Straightening Grind Lines

Peter Atwood

Peter Atwood

Joined
Oct 26, 2000
Messages
2,468
How the heck do you do it? And how do you keep the grinds flat when you're flat grinding on the platen?

I've been working on a straight blade all evening and have a pretty good result going but I'm flat grinding on the platen and getting some chatter. Is that where my unevenness is coming from? Bear with me as I attempt to explain my method.

One side looks pretty good and is almost perfectly even. That's the side that I'm pulling to the right with my right hand. The other side is not as flat or even and I was pulling that with my nondominant left hand. For a while I was doing pretty good and had the plunge lines well established and even but my grind lines were off and wouldn't straighten out. Finally I decided to just flip the blade over so that it was facing the oncoming belt and grind that second side by pulling with my right hand also since I have better control with my dominant hand. I got slightly better results (flatter) but the grind lines are way off and I can't seem to correct it.

Should I just get a sanding block and finish the thing by hand? It is SOOOO close. If the damn grind lines were a little more even.

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

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Peter Atwood

email: fountainman@hotmail.com
 
Peter, are you setting the spine of the blade on the stock support or just holding it in your hands?

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Take care!! Michael
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Always think of your fellow knife makers as partners in the search for the perfect blade, not as people trying to compete with you and your work!
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Howdy There Foundtainman.....!
I also am a critter of the dreaded right habd perpect grind and wet noddle left grind. Have founf a small item that may help alittle.
I clamp a small metal block on my tool rest to use as a rest for starting my first grind, this is for hollow or flat grinding. Adjust your block to where you want your gring lines to be and start your first passes using the block. After you made you passes to a marked center line thickness, remove the block and go back to it by hand. this is the only way that I can seem to keep some consistance with my grinds. Hope it helps, just keep grinding.
Later "Possum"

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Thomas Clegg
 
I to have a problem with the left hand grind.Since I didnt have anyone around to tell me not to grind both sides with my right hand that is how I do it now.
I grind the blade down first then grind the blade up next that way you can keep them pretty even.Files work wonders to clean up the plunge lines if you get them off a little..
I also use a guide to start out with only I made a fixture out of 2 pieces of 1/2 inch angle iron drilled 2 holes and put nuts and bolts through them.I just tighten this up were I want my plunge lines to be and do my ruff grinding with this on,I take it off then heat treat the blade then when I do my finish grind I clean up the plunge lines if they ar off any(which happens allot since the fixture was not precision made,just a starting guide)I don't know if this is considered cheating but it sure helps out when you dont have to worry about that line when you are ruffing in the bevels,you just slide the blade up and the ange hits the platen and you cant go no farther.
Bruce

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Bruce Evans Handcrafted Knives
The soul of the Knife begins in the Fire!!!!!
Member of,AKTI#A000223 and The American Bladesmith Society
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Wow, glad to hear that others have these problems too. Thanks for the creative solutions.

Yes, I have been holding the blade with my gloved hands and no tool rest so it is tough to keep things from skating around. I have been bracing my elbows pretty well and keeping them as close to my body as I can so things are in fairly decent control, just not quite there.

I will try the file to strighten things out. I will also see what I can do about rigging up a tool rest of some sort...What about those knife magnets? Are they worth fooling with?

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Peter Atwood

email: fountainman@hotmail.com
 
It just takes a lot of pratice. I have improved my grind lines 100% since I have devoted more time to the art of grinding. Making the rest of the knife is an art in itself. Eventually you will learn to "feel" the amount of pressure that you need to keep the lines even. If they are higher near the ricasso, you can sort of twist the blade away from the belt in that area, and then slightly turn it back as you proceed down the length of the blade. This is probally happening cause you are removing more material faster in one area, than the other areas. If I knew where Leverett was I could give you some hands on help.
Chuck



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A Knife is no more than an Iron Tooth
 
Peter,

Before I start to grind, I scribe a line to where I want my grind lines. Then a scribe for the center of the thickness. Then I rough grind on a belt grinder to just below the grind line scribe. Than I go to a sanding disc rotating parallel to the floor.
Grind rotation should be as if you were trying to cut the paper off ( clockwise-left side, counter-for right side). That way you have more control and you can twist the blade the way you want the grind to go.

I hope I've helped!

Good luck!

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www.ckg.org/Frigault/Frigault.htm

rfrigault@home.com

Rick Frigault Canadian Custom Knifemaker

[This message has been edited by Rick Frigault (edited 02-27-2001).]
 
i don't belive that anyone has mentioned grafite cloth rubber cemented to the palten. it cuts down on chadder.just my 1 1/2 cents incase you were not aware.

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Laurence Segal www.RHINOKNIVES.com
 
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