Medicevans first two WIP

B

Brian.Evans

Registered Member
Joined
Aug 20, 2011
Messages
3,267
Hey guys. Working through my first couple. These are A2 3/32x1. I have one more I'd like to get cut out, basically the same as the top knife except with a longer handle.

Stuff I know is wrong.
#1:
I cut the choil before I did the grind. I had to keep moving the plunge back, which made my choil huge. Not happy about that but there it is. The pin hole is too high by about 1-2 mm, which throws off the whole lines of the knife. The grind line goes all the way to the top of the blade instead of stopping a mm short. The file work was just for screwing around. No other knives are going to have it until I figure out the basics.
#2:
I cut this plunge with a round file then cut over to it with my grinder, then squared it up with a square file. My 2x42 doesn't have a ceramic platen on it yet, so I didn't get the grind line sharp at all. The belt skipped over the edge a could of times, causing the issues you see here with what appears to be a washed out plunge line. I think with some steel backed hand sanding I can clean it up well. I need to run this over 240 or 400 first to even everything up and see where I'm at then. Not sure if I want a double or a single pin on this one.

I'd like opinions and criticisms please. Make me better, don't be an ass, but please tell me what I've done wrong so I can grow.
 
Ok, something isn't working with my imageshack. I can't find pictures. I only have my iPhone and tapatalk, so how can I put pictures up here. SRP just does picture hosting, so I've never ran into this problem before.
 
Well I hope this works.

https://picasaweb.google.com/medicevans/MedicEvans?authkey=Gv1sRgCLbe1LeV1sLiOw#5692117372213584562

MedicEvans


Let me know if it doesn't. I'd really like to get pictures up so I can get some feedback. I watched a couple videos earlier and deduced I was using WAY to big of a file to start my plunges, so I will be using a smaller, finer round file from now on.
 
OK, there are a few things that will be helpful for advising you. what files are you using, and what height is your workspace?
 
***thank you Count, for getting that put up. Any suggestions for posting pictures from an iPhone, I'm all ears.***

A 2x42 grinder that needs set up with a ceramic platen and manual tracking, a Nicholson 8", a Craftsman 10" mill bastard single cut, various needle files. I need to get a small, fine round file for the plunge line. The one I have is WAY too coarse for this type of work. I will have to hold a chainsaw file in my hand to figure out if it is too large.

I got antsy to play with my grinder and should have waited until I got everything set up first. Just so everyone knows, Home Depot WILL NOT cut tile to size for you. I haven't figured out a reliable way to cut it yet, so I am still using the stock platen, which sucks, to say the least. I won't be using it on the third little knife I'm making, at least until I get it set up. Back to files for me. Bustin' it tryppyr style. :)

As far as the height of the work bench? I have no idea, but I used files to make my 9/8 O1 razor, so it is the right height for me. :) I have a sanding/filing arm on it too, which helps immensely. Why? Suggestions?
 
I like the second one. Being a NEWB too, I just recently discovered chainsaw files to establish the plunge. Grab a few they are cheap, handy and can cut a lot of material fast.

Theres a little tool for scoring tile you can buy for a few bucks and snap it over a straight edge, then clean it up on a smooth concrete floor (or with the grinder)
 
medicevans said:
#2:
I cut this plunge with a round file then cut over to it with my grinder, then squared it up with a square file. My 2x42 doesn't have a ceramic platen on it yet, so I didn't get the grind line sharp at all. The belt skipped over the edge a could of times, causing the issues you see here with what appears to be a washed out plunge line. I think with some steel backed hand sanding I can clean it up well. I need to run this over 240 or 400 first to even everything up and see where I'm at then. Not sure if I want a double or a single pin on this one.
Click to expand...

Sounds like you I and have similar problems using belt sanders for grinding blades. I just can't control the belt on the 1x30 or the 4x36 well enough to do the plunges. Inevitably the belt skips onto the ricasso and ruins it. I've never used a 2x42, but it sounds like the problem is the same. That's why I use files for so much of the grinding I do... better control, and I can actually see the results BEFORE I do too much damage. ;)

With a little practice you will find ways to do most of the grinding on the sanders... but if you're like me, there will always be cleanup work that you'll need to do with files and sandpaper.
 
