Lets start a grinding tip thread, ugh!!

L6steel

L6steel

Joined
Sep 23, 1999
Messages
5,855
I'm sure we all have a certain part of the grind that drives us up the wall. If you do, post it here and maybe someone has a tip or trick that will solve the problem for you.

My biggest problem is the top part of the plunge.
Man that spot drives me crazier than I already am!
I get it near perfect and then work the rest of the grind to make it all flow out nice and it messes up that little spot, ughhhhhhhhh.
Another thing, which I just did again, is I'll have a blade 99.9999999999999999% perfect and try to get that one tiny little stinkin hemeroidal butt wormin skunk smellin spot that stands out like a sore thumg worked out and I end up screwing the whole grind up!

Anything you guys can pass on to help me will be greatly appreciated!
It seems like my grinding is getting worse the more I do.
I don't get it!

KITTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
OK I'm a novice and can't help you much L6. But I do have a big mouth....

After heattreat I cleanup with a 120 just about to the edge thickness I want. Then 220. Then I quit. That's how I solve it: I walk away from the grinder.

I work on waterstones, SC Paper over glass, sanding blocks, etc.

SOMETIMES, I move the platen up near horizontal, reverse the grinder, slow it down to a crawl to remove those 120 grit marks I missed. More like a power sanding block than a grinder.

Steve
 
I carefully use my thumb (flat grinding) and press it flat against the platen. The tip does get hot fast and you have to watch your angle's. I have learned patience on this aspect. I have tried to remove material as fast as the rest and only end up messing it up. Grind for a couple seconds dip, observe, then grind again. Both my thumbs are getting quite immune to heat as to being burned so many times. I tried the band aid route for awhile but in the end it was more trouble than its worth.

In the end all it is "practice and learn" I know its simplistic but its true.
 
Mike,
Couple of questions first...Do you scribe the center line?
Do you mark each side with the depth you want the grind to go?
Do you mark the end of the grind (where the plunge starts) ?
How fast are you running your grinder?
Folder or fixed blade? (I know, that one sounds dumb, but there is a point to make :) )
Do you use a push stick or your big gloved paw? :)
 
I got too ambitious and after 3 knives I tried to do a hawkbill:o. well....the point and the end are way too thin and I need to send it to heat treat. While the middle is still around 2mms thick. I got a really cruddy belt grinder, its 50mmX686mm, store said they only offer 60, 80,120 belts. Got it because it as a disk grinder and it was dirt cheap. Have a scratch on the end where it's too thin from the belt, way too rough I guess. Trying to hand sand, lowest paper I could get was 120!:mad: ARHGGH! It's a fixed blade, D2, 3.5 mm thick
 
Q.Do you mark each side with the depth you want the grind to go?
A. yup
Q.Do you mark the end of the grind (where the plunge starts) ?
A. yup
Q.How fast are you running your grinder?
A. when I'm finishing a blade, where I have most of my problems, I run it as slow as it will go.
Q.Folder or fixed blade? (I know, that one sounds dumb, but there is a point to make )
A. folder and I don't have a clue why it matters but if you ask I know it does! :D
Q.Do you use a push stick or your big gloved paw?
A. bare hands cause it's finishing work after heat treat.

More babble.
Maybe I'm leavin too much for after heat treat clean up. I think on the next one I'm gonna take it alot closer to finished before heat treat and see if that makes a difference.

Thanks for the posts guys!!!

Come on, noone else has any problems grinding???:eek:
 
Mike,
The reason I asked the fixed/folder question is that for initial grinding on a folder, I leave the blade in the handle. For final cleanup I take it out and just hold the blade. I get better control.

What it sounds like is that you just aren't lining up on the grinder and keeping the blade parallel to the wheel. Most people have more problems on their "off" side (left, if you are right handed) or (less dominant side).

If you watch your scribe line and keep an eye on the depth you are grinding, keep the same amount of pressure the whole way across the wheel, and "listen" to the grinder, you should get it. Just keep practicing.

Heck, if I can teach Dexter to hollow grind, I can teach anyone :)
(don't go telling him that:) )

If you think you can control the heat, do all the grinding after heat treat. Then you won't have to worry about cleanup. I grind everything that way, even big fixed blades.
 
