How does everyone cut out their blanks?

A

Andy Johnston

Joined
Feb 10, 2014
Messages
189
I think the title is pretty self explanatory. I used an angle grinder for my first blank and it wasted a lot of good steel. I feel like I should have easily gotten 4 knives out of the steel I had and I'm going to be lucky to get three now so I am looking for other solutions. Thanks guys.
 
These threads have popped up time and again lately.

The running consensus seems to be (from my pov)...

Best- Bandsaw. Harbor Freight portaband (actually on sale right now) is recommended probably more than anything else, but will need to be mounted some way, whether that be using an expensive table or just clamping it in a vise.

Better- High tension hack. These are the ones that have a lever under the handle for applying added tension. Used with good bi-metal blades they work well, if slow.

Controversial- Angle grinder with steel cutting disk. One side says they are just too dangerous. The other says that with proper ppe, leaving the guard on and common sense makes for a usable solution.

After that you have the plasma cutters, water jet and laser cutter services.

I'm using the hack. I have an AG that I bought just for this purpose, but I don't have a leather apron yet. I didn't plan on getting a bandsaw, but seeing them at HF yesterday for $80 (plus throwing on the coupon) it made it look very attractive. Not just that. As with a lot of things in my shop, if I had just bought the best tool (bandsaw) from the get go I wouldn't have been in it for much more than I've already spent on the hack, blades, AG and disks.
 
the steel i use to make my knives is already hardened so i have a buddy plasma cut strips that i profle out with the right angle grinder. this method has worked well for me. i found out that the 1/4" wheels that come with right angle grinders cut slow compared to the 1/16" wheels you can get. i was amazed at how much faster i could profile out a blank with the thinner cutoff wheels.
 
i use a roll in saw but i cut alot of kitchen knives and the large table and 14 inch throat are great when cutting 2x3 foot sheets of steel
 
Hack out the bulk of the material with a table mounted (i.e. swag off-road) porta-band metal saw, then profile it on a belt grinder with a 36 grit blaze belt. Takes about 10 minutes, max.

Before I had the metal cutting saw, I simply traced a blade profile onto the steel, cut the bar of material to length with a hack saw, then profiled on a belt grinder with a 36 grit blaze belt. Took about 25 minutes.

I know that everyone does not have a 2x72 belt grinder, but this is the only way to go in my opinion.

Mike L.
 
I just had JeremyB in the knifemakers chatroom tell me he'd give me his old 2x42 grinder. I didn't want to take it cause I didn't want to have him pay to ship it to just give it to me, so he told me trade him a knife I make with it for it. I'm not sure what his forum name is but I cant thank him enough that's for sure.
 
Hey guys, not trying to hijack but will a cut off saw work? The one with the 14" disc.
 
Just so that you all know, Aldo's son Peter is now running their waterjet service. I had two prototypes cut for a standing order I am working on. I have to say, pretty awesome! I think If I can do about 30 at a time, my profiled knife blanks to include steel will be about $10-12. Havent quite worked that out yet but I wanted to put it out there that they offer this service.
 
jtdesigns said:
Just so that you all know, Aldo's son Peter is now running their waterjet service. I had two prototypes cut for a standing order I am working on. I have to say, pretty awesome! I think If I can do about 30 at a time, my profiled knife blanks to include steel will be about $10-12. Havent quite worked that out yet but I wanted to put it out there that they offer this service.
Click to expand...

What kind of steel for that price? I haven't researched the service at other places, but that sounds very reasonable.
 
Used to use my grinder, but recently got a Dewalt HD deep cut portable band saw and mounted vertically using a Swag top/platform. Went with the cheaper table and just bolted on some 2x4 legs. So much nicer for roughing out blanks. I grind outside but now can ground out 90% complete blanks with the saw and then just have to finish up on the grinder.
 
Hammer and Anvil! :D

Pre-form shape with a metal-cutting bandsaw (Jet) but I'm looking more seriously at the portaband setups. Adding the forge and anvil to my shop took up a lot of space!
 
I buy stock that is about the same width as my templates, and just grind it. I don't have to do much but knock off corners and round some things over. I use an angle grinder with a cutoff wheel for most everything like cutting a bar in half, or knocking off a big ol corner outside of my scribed lines that I dont want to waste a belt on. I primarily use 1/8 steel, so the wheel goes through it like butter.

I don't recommend an angle grinder cutoff wheel on a big sheet of steel. I used it cutting some long pieces out of of 5x15 damascus recently, and it wasn't fun. The wheel can catch at an angle, bind up and grenade on you, or rip the grinder out of your hands, busting you up. The grinder usually is still running at mach 300 wherever it lands too.

Cutting a 1in bar in half, sure. Go for it. Buy the proper width of known steel, and you shouldn't have to worry too much about cutting options.
 
you can also send your steel to H2Oknife here on the forum and have him waterjet your blanks out. he has a sub forum in the hosted knifemakers section.
 
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