape on both sides of your blade before molding. Trim the tape around the blade with a razorblade. Reduces scratches and leaves very nice clearance.

Draw the shape you want around your knife with a lead pencil, then carefully score around that line with a sharp utility knife. Use needle nose pliers and bend around the score you just cut. The kydex just snaps right off. Very minimal time at the grinder after that. That kydex dust is a killer.
 
Dont have a magnet for vertical grinding your flats on a platen? I go to my good friend Gorilla tape! Make two "tags" with the tape to hold on to. Gorilla tape holds very well, and will not weaken when you dump your blade in water.
 
I mix epoxy on nut can lids or Pringles lids. You can pop the epoxy off after it has set up and reuse.

Drilling stag and ivory on full tang knives on the exit side double tape the area with masking tape and helps prevent tear out.

I cool while grinding in water with baking soda and dawn detergent added. helps prevent flash rust and keeps all the dust and misc going to the bottom of the bucket.
 
When I use up a bottle of dish detergent, I re-fill it with water and it becomes my sanding water container. Automatically has a bit of dish soap in it, and the top is easy to set so that you can shake small amounts onto your blade.
 
Hey this needs to become a sticky I think.
File tips:
1. A tip I learned about files keep them in a holder that keeps them from banging together. Thrown in a drawer there are easy to find but they also get chipped and don't last long. One of the neatest holder I have seen is an old florescent light diffuser. The type that has the 1/2" squares cut into it. The had built a frame that held it and then hung it off of the bench so the files were basically standing in it when they were inserted. You just cut out an extra divider as you need for the width of the file, and leave a couple in between files both ways to keep them from touching or hitting together. It also makes it so you can see the particular file you want at a glance.
2. Clean a file every few strokes with a good card.
3. Use a piece of flat brass stock and push across your file sideways too the teeth to remove galled bits of steel from a file.
 
Never assume that a piece of material is flat, just because it was sold to you being that way. Always check before use. Frank
 
Newbie tip: A slack belt only grinds symmetrically in the middle of the slack area. It will curve more tightly at one end if you grind at the top or at the bottom of the slack belt area.
 
Instead of a file card I use a SS wire brush, works much better and it's also good for cleaning your 2X72 belt, just hold it to the wheel.

The one I have is a fine bristle not sure if these are the same.

Enco: Hand Wire - Abrasive Brushes Type: Curved Handle Scratch Brush Brush Material: Stainless Steel
 
Hi Guy's
A common Question is how and when do you straighten a bent blade.
I found a bend in a blade after tempering that I knew wouldn't grind out.
The Blade was already thin due to grinding a flaw out of the Damascus.
Heating a blade with a torch and bending runs the risk of overheating and too cool of a blade adds to the risk of breaking the blade.
So this is what I did.
Heat the oven to tempering temp or in this case 450 degrees.
Put in the oven the bent blade and a Block of steel. The block should be the length of the blade.
Let them soak . (This third temper so to speak will not hurt the blade at all)
Pull them bothout of the oven.
Put the blade on the block with a shim under the blade where you need it and hit the blade with a brass hammer.
The hot block of steel kept the blade warm and gave me a little more working time.
Still after 15 or so seconds I put the blade back in the oven to re qualify the 450 degrees needed to reduce the risk of breakage.
I worked the blade over a few times until I was happy.
The bend was 1 to 2 inches from the tip and 1/16 of a inch thick.
 
Use 40 durometer contact wheel with the same grit belt you just finished grinding with, then grind perpendicular to your previous scratches. eliminates about 90 percent of hand sanding.
 
James, Fastenal has layout fluid

Let a tube of silicone caulking dry out and use it as a belt cleaner.

Grizzly or Skol cans can be used to mix epoxy. There is a small circle in the center of the can, I just squeze the epoxy around the circle a certain number of times, then do the same with the hardener to make sure I have equal amounts. The metal lids are also good to mix JB Weld. Just make sure you clean them out first with alcohol.

Alcohol is better than Acetone at cleaning and doesn't leave a film.

Use kabob skewers to mix and apply epoxy. Do NOT use those metal acid brushes as the bristles come off in the epoxy and are a pain to remove.

More to come as I remember them...
 
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A couple more:

To de-glaze and condition a used Gator belt, take an old ceramic roughing belt, (such as a Blaze 50) cut a couple inch piece out and fold it sharply to expose ceramic particles, then apply to the running Gator belt to dress the surface. Skim across to avoid shaping the abrasive surface.

For handle material grinding, I keep a line from the compressor with an air nozzle next the grinders. When the belts get loaded, I blast them out with air while running on the grinder. Works very well.

After a while the 220 and 400 j-flex type will clog more permanently- at this point I find a belt "eraser stick" of the kind that can be found at most hardware stores works well to keep a belt cutting a bit longer.

If you buy the belt eraser from a place like McMaster Carr online, you'll get a much better deal than locally over the counter... in fact, anything incidental you need, a last tip would be to check at McMaster or Surpluscenter.com. You could really save a lot.
 
I save plastic lids/containers from sour cream and whatnot to mix epoxy in. When the leftover epoxy sets up, it can be peeled right off and the lid/dish can be used again. I generally use cheap plastic "picnic" knives and spoons to mix and stir and spread my epoxy. Popsicle sticks from a dollar store are also cheap and work well.

Acetone is a very good solvent. It's a terrible cleaner, because it leaves a greazy film that contains the dissolved stuff you were trying to clean off in the first place. As said above, iso alcohol is much better for the final cleaning step before gluing stuff together.
 
Good point there. By the same token, if you are wondering why your soldering jobs go wrong, and you've been cleaning first with acetone, that's likely the problem. I find a good scrub, rinse, scrub, rinse with dish detergent works much better for metal prep for soldering and for etching. Obviously, don't scrub a finished blade with a scotchbrite sponge! The "non-abrasive" scotchbrite type sponges do pretty well though.
 
Use a mirror on the guard to see if it's square with the blade. It will show if you are off at all. The reflection will be straight only if your guard is square.
FF66A5C2-7E3D-4F7A-9BDB-4F1F80052927-349-0000008BB6D94E11_zps02a3d630.jpg
this shows it's not square.
 
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You can never have enough light... working in a dim area is just all around harder... I bought a small energiser flashlight with a clip on it and put it on one side of my hat... I just leave it on there and leave the hat in the garage... It puts the light source right at eye level and moves with me easily... Plus i can wear it with my safety glasses... I use one on my hard hat at work too...

this light
tab1-industrial-360-cap-light.png
 
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