Mike,

I like that bear fingers trick as well. Let's me know if (really when) I'm getting the blade hot. One thing I do is grind to 220 on the bevels before heat treat and start right back at 220 after heat treat to finish the blade. Grinding after heat treat is with only a little pressure and like Kit notes, listen to the grinder. You can hear the belt lie perfectly in the bevels (or the awful sound when you miss the bevel). The plunge is the point that gets the most grind, so I tread very lightly on the plunge area during finishing.

For the stubborn grind marks that seem to surface only after the 400 grit and polish I tend to put my thumb closer to the area I'm grinding to help guide the pressure better.

I've tried real hard not to break the rule of one pass then cool and start back at the plunge. Seems to keep me out of trouble.

Probably missing your entire question....

Dan
 
I was going to put my nickles worth in then realized your talking about hollow gringing. I flat grind my blades, even my folders. I finish up on my vertical disc grinder. I kill the edge of my sanding disc so I can work the run out at the top of the grind and not worry about getting into my plung cut. Hope this makes sense and maybe gives you something to try.

Michael
 
Sheesh, my hands are too tender to do complete grinds on hardened blades Kit!
I'm pushin it to get 3 passes before I have to hit the dip bucket, lol.

Hey, that sure is a fine lookin folder of your's in the Feb/04 issue of Blade and there's some real nice words said in the article about your work too!
What size screw is that in the pivot? It looks like a 1/4"er, lol.
The washer under the pivot screw is a nice touch!
Man I love the way you finish that carbon fiber!!

I bead blasted some g10 tonight and it came out real nice.
Haven't soaked it down with the wonder liquid yet but am looking forward to seeing the results.

Thanks again for the help Kit!!
 
Thanks for the tip Dan!!
I'll pay more attention to thumb positioning next time I'm ginding.

Mike, I'm getting set up to start flat grinding smaller folder blades so your post is great! I've always hollow ground with the exception of a couple blades so flat grinding will be virtually brand new to me.
 
Mike
Here is my 2 cents worth,I do not set the plung cut,(were I want it to end up)until after HT,I leave the plung area about an 1/8 inch
in front off were I want it to end up at.after HT I go in and use a new 220 X weight to cut the shoulder,I keep the blade moving to the side always to round out the shoulder,I just slow walk the the plung cut back were I want it, then I go to a x 65 norax then a x30 norax then hand rub.One thing that has made my hollow grinding much cleaner and more controlable is I use a 1 inch wide wheel,you can control the grind better and you don't have to worry about that 2 inch mark. ;) I got Bertie to make me up some and they are outstanding,hope I have been of some help
 
MY #1 GRINDING TIP:

Don't wear a necktie while grinding.
Click to expand...

Tie your ponytail back! Naw, I work for a corporation, not a problem for me. ;)

I still use a "cheater", angle iron clamped over the ricasso to limit travel up to the plunge. When the 220 is mostly complete I take it off and grind in the radius. Then I take everything to 400 before HT.

Mike I have mostly solved the problem with the top of the grind by grinding all the way to the spine - but I flat grind everything too. :D This way there's only a fairly small radius to match and it's usually not too hard...

I haven't tried it yet but Bruce Bump (glad I caught that typo! First I typed Bruce "Bumb"!) described to me how he gets those beautiful sweeping curved grindlines...and I tried to repeat it here and can't. Hopefully he'll chime in, because he made it sound possible for normal humans too.

Dave
 
Thanks everyone for the tips!

I don't know about the necktie thing, but I know not to wear a ballcap. :grumpy: (I get in close when I'm flat-grinding.)
 
I hate to chime in Mike because that's one of those areas that keeps me away from more hollow grinds also. I have found something that does help though. I have a wheel grinder with a very fine wheel just for this. This is one of the few times I use a stop but I set it so the plunge cut is the same on both sides. I set it on the wheel before I start gringing my edge and just pull back to form the plunge. I get it to about 1/8" of the finished edge and then grind my edge like the plunge wasn't there. I still have to do more hand work than I like to finish it out but the plunges are crisp and straight.
 
L-6 and all,
I have made every grinding mistake you can make! I have started to clamp a 'cheater' on every blade before starting the edge grinding. It has not only made my ricasso even but also controls the angles better. It seems that the extra length of the 'cheater' gives my hands more indication of the angles.
I also grind bare handed and need some of the 'bear' hands.
Worlds worst speeler, Lynn
 
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