Learning how to grind all over again!!!

[jdm61]

Scott....After you grind the rough proffile, lay the blade on the platen vertically using a magnet or your hands, if you are brave. That will knock out the ricasso and tang. For bevels/plunge cuts, i bolt a file guide onto the blade and grind away. Getting the top and bottom of the ricasso the exact same thickness can be a bit of a challenge.:grumpy:

 

[SteelSlaver]

Scot. I was lucky enough to have Tom come visit Saturday. We forged a small bowie from 5160 and he showed me how he grinds flats. It works great and makes getting the 2 sides even so much easier. First you need a push stick. Nylon would be best make the tip a triangle and about 1/2" wide. Then you hold that in position on the rest pressing against the back of the blade as you pull the other side thru against the belt. The higher or lower you hold the stick against the work will move the grind up or down a bit on the blade. More grind near the spine lower the push stick, more towards the edge, raise the stick. Also it you start by marking your blades centerline and then grind it to about a 32nd at 45 degrees from both sides, you can then start doing your flats and watch the gap between the center line and the belt formed by this angle to see that you are going even. Him showing me this made it so much easier to grind flat. Thank you Tom

 

[tom kernan]

Glad it helped Jim , I learned a few things myself.
when you get a little practice that KMG is going to be your best friend Scott.
its help me replace several fingernails and flatten a knuckle or two, I even turned out a knife with it once.

 

[scottickes]

Scott....After you grind the rough proffile, lay the blade on the platen vertically using a magnet or your hands, if you are brave. That will knock out the ricasso and tang. For bevels/plunge cuts, i bolt a file guide onto the blade and grind away. Getting the top and bottom of the ricasso the exact same thickness can be a bit of a challenge.:grumpy:

A magnet? Why the heck didn't I think of that? I have one of those "super" magnets from Harbor Freight! I bought the strongest one they had about a year ago. I keep it on the metal tool box that my forge sits on, for checking my knives for magnetism. It's difficult to even get it off of things that it is stuck to. The only problem I see is all of the grinding dust sticking to it. I'd put it in a ziplock baggie, except it would probably melt.

Ickie

 

[scottickes]

Scot. I was lucky enough to have Tom come visit Saturday. We forged a small bowie from 5160 and he showed me how he grinds flats. It works great and makes getting the 2 sides even so much easier. First you need a push stick. Nylon would be best make the tip a triangle and about 1/2" wide. Then you hold that in position on the rest pressing against the back of the blade as you pull the other side thru against the belt. The higher or lower you hold the stick against the work will move the grind up or down a bit on the blade. More grind near the spine lower the push stick, more towards the edge, raise the stick. Also it you start by marking your blades centerline and then grind it to about a 32nd at 45 degrees from both sides, you can then start doing your flats and watch the gap between the center line and the belt formed by this angle to see that you are going even. Him showing me this made it so much easier to grind flat. Thank you Tom

I really don't have a problem grinding the flats though. Joe's magnet suggestion will make the flats easier, but I'm not having a problem doing the flats. I have a problem with the radius of the plunge at the ricasso. Maybe I didn't explain it well enough earlier.

Ickie

 

[scottickes]

Glad it helped Jim , I learned a few things myself.
when you get a little practice that KMG is going to be your best friend Scott.
its help me replace several fingernails and flatten a knuckle or two, I even turned out a knife with it once.

You don't have to tell me about fingers and knuckles. I almost got bit yesterday. I got just a little too close with my right index finger, and bumped a new 60 grit ceramic belt. Luckily, it didnt' grab and remove any skin, but instead it just kind of bumped my finger away.

I did learn something from that little incident. Did you know that there is a little switch on the tip of your right index finger, that when bumped by a grinding belt going at about 1700 RPM or greater will start the flow of adrenaline and cause you to put down your knife blank and sit and watch a football game for about 20 minutes until your heart rate returns to normal?

Oh....and just in case you missed it....Go Buckeyes! Go Browns! :thumbup:

Ickie

 

[jdm61]

I really don't have a problem grinding the flats though. Joe's magnet suggestion will make the flats easier, but I'm not having a problem doing the flats. I have a problem with the radius of the plunge at the ricasso. Maybe I didn't explain it well enough earlier.

Ickie

let the lighter grit belts roll over the edge of the platen. So guys actually round off the edges of the platen a tiny bit.

 

[TekSec]

I did learn something from that little incident. Did you know that there is a little switch on the tip of your right index finger, that when bumped by a grinding belt going at about 1700 RPM or greater will start the flow of adrenaline and cause you to put down your knife blank and sit and watch a football game for about 20 minutes until your heart rate returns to normal?

Hey! I always wondered if I was the only one with one of those. Guess that answers it