Learning how to bevel grind.

S

Sword and Shield

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Apr 3, 2004
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I've been toying with a 1x36 belt grinder for a while, got to where I can shape a very comfortable full tang handle, but grinding the blade itself eludes me. Either I'm forever off on getting the grind centered, it's far too thick, or I burn the steel trying to get it down thin.

Any tips, things to read, ideas? I have a few good ideas for knives that would be ruined by my blade grinding ineptitude, and don't want to waste good 1095.
 
You must start with straight steel if you want straight grinds. Fresh, good belts(36-60 grit ceramic) will help with overheating. Take your time and don't use a lot of pressure when the edge starts getting thin. Scribe a centerline and grind a 45 degree angle, on both sides, leaving around .020" at the edge. Then walk the grind up until you have one bevel from the top of the grind to the edge. Then you can work the edge down by doing a full pass and applying more pressure on the edge as opposed to the spine. Lots of stuff go into a straight grind like pressure, speed, time on the belt... If you start your grind at the tip and go to the plunge, you need to pause at the plunge before pulling off. Each part of the grind needs the same amount of time, pressure, and angle on the belt.
 
Would it be better to start with thicker stock for some overheat protection? I've a piece of 1/16 and some 1/8 lying around.
 
Has your steel been heat treated? Thats the only reason to worry about overheating while grinding. As for the thicker stock, not a good idea. On that little grinder it just means you have a lot more steel to remove, and a lot more to screw up. The 1x30 grinders are extremely limited. The motors bog down really easily, which can be a reason for inconsistent grinding. If thats what you have, then you have to go very slow and gentle, and start with a low grit like Rookie25 mentioned above.

I traded my 1x30 for a case of beer and went back to filing by hand. It was a lot more fun than fiddling with that cheap grinder.
 
aarongb said:
Has your steel been heat treated? Thats the only reason to worry about overheating while grinding. As for the thicker stock, not a good idea. On that little grinder it just means you have a lot more steel to remove, and a lot more to screw up. The 1x30 grinders are extremely limited. The motors bog down really easily, which can be a reason for inconsistent grinding. If thats what you have, then you have to go very slow and gentle, and start with a low grit like Rookie25 mentioned above.

I traded my 1x30 for a case of beer and went back to filing by hand. It was a lot more fun than fiddling with that cheap grinder.
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It hasn't.

As for the grinder I got what I could afford. Would a different size make a difference? Any tips on size?
 
Don't worry about overheating if it hasn't been heat treated yet. Don't go past .025" or so on the edge before heat treating. After it has been heat treated, make a pass on the grinder and dip it in a bucket of water. Dip it after every pass and you should be fine. What ever the thickness of your stock is, you will have to get the edge thin, and that's where your overheating usually comes in to play.
 
Sword and Shield said:
It hasn't.

As for the grinder I got what I could afford. Would a different size make a difference? Any tips on size?
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If you don't have the cash for a 2"x72" (like me) give a 2x42 a shot. It will have a larger motor, so it won't bog down as much. you will have a bigger belt, so it will stay cooler longer and your belts will last longer. The ice thing is you can get one for sub $200.
 
Jemblade said:
If you don't have the cash for a 2"x72" (like me) give a 2x42 a shot. It will have a larger motor, so it won't bog down as much. you will have a bigger belt, so it will stay cooler longer and your belts will last longer. The ice thing is you can get one for sub $200.
Click to expand...

I could actually find belts for it, too. 1x30 is a pain. Good tool sharpener, but can't grind.
 
If you read the stickys, you probably read my, "How to Instructions for Making a Knife". You may have noticed that it uses files and sandpaper. There is a reason for that. You can't learn how to grind good bevels on a grinder until you know how to make good bevels. What a grinder will do in the beginning is show you how fast you can make bad bevels.

Go back to the basics and slowly develop the skills to make a good bevel. Then repeat that skill on a grinder.

I do not recommend a 1X30" grinder for making knives, because it just doesn't contact enough surface to grind evenly. A 2" wide belt is far easier to use than a 1" belt. A Sears 2X36 or 2X48 is a bit more money, but far superior to a 1X30" HF special.
 
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