Learning how to shape a blade.

ron_m80

ron_m80

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These two blade have been in the works for many many months. (maybe even a year or two for one of them)

I have been taking my time, and working really hard on them. There are quite a few oopppss on them, but I haven't put them aside despite the mis-steps. I have been using a "dead center" to help with sanding the clip points. I have noticed that I have great difficulty shaping, sanding, and grinding the right side of the blade. I am trying to find a way that I can make it work, but shaping a left side grind is very simple, when I flip it over I feel disabled. I have difficulty "feeling" the opposite side like I can the other. It shows up on all the knives I have tried to do.

Clip point a little crooked.
1top.jpg

The edge of the bowie. little crooked.
1edge.jpg

1left.jpg1right.jpg

-Ron
 

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And this one which was quite a bit more tricky than the first. I am not liking that the left and right symmetry are horrible to my eye. About 1/8" lower on the opposite side. I think it was more difficult because I keep the full width of the blank most of the way through the blade.
View attachment 473587

And this is the side profile of the second.
2right.jpg
 
This is proving to be exhausting work to learn. I feel like I am still learning what to ask about some of the steps putting these together. :D

The difference between the times I posted these before, and the way they are now, is what feels like a ton of sanding. They are pretty near where I could call them the best I can do right now.
 
Grind on your bad side first.

Then grind on your good side to match.

After awhile it will all come together with time spent grinding
 
I had not considered doing my worst side first. I will try that on the next one.
 
Oh... and get a bubble jig and learn to use the rest to steady your hand while grinding.
 
It's all about time on the grinder.. Get some cheap stuff in 4 ft bars and just grind, grind, grind, grind... try to get a few hours in a day opposed to a week or even worse a month. It's all feel and building up muscle memory, just like a golf swing, bat swing, bow draw, trigger squeeze/follow-through.. it's all about repetition. That is a good tip to do your hardest side first. We all have one side that is a little less natural than the other.. well at least I do, the pro's probably could do with their feet in their sleep.
They look good man, keep it up.
 
You're not alone. The night before last I was having a hell of a time in the shop. At one point I asked myself, what the hell am I even doing making these things? I walked away for the night. I was tired and pissed off. I came back last night and got a ton of stuff done(fixed problems from the night before) and am happy with things again. Sometimes I can walk away for an hour and come back and do good work.

I agree with Hawk45, keep grinding, persevere. That's the only way to get good at something that's difficult. I really like the first bowie, looks great.
 
If it isnt the "grinding" its learning how much sandpaper to keep on hand. I have run out twice.

There sure is a ton of stuff to learn even if you know the tools and have some good skills to move forward with.

-Ron
 
The comment above about spending time in front of a grinder and building repetition and muscle memory is a very good one in my opinion. Recently, there was another thread where one of the makers suggested that it may be better to spend time grinding making a larger number of "o.k." looking knives in the beginning, than it is to spend a long time trying to make the "perfect" blade. There's a lot of truth to this, I believe.

Making mistakes, working through them or even letting them go, will make you that much more aware of what to do, and what not to try to do, on the next blade.

By the way, your blades are looking very good.. Keep it up and don't get discouraged. Perhaps, you touch these up a bit more and get them assembled so that you can enjoy using them and showing them to others? Then get back at the grinder a keep working at it.

Good luck,

Mike L.
 
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Yes get a bubble jig!!! As for sandpaper, order from supergrit and get the redline rhynowet paper. Get at least twice as much in 120 grit as you get in the higher grits cause once you come off the grinder at 120 or 220 or w/e you can continue to refine your bevels with 120 as well as get all the scratches from the belt out. Everything else from there on up is mainly just refining the scratch pattern in the blade.

Those are looking great btw! I know how it is to have a blade(s) "in the works" for over a year lol. I have finished VERY few blades when considering how long I been into knifemaking, and how long ago it was when I made my first from a file. I have the same problem that Mike mentioned above, I try so hard to make every knife I make turn out perfect that by the time I finish one, I kinda have to re-learn how to do a lot of the things all over again lol. Another reason is because I have very low energy and motivation these days and even though I LOVE knifemaking so much and it's pretty much what I am always thinking about and mostly the only reason I get online, I just can't spend much time in my shop, even though that's what Iwant to do most :( .. But yea, I usually have a few knives I'll mess around with when I need a break from one I'm working on so that helps a bit with not completely forgetting how to do everything ;) Anyway, keep at it, and maybe try to start a couple more blades in a much more simple and generic shape to work on so build up your skills while you finish those two up :)

-Paul
My Channel Lsubslimed
 
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