How do you do your distal tapers?

D

Don Nguyen

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Oct 4, 2011
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Lets say for a blade 9-10 inches in length, starting out at 1/8" thick. 2.5" Tall.

When I grind a taper in, pre-heat treat, I kind of to a progressive bevel on the top and bottom of the knife, both sides, then level it out. Takes me about 10 minutes to rough in the taper, and another 10-15 minutes to straighten, even, and clean it up.

I'm positive there are better ways. I used to use magnets and just stick the whole blade along the platen, but it seems like that method doesn't work well.
 
I blend tapers in as a continuation of the bevel, not before. I scribe a centerline down the spine before grinding, for reference. I've tried tapering barstock first, then beveling, but it didn't help me. I find it more natural to do it all together.
 
James, that makes sense. I'll try that next time and see how it works out.

I'm curious if it's workable with a hydraulic press or rolling mill to do a taper stupidly quick? Maybe have the dies set at a certain angle with the press?
 
If you aree doing flat grinds and grinding to the top (spine) of the blade, a distal taper will happen naturaly. Frank
 
Frank, I am only doing partial flats, up about halfway or so towards the spine, which is making me curious as to how other people do it.

Though, it's pretty interesting in itself that for a full flat grind the taper is done simultaneously!
 
Don, it might happen like Frank said but depending on the curve of the blade it might not taper as much as you want it to. Then you have to do it on the platen like you do. I go back and forth between the taper and the grind until I get a taper I like. There is surely a better way to do it cause I still struggle a lot with that part. Sorry I could not be more help but someone else will hopefully chime in.
 
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I put the blade vertically on the platen if i am doing a half or three quater flat grind. It takes a bit of pratice, but you can get really nice distal grinds.
 
Pat, is there a reason you say I'm not a professional ? I hope this wasn't meant as written. Frank
 
Frank Niro said:
Pat, is there a reason you say I'm not a professional ? I hope this wasn't meant as written. Frank
Click to expand...

Frank, with all due respect, I don't think Patrice was directing that comment towards you. While I greatly appreciate your advice on the full-flat grind technique, I am mostly concerned with approaching the partial-flat grind at this moment, thus anticipated further for advice that applied to what I was looking for.


It sounds like everybody does their taper at the same time they do their bevels. I'm going to try this with the next blades I make; I've already tapered all the profiles at the moment :rolleyes::confused::)
 
Don's right. My apologies Frank, of course it was not meant like that. :o I only meant chime in with a more detailed explanation or some correction of MY process.
I must say I am a little saddened that you would think it intentional on my part. :(
 
Pat, if you phoned and said that it could easily be corrected; when you write it in a forum there are many who will read it and perhaps get the impression it was written as such for a reason.
By the way does your wife ever read some of the forum if you leave a page open? Frank
 
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