tang taper?

swede2207

swede2207

Joined
Mar 10, 2002
Messages
323
Just when i thought i had a grasp on my new 01 skinner, i read in my "how to make knives" book, that you have to taper the tang on the contact wheel, the just grind it flat on the platen. Easy right?
WRONG! I got the taper easy enough but grinding the tang flat again? Forget it. Dog gone..it may be very easy on a big belt machine, but on my little craftsman 2 x 42 it is next to impossible.So any ideas about what i should do?I guess ill just get me a flat table some rough paper and get to work.
 
I grind flat with the tip of tang pointing in the direction the belt is coming from. My grinder is 2 X 72 but if you can position the tang flat on the flat platen it should be accomplished with your 2 X 42.

There is a good tutorial on the web. Someone here can probably provide a link. I lost mine (again).

RL
 
Do you have a disc grinder?I hog the tang out with my contact wheel
and then I bring the hollows together on a disc grinder.I can't seem to get them as flat on a platen as I can a disc.I use a magnet to put even pressure on the whole tang,seems to really get an even grind
 
Wow thanks, yes i have a disc so im going to try it out..ill let you know.Thanks again
 
If you have a strong magnet,one from a car speaker would work
I have a 100 pound magnet I payed 8 dollars for.
take the magnet and put the tang of the knife on it
and you can hold the magnet with your hand and push on the magnet
to get an even grind.it is hard to get an even push with your hands
but if you put the purssure throught your hands you will get a flatter
grind
 
I use the disc on the side of my Craftsman 2X42 to taper tangs. The disc is the only part on that Craftsman that's anywhere near flat! It's still a pain the butt, but with a good pair of leather gloves, goggles, dust mask and a bucket of water nearby it is possible to get absolutely flat tapered tangs.

I ruined 2 knives before I got it right, but stick with it and you'll get great results. Someday I hope to have thousands of dollars for real knifemaking equipment, but until then, it's just me and my Craftsman 2X42.

Good luck!
-Jared
J..M. Place Handmade Knives...
 
Here: http://www.customknifedirectory.com/CKD_Mainframe.htm?CKD_tut_tapertang01.htm~main

I went ahead and found it. This is the one I learned from, except that I use NO wheel platen AT ALL. All I use - as stated in my post above - is the flat platen. My very first taper turned out just fine following his instruction. The one thing that requires, for me, the most practice is getting the tapers stopped at the correct position (end of ricasso). It is easy to extend beyond end of ricasso and into the actual cutting area so that the two distals, tang and blade, are not perfectly balanced.

RL
 
So do you just grind away until it looks flat then check it on a flat surface like a desk or table. How much sould they be tapered? So much info my head may explode lol
 
Swede, if you grind any steel you will notice that the part closest to the direction the belt is moving toward the steel gets ground down the most. As the belt runs under the rest of the steel it is ground less and lesser as it moves toward the end part of the steel to be ground. This will naturally cause a tapered grind.

Please re-read my latest previous post. I edited it to add that I do not use the wheel platen at all. I have not tried that but can see where it would speed up the removal of bulk metal and therefore speed the procedure.

It will be flat if you keep consistant pressure. Don't dog it though. I grind one taper then grind the other side. This is probably not best. Easier consistancy would probably be by grinding some on one side then the other. The way I do it works for me though.

I have tapered to a bit over 20 thousanths and up to about 50 thousandths at the end of tang. I judge that decision based on knife size and blank thickness. All my knives to date are hunters so about 30 thousanths or there-abouts is okay.

RL
 
Ok i just read the tutorial..seems like it could be done with some practice..when though is a blade considered ruined..what are the tee tale signs?..im going to give it a go tomorrow
 
A blade is ruined when you realize it and finally accept the fact. You will know. If you go into it by knowing first that it will not be ruined then it most likely will not be ruined. Patience is the ticket here. Have a jar of cold water handy to quench the tang periodically as you grind it.

