stock removal and blade grinding techniques for CermeTi (titanium ceramic P/M)?

M

mwe

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Mar 5, 2014
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New to your forum, and new to knife making...complete noob.

Anyways, I obtained a piece of 6x2x5mm piece of B5 CermeTi stock (manufactured by Dynamet) at work. It was basically just a paper weight on my desk and since this material seems like the ideal cutting edge, I decided i would bring it home to the shop and make a knife. After hitting a small swath with the tig torch to satisfy my curiosity, I began to shift my attention to cutting out the profile. I hit it on the pedestal grinder and it was grinding the grinder so i switched to the hack saw, old and true....well i figure I was making about 1/2 in an hour.

I am very persistent and for the most part got a profile i am happy with, so now i am at the stage of grinding the blade. I build a simple jig and I have started working blade with the file....but at this rate this is going to be a life time project and I am not sure I am going to finish before arthritis sets in (im 30 yrs old). The blade is kinda broad, maybe 2 inches wide and 3 inches long (I think i initially figured it would be easier because it meant less cutting with the hack saw...but grinding all this material is way slower)

i was hoping that somebody here might have some suggestions or even experience working with similar materials.

On Dynamet's website they feature a pair of prototype folding knives that were made by someone out of this stuff...so perhaps there is somebody who has been here before?
 
Ken Onion made those knives. I investigated CermeTi about 3 years ago - like you, I thought it would be the super knife. The people at Dynamet were interested but suddenly they quit responding - don't know why. I think the material would be awfully expensive and hard to work - suspect you would need some sort of diamond belts to grind it. Good luck.
Tim
 
I think a coarse DMT plate would be the simplest method to take it down. Finer plates could refine the bevels smoother. Finish with good grade Wet-or-Dry papers.
 
I am going to have a look at diamond file products this weekend and report back. Thanks for the help and i am very impressed with both the craftsmanship on this forum, seemingly cordial members, and the size of an artisans community I had not previously considered.

Anyways...thanks again
 
Before wasting a lot of time, I would check the availability and price of CermeTi - you might not be able to get it.
Tim
 
tim, perhaps i wasnt clear. I already have the B5 CermeTi from Dynamet ( my piece is 2in x 6in x 5mm)

...i got it through some consulting work I was doing with Dynamet a few years back. I have cut out a profile with a hack saw and files and I am happy with the profile. i then built a simple filing jig and began to file a flat grind for the blade. The trouble is that the material is sooooo hard that I make very little progress...by my estimates it will likely take me 12 hours just to rough file one side, and I am all but sure i will have permanent crab claw hands afterwards. So my question was whether there were other techniques or tools that might be a little more aggressive or more efficient means of grinding this blade. I bet the Diamond files work good but i just wonder how long it will last...guess I have to just bite the bullet and give it a go.

**on a side note, while making the profile I got frustrated with the slow progress with the hack saw and figured i would try milling away some of the material. i set the Bridgeport as slow as i could, with a nice new cutting tool, and very slowly began to feed the material in to make an indent in the handle area for my index finger. I was going very slow, constantly backing out the tool to cool and clear power as well as constantly lubing with soluble oil...I didnt get but maybe 2mm in 20min before i called it quits and so did my cutting tool. i pulled out the flute and it looked like it had basically welded itself to itself.
 
Ceramic would indicate that it's as hard or harder than your tools. Knives are usually ground when the metal is soft and then hardened. Starting with superhard material isn't going to be easy.
 
do Silicon carbide belts not work? I have used those to grind tungsten carbide in the past with good success.
 
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