OK, the reason that I ask is that I generally had the same problem, but it has gotten better with practice and improvement to my workspace. I cut the plunge to a very conservative height, just to give me a boundary. Several times, I have cut the plunges and then have wanted to change the grind but had that annoying groove to get out. It is not fun and usually turns a 3/16ths inch blade into a 5/32 inch blade. As far as how high the table goes, I set mine up specifically to be at about elbow level. IIRC, it is 40 inches and I am 6 foot. it is comfortable for me, but, more than that, it lets me tuck my handy dandy file handle, also known as a golf ball with a hole drilled out of it, into my midsection and use my entire body to push. once I get going, I can do the rough filing on half of a 4.5 inch blade in about an hour. I set the angle at my plunge, with my file, and then file all the way down the blade at the same height with the same amount of metal removed. then I draw file to flatten everything up, and there we go. when I had to lean over to file, I was going slower and it was less comfortable. A workbench that was the right height made all the difference.

My advice? everything I just posted, and also to learn how to draw file. it took my grinds from just plain bad to mediocre ;).
 
My biggest problem is lack of experience compounded with a grinder that runs way to fast and isn't set up. Maybe 95% lack of experience, 4% not being set up, and 1% too fast. Hopefully I can get the platen set up soon, but until then I'm using files. I have one more chance on this piece of steel to get it right, and I desperately want to use a couple pieces of the oak burl on it, but the knife has to be close to perfect for me to use that beautiful wood. I think with a small chainsaw file to start the plunge plus filing the bevels with files will let me be much more accurate. I'm almost ashamed to finish the first two knives. It almost isn't worth it to get them HT'd. My guy charges $10 a piece. Not sure they are worth that.
 
medicevans said:
My biggest problem is lack of experience compounded with a grinder that runs way to fast and isn't set up. Maybe 95% lack of experience, 4% not being set up, and 1% too fast. Hopefully I can get the platen set up soon, but until then I'm using files. I have one more chance on this piece of steel to get it right, and I desperately want to use a couple pieces of the oak burl on it, but the knife has to be close to perfect for me to use that beautiful wood. I think with a small chainsaw file to start the plunge plus filing the bevels with files will let me be much more accurate. I'm almost ashamed to finish the first two knives. It almost isn't worth it to get them HT'd. My guy charges $10 a piece. Not sure they are worth that.
Click to expand...

And why the heck not? They are your first knives. This is a milestone that you will only ever cross once. my first knife has no discernible grind line, a sanding finish that would make nick wheeler faint, and a handle that still has angle grinder gouges easily visible. Am I proud of it? Yes. it shows that I had the dedication to work through a project that did not turn out amazingly well in the end. besides, the knife chops like a dream and batons like a champ. finish your first ones. remember them ,and learn from the mistakes that you made through the whole process. it will improve your next one very much and will be a huge boost when you get it done and see how much progress you have made. it is worth it.
 
These are your first knives, right? They look like a first knife should. The choil doesn't look HUGE to me. Have you tried grinding the flats of the blade to correct the over grinding? A magnet would help for holding it while applying it to the belt.

Getting a grinder is step #1.

Step #2 is learning to use it.

I bought the Sears 2X42 grinder early last year and felt like I just wasn't getting the technique down for making high, even flat grinds. They all looked like scandi grinds. In frustration I bought a bubble jig, and hoped that my first blade with it would be wonderful. It wasn't, but it was better. It took another couple blades before I felt that was finally getting a flat grind that I liked. I think you're going to have to practice, that's all. If this was super easy there would be wonderful beautiful custom knives all over the place.

You're doing OK, really. Not perfect,... yet, but you'll get there.

- Paul Meske
 
Thanks everyone.

I drilled, profiled and cut in the plunges with a small round file. I watched a tutorial on YouTube on how to cut in the plunges with a file. This one is definitely better than my previous two. Maybe by the time I hit 10 or 15 of this particular pattern I might be able to get them consistent. Went a little high with the file, next time I'll know.

Decided to do a guard on this one. Seems easy to run that index finger up on the blade if a person wasn't careful.

I still need to smooth out the belly a bit towards the end of the handle; it doesn't quite flow. There are also a couple of other little places that need blended it a bit.

The pictures are the last two in the album. I still can't figure this out. I will attempt tomorrow night to set up a flickr account.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top