Swede, yes. I check my flatness as you suggested. I use a granite comparison block because I have one but something you trust to be flat is fine. When you get the feel you will know and it will not take long. Just go slow on your first one to try to get a feel and protect yourself from messing up your hard work.

RL
 
I scribe a center on the butt end of the knife blank. I also layout a line showing the start of the taper on both sides. I then use the 8" wheel on my Olympic Square Wheel to hollow out the center of the handle creating a concave surface on both sides of the handle that runs from the start of the taper to the butt. I then use the flat platen to complete the taper. By hollowing out the center I have less metal to remove when doing the flat grind and far less heat build up, which can contribute to warping during heat treat. The flat surfaces on either side will end up being anywhere from .25 to .5 inches wide. I find this works quite well and generates the least heat during the grinding process.

Bob Wilson
 
Question here,
I hollow grind the meat of the tang out and then I can tell
when both side are coming together,I don't scribe lines.Also I don't know if anyones else does this but I taper my tangs after HT ,takes the worry out of warpage and I seem to get a flatter tang that way
Mike Hull turned me on to tappering after HT and I really like it
Just wondered if anyones else does it this way???
after I posted this I see someone else hogs out the tangs with a contact wheel
 
Nathan, I have not yet been able to bring myself to grind after HT. I find it time consuming enough for one of my limited experience to grind before HT. Recently I have learned though better to keep tangs from becomming warped. It has not always been perfect but I am getting better at preventing that. I have recently been converting over to blue z. and ceramic belts. With alittle more experience with these type belts I may give grind after HT a whirl. Inside my thoughts about blade stress I still wonder though about the wisedom of grinding blade bevels after HT.

Give a try tapering the tang without the use of the wheel platen once to see how you like it or not.

RL
 
Roger
I have tried tapering on the platen and I just don''t care for the feel of it.I have not ground my main bevels on my knife after HT but I know I could,I would never do it with S30V,but with the other steels
I think I could,If I got the neve up.I may try it on one with the next couple I send out to HT just to see if I can do it:D
I use a Ceramic 977 for hoging the tangs,On my may knife bevels
I use an 80 grit 967,love them and they last,you can make short work
off a tang with a 977 it takes about 10 minutes to do one.I go from the contact wheel to a disc grinder with a 50 Blue Z paper on it
I do half of one side flip it over stop my disc grinder and hit the drum switch and grind the other half on one of Rob Frinks disc
that has the 2% taper on it.I check it with a piece of G10
to make sure the tang is coming out.I just got up the guts to try it one day and went at it.dig in we will still make mistakes but we learn from them:)
 
The only concern I have about doing any major grinding such as the flat grinding the taper after heat treating would be the heat build up and the possibility of developing stresses which could cause warping or stress cracking. As long as the tang is kept cool, there should not be any warping or stress problems. The type of steel, thickness, hardness, number of lightning holes can all play a part. I try and drill holes 3/8" - 1/2" in diameter through the tang to remove excess weight and this also helps reduce the surface area being flat ground and in turn reduces heat build up.
 
Yeah, I just got a mental hang-up about grinding after HT. Besides I can't taper a tang after HT the way I do it because I taper tang before beveling the blade. I say I can't. I guess I could but it would be backward for me to do so. I don't know. Kit grinds after HT and he's got it all down - he's a Master. Give me time.

RL
 
Roger
I have seen some of your work,you have talent, like you said
once you do it you will have it from there,Try to grind your knife bevels first then give
the tang a go,there are alot of benefits to it IMHO
Nathan:)
 
Nathan, you are very kind. I will take your advise and try as you suggest on my next full tang knife. Watch for it when I post it and hold me to the fire.

RL
 
Well im off to try to taper the tang on my skinner today.I got my magnet and small vice grips ready..Ive got a line scribed on the butt of the tang and on the sides..what comes next may be a mirackle or may be a disaster. ill let you know. Thanks for all the advice
 
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