tang taper?

[Don Cowles]

Guys, for what it's worth, I have used the technique described in my tutorial to taper tangs down to the thickness of a razor blade. It works for me.

 

[Mike Hull]

Originally posted by Coyotee
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.

The stresses, and warpage you mention would occur AT heat treat, from what you have done prior, not after.
Stress risers would already be in your blade if it was not properly prepared BEFORE heat treat.

It's pretty hard to get the tang area hot enough to affect the blade.
In fact, I don't mind a bit of what might be described as excess heat in the tang, it just takes a couple of points of hardness off, which in my opinion is a good thing. Bladesmiths leave the tang much softer than the blade for a reason.

You just dip the blade often and you won't have any problems.

I use parallel lines around my whole knife, the same thickness as my edge would be, including the tang. I do this after heat treat, I hollow grind each side to that line, actually, just a hair short of it, on the flat platen of the belt grinder, I then go to the disk grinder to true everything up, as I could never get the tang flat enough on a belt.

Edited to add; I like to taper tangs after heat treat because the tang will not flex as much when you're pushing on it, either at the belt grinder, or disk.
Flexing will cause the tang to be uneven, hi spots in the center etc.

This is not the only way, it's just what works for me.

 

[itrade]

Also, don't forget: not everything has to be done with power tools.

Coming from the flatness freak here, SC paper over a large piece of plate glass will guarentee flat quite nicely. So, if you want to make sure you are flat, you can clamp a sheet of 120 or 220 SC paper over a picture frame glass (use the one with your mother-in-law under it- helps develop pressure). You'll see very fast if you have any low spots and can work them out.

Works fine hardened or not.

Steve

 

[Dan Gray]

Originally posted by rlinger
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

I have Don's link on the http://www.knivesby.com/knifemaking.html
also it's a good one.

 

[Nathan House]

Dons Methods works great,but I just can't bring myself to use a platen
I don't like the blade being that close to the belt.I will stick with a disc.

 

[Coyotee]

Good Luck to you! Don't get in a hurry. One other thing that I have found that makes it go easier is to use a fresh belt. This does more cutting and less rubbing than a used belt. I find I have a better feel for how much metal is being removed and it helps keep the heat down, which means I don't get burnt as often! I have tapered the tang both before and after grinding the blade portion with equal success. I think I prefer doing it before grinding the blade, as it is easier to hold on to. I place the tang against the platen with the butt end away from the direction the belt is traveling. I remove metal from the butt end first and slowly work my way up the tang towards the blade. If need be, I can remove some from the flats on each side to push the start of the taper back, but with care rarely have to do that.

Bob