Sharpening Choil

imill3567

imill3567

Joined
Aug 5, 2014
Messages
378
I heat treated 4 knives of the same design but two sizes. I ground, finished, and sharpened the first one and realized it was a pain to sharpen at the plunge line. Partly because I was sharpening on a slack portion of the belt just above the wheel. I mostly corrected it on stones. I’m considering adding a sharpening choil to the others. I’m wondering what people’s methods are for adding one post heat treat. I’m considering grinding it then before sharpening wrapping coarse sandpaper around a needle file and filing it in when the edge is thin. Let me know if you have a method for this.
 
Yeah I don’t have a hardness tester but I’d imagine 52100 with a 1515F/375F heat treat is pretty close in hardness to a chainsaw file? I can give it a shot though.
 
imill3567 said:
I heat treated 4 knives of the same design but two sizes. I ground, finished, and sharpened the first one and realized it was a pain to sharpen at the plunge line. Partly because I was sharpening on a slack portion of the belt just above the wheel. I mostly corrected it on stones. I’m considering adding a sharpening choil to the others. I’m wondering what people’s methods are for adding one post heat treat. I’m considering grinding it then before sharpening wrapping coarse sandpaper around a needle file and filing it in when the edge is thin. Let me know if you have a method for this.
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Diamond attachment for Dremel
 
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Depending on the size of the knife I will use my 1/4” small wheel. Easily works post HT, just go slow
 
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9734F7EF-A23A-456F-B4FC-8077B0CE6D25.jpeg I use a very thin cutoff wheel on a 4 inch angle grinder. I just barely kiss it about as deep as the edge bevel. Don’t use a brand new cut off wheel or you’ll get a Square choil.

if it’s a sweeping grind I use a round stone in a dremmel tool for a wider choil, but still keep it shallow. Shallow is key. It’s easy to go too deep.
 
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eveled eveled That was also an idea that went through my head. I have a mandrel that chucks up a small cutoff wheel in my drill press so I was thinking of rounding the corners over then using that, spins a lot slower than an angle grinder.
 
I don’t have a Dremel or a 1/4” wheel but I’d be picturing something closer to 1/8” or maybe 3/16” for a small low profile sharpening choil but have never done one so hard to say for sure. Thanks for all the tips so far!
 
Keith Nix said:
Post HT??
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I've never had a problem. Don't forget, the chain saw is a form of blade and the cutting teeth are some version of HT'd steel.

I think I've read somewhere that a quality file should be around 65+/- HRC range(?), harder than most tempered knives are.
 
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I'm not great at it but I have scored it lightly with a cutoff wheel then opened it with a dremel with a 1/8" stone then cleaned it up with sandpaper and diamond files.
 
ive used the edge of a belt at slowish speed, rotate a bit and then clean up with sandpaper
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I think I’ll try both the edge of a belt (I’m assuming that was a heavy X or Y weight belt timos- timos- ) and the rounded cutoff discs on some shop knives or scrap. I’ll try to update with what worked for me. Thanks again for the help everyone.
 
A rotary chainsaw sharpening cylinder burr chucked in a drill press will work. They come in corundum and in diamond. HF sells a whole box of diamond burrs in all sized for $15.
 
I’ll have to go check those options out too at harbor freight that seems easy. I did just do one on a beat up shop knife with the edge of a worn 120 at slow speed, cleaned up with round needle file and it looks pretty good (excuse the ugly early knife). Granted it should be back a little further closer to the plunge.
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Round diamond file or one of the tungsten carbide grit hacksaw blades (the grit coated wire type) is what I would use, if I did choil cuts.
 
imill3567 said:
I don’t have a Dremel or a 1/4” wheel but I’d be picturing something closer to 1/8” or maybe 3/16” for a small low profile sharpening choil but have never done one so hard to say for sure. Thanks for all the tips so far!
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My friend , it is not written in stone that choil must be half round .......you can make it like triangle with cut off disk and will look cool :thumbsup:
 
Natlek said:
My friend , it is not written in stone that choil must be half round .......you can make it like triangle with cut off disk and will look cool :thumbsup:
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Technically, a triangular choil notch would be a severe stress riser and could cause the blade to break there in heavy use.
In practicality, it would not be an issue unless the knife will see heavy chopping or rough use.
 
I know it can be a triangle I just prefer the look of a small half round notch if it has to have one. I prefer to have it such that the plunge location creates an edge that goes all the way to the heel but these are a little like kwaikens so that’s not possible with this blade shape.
 
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