New way of grinding (for me)

Sam Salvati

Sam Salvati

Joined
Aug 6, 2007
Messages
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Sort of discovered this by accident/luck, gave this technique a try grinding on a katana and it worked BEAUTIFULLY! It was very exciting, the amount of control it gives and is a bit less taxing on the arms not having to support the blade upwards as when doing it freehand. Here is a graphic about what I am talking about.


l_0add14f7f1f744e6b79beb6bfcb14230.jpg


In case my art really is that crappy, that's a side view of the platen and tool rest.
 
I have seen the same idea used but with a narrow 1/4" rest. Perhaps this is what you used? The particular maker used this application when grindging all his blades. Frank
 
Sam, I must have a problem with my internet connection.:confused: It shows the words "grind on a katana".:barf: I refreshed the screen and the words are the same. I know it is an error, because only a Yankee heathen would grind on a katana.:D:D:D

Can't wait to see your sword next month.:thumbup:

Tonight I was doing the togi on my sword, and put a nice split in the end of my thumb.....and the edge was taped up !
I was doing the final shaping on the mune and the shinogi ji, and my thumb ran along the spine ridge. I felt the slice. Without realizing it,I had worked the ridge into a sharp edge. After some super glue and direct pressure , I went back and dulled the ridge down enough to continue up the stones, with only the burnishing left to do.

The ji is smoothed to the nagura, and tomorrow I will take the ha down to sharp. From there it gets much more dangerous, as you are working on a two foot razor for the final twenty hours or so of shiagi-togi. I almost always get a cut or two, usually by accident, and thankfully never deep.

Take care,
Stacy
 
Yea, I used a similar method on a large bowie style and that cutlass I'm working on. Once I establish the roughed flat, I switched to freehand with no rest, but found that near the tip the platen provided just the right amount of control to keep from f'ing it all up :D
 
Frank, no I just used the standard tool rest on my KMG. I have seen others use a smaller rest, and some use a piece of 5/8ths rod butted up against the belt as a rest.

I usually freehand on the platen, but the precision I was looking for and the parallel lines involved on a katana I needed atleast to set the lines this way first. I will come back after HT and freehand on the platen.

Stacy, I don't own no stones :D This one was forged first too not all stock removal, 1095, 26" nagasa 34" overall. That is crazy your mune is so steep! I have a cool idea, I might try and get a slight hollow on my mune, still peaked but each side of the peak will be ever so slightly hollow ground. BE CAREFUL! I am hoping maybe I can get this blade atleast heat treated before Ashokan.

I look forward to trying this technique on alot of different things, made a huge difference in taking out that first initial bit out of the steel to establish all your lines very cleanly before refining things.
 
Sam, I've been grinding on a tool rest for several years now.

I guess it's a dirty word.... cheating 'ya know. Of course using the belt grinder, in and of itself, is not cheating ;) :D
 
You guys know I'm just kidding.
Looks good ,Sam

It is difficult to go beyond 400 grit on a belt sander and get the details right on an apple seed grind ( convex). In the end you have to go to a stone or sandpaper and a block.

Stacy
 
I use the platen all the time, I even modded mine so I could set the grind height by adding a small fence at the back so I can slide the platen in and out.

MVC-012F.jpg


MVC-013F.jpg
 
Hey Stacy, good sketch of tool rest and all. I'm trying to learn to both hollow grind and making a bevel edge. On the extra tool rest is it possible to make vertical v shaped milled out lines to guide the spine of knife to the 25 degrees to 45 degrees for the edge to come out defined. Similar to the rod rest with a groove to guide or catch the spine of the blade. Thanks, Rey
 
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