Regrind tip of Salt I with a bastard file?

Fred Sanford

Fred Sanford

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Sep 3, 2006
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Hey guys,

I currently don't have any metal files (meaning to remove metal not wood). I was considering buying 1 or 2 just to redo the tip of my Salt I (as penciled in the pics below). I figure the final work to make it "look pretty" I will do with a coarse Diamond DMT and then some higher grit sandpaper.

It would seem that I don't have to remove that much metal and I have even drawn a couple of different pencil marks to attempt to see what needs to be done.

What do you think?

SaltIreshape1.jpg


SaltIreshape2.jpg


With time and patience can I give this Salt I the splinter picker tip I love without many hours of work? I was hoping that I could do something like this with some on and off work of about 4 hours total. If it will take longer I will just send it out to Tom Krein and get the bad boy full flat ground to .015 in additon to making the tip more pointy.

Suggestions, comments, experiences? Oh.....please share.

Oh, lastly what are typical hardness of metal files. I'm figuring they would be about 60HRC or 64HRC on the Rockwell Hardness Scale.

Thanks! :D
 
If you clamp the blade in a vice, sandwich it with soft wood or leather so it won't scratch the finish, it's going to take a long time to file heat treated steel, I would estimate 3hrs+ to do it.

I'm pretty sure files are harder than heat treated H-1, because files are quenched and left hard, knives are quenched then tempered to soften it a bit.
 
imho it depends on your patience and skill, it could look great or ya could ruin the whole thing or anything in between lol.

personally, i would leave it alone and get what i wanted vs mod'ing it,
 
David Lowry said:
With time and patience can I give this Salt I the splinter picker tip I love without many hours of work? I was hoping that I could do something like this with some on and off work of about 4 hours total.
Click to expand...

Yes and no. Depends on the tools you use.

Strictly using hand tools? Have fun with that. :) You can do it with files, but be prepared to invest a lot of time and elbow grease. I'd use a belt-grinder, taking care to keep it cool, and get within 1/16 of the desired profile, then switch to files and finally a diamond hone as you mentioned. It would take maybe half an hour that way, tops. A solid, padded vise is essential, no matter what tools you use.
 
If I can reprofile from the spine and not have to do a regrind it is only $10.00 + $10.00 for S&H.... just throwing it out there. Don't really need the extra work prior to blade, but 4 hours with a file.. :eek:

Let me know if I can help!

Tom
 
Tom Krein said:
If I can reprofile from the spine and not have to do a regrind it is only $10.00 + $10.00 for S&H.... just throwing it out there. Don't really need the extra work prior to blade, but 4 hours with a file.. :eek:

Let me know if I can help!

Tom
Click to expand...
Not everyone has big belt grinders :(.

I would send it to Tom, 10bucks is a great deal, 2 good files and sandpaper is already 10bucks.
 
If it was me I would have Tom do it up like he did wire edge's Salt, FFG with the splinter picker tip. Tom flattened out the Endura ZDP for me that you were playing with recently and my Police 3 as well, and they are very pointy! Of course if you want to keep the factory edge the $10 to Tom is a bargain, but sometimes doing something yourself can be fun and rewarding (or slow and frustrating). You could always try yourself, and if you run into trouble send it off to Tom. This is really making me think I need to go to Harbor Freight and get a belt sander so I can try these myself. I have a bastard file, but my surgically repaired back just can't handle 4 hours leaning over my vice. It is nice to now have a garage of my own to be able to start getting some power equipment and finally to be able to permanently mount my reliading equipment on the nice big workbench that came with my house.

Mike
 
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