Tilt your platen

AVigil

AVigil

Adam Vigil working the grind
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Feb 17, 2009
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When putting an edge on a blade I will tilt my platen to the degree wanted, hold the knife perpendicular to the floor and put on the edge at the degree set. Works great.

Then I thought to try and tilt the platen for free hand flat grinding. This really has proven to make flat grinding much more comfortable. With the platen tilted 10* I no longer have to try to get my head over the top of the platen to see the edge, at 10* tilt now I can stand in a normal posture and have a great view of the edge.

You grind as you normally would working from edge to spine with a much improve ergonomics and view

Give it a try.
 
Good to know! I'm going to try that. I have neck issues and looking straight down at an uncomfortable angle aggrevates it. This may help me.
 
I'm backwards I guess, I recently started tilting the platen forward a bit when flat grinding, feels more natural for my hands and I get better control. I'll try tilting it back and see how that goes.
 
Funny, i read this as "tilt your rest" and couldn't understand why it was a special idea seeing as they are made to tilt. Just reread the title again.....ooooohhhhhh.
 
lessismore said:
I'm backwards I guess, I recently started tilting the platen forward a bit when flat grinding, feels more natural for my hands and I get better control. I'll try tilting it back and see how that goes.
Click to expand...

I tilt the top toward me.
 
Sometimes the simplest ideas are the best. I need to try this, I bet it's much easier on the neck and back.

Sent from my 0PM92 using Tapatalk
 
If it's even slightly better on your neck/back I am going to give it a try. I almost feel like I can get "stuck" in that looking down position for a few minutes after walking away from the grinder.
 
I tilt it way back and sit. It keeps my head more upright and my neck and eyes straight and my wrists aligned with my arms. It feels more natural to me. I typically grind for several hours at a stretch and feel fatigue and sore if I'm not careful.

It may or may not be the right way to grind, but I'm gimpy enough as it is and it seems to work for me.

nate.jpg~original
 
Nathan the Machinist said:
I tilt it way back and sit. It keeps my head more upright and my neck and eyes straight and my wrists aligned with my arms. It feels more natural to me. I typically grind for several hours at a stretch and feel fatigue and sore if I'm not careful.

It may or may not be the right way to grind, but I'm gimpy enough as it is and it seems to work for me.

nate.jpg~original
Click to expand...

Nathan, that looks comfortable. I assume you have a lap full of dust when you're done?
 
Josh Rider said:
Nathan, that looks comfortable. I assume you have a lap full of dust when you're done?
Click to expand...

Well, most of the material ends up as chips in a can, not dust. But yeah, I do look like a brillo pad pretty frequently.
 
Belnap,

Nice jig, but the reason for the post is help get a better view of the edge while free hand grinding.

Nothing against using a jig, but not really OT
 
I will try this. My back hurts after a couple hours, and I have always kept it perfectly plumb. Looking forward to experimenting.
 
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