Using a surface grinder

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bluerain

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I don't have a surface grinder. I mainly use precision stock. When do you use a surface grinder. Is it used mainly to take off stock that is to thick?is it used after forging? Please enlighten me of why a surface grinder is needed. If you wanted to start a business would a surface grinder be a must. TYB
 
I use a surface grinder to make all my steel flat and parallel. Since all my steel is forge and I make a lot of folders.

If one is using precision ground stock a SG is not really needed.
 
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Don Hanson III said:
I use a surface grinder to make all my steel flat and parallel. Since all my steel is forge and I make a lot of folders.

If one is using precision ground stock and SG is not really needed.
Click to expand...

So forged blades need to be surface ground? Ty Ben
 
Forged blades do require surface grinding or some sort of accurizing the flat and parallel sides. It is not as important on fixed blade knives and one can get very close with a disc. I can get within .001 with a disc and do on a regular basis. But I also like the exactness of the surface grinder. I can get to .0001 with a surface grinder easily and more accurate if I really pay attention and do a true spark out and light passes. Now why is it necessary? well it sure makes assembly much easier and if you are making a take-down it will make life a whole lot easier. I have made hundreds of knives without the aid of a SG. But I have gravitated more to using it on all mating parts to ensure tight tolerances. The same precision can be obtained with a lapping plate but it requires a lot more skill and time. So is a surface grinder "required"? not really. Is it an integral part of a well equipped shop? Yes
 
Don Hanson III said:
I use a surface grinder to make all my steel flat and parallel. Since all my steel is forge and I make a lot of folders.

If one is using precision ground stock and SG is not really needed.
Click to expand...

bluerain said:
So forged blades need to be surface ground? Ty Ben
Click to expand...

I said all my steel is forged, not all my blades.;) I found the need for a surface grinder after making folders for a few years from damascus steel I had forged into bar stock. Works very good on the 2.75" round W2 I forge down for folders also.

Chuck covered the surface grinder use on fixed blade very well.
 
Am I correct to assume a surface grinder is not essential for forged blades but is essential for folders. I was referring to forging hunters. I want to use 1095 , forge it into desired shape , finish profiling on the grinder , heat treat...., and put a handle on it. What I did not know is if makers who sell forged knives, not folder, have to surface grind them to be able to sell them professionally. TYB
 
almost nothing is "essential" for any of this... it will make your life easier though, and save you time. Most of my first knives were made with a bench grinder, files and sand paper and I used a torch to heat treat, and i'm only ordering my first PG steel now after 20+ years of doing it the hard way. IMHO, if you're not sure of something, do it the "hard way" (whatever you have available) first so you'll know if it's worth it to you to even bother with anything else.
 
bluerain said:
Am I correct to assume a surface grinder is not essential for forged blades but is essential for folders. I was referring to forging hunters. I want to use 1095 , forge it into desired shape , finish profiling on the grinder , heat treat...., and put a handle on it. What I did not know is if makers who sell forged knives, not folder, have to surface grind them to be able to sell them professionally. TYB
Click to expand...
No, a surface grinder is not essential for making forged fixed blades. It does make it very easy to get the flats of the tang/recoso flat and parallel. But I can do it with a belt grinder, or a file.
 
rustyrazor said:
almost nothing is "essential" for any of this... it will make your life easier though, and save you time. Most of my first knives were made with a bench grinder, files and sand paper and I used a torch to heat treat, and i'm only ordering my first PG steel now after 20+ years of doing it the hard way. IMHO, if you're not sure of something, do it the "hard way" (whatever you have available) first so you'll know if it's worth it to you to even bother with anything else.
Click to expand...

Wow, one of the best posts I've seen here and has the benefit of being true and wise. Go ahead and try...then figure out what additional you need to make the knives you want to make.
 
bluerain, most of it has been said, except that you can quite easily make a passable "surface grinder" from your drill press. It may not work to one thou but you can certainly get close enough to make constructing and fitting folders a lot easier - and flatting steel as well as getting sides "paralel" on fixed blades. I'll try to remember and take some pics tomorrow.
 
Here's a pic - it's not a commercial surface grinder by any stretch of the imagination, but if you true and square things up well you can get to pretty close tolerances with a little practice. I use a contact glue to stick the sandpaper to the bottom of the disc - the heat seems to take care of it not sticking too hard and every so often I just put a piece of sandpaper on a block in the cross slide vices, makes sure it is all squared up with the chuck and the disk, and sand the disc face clean.

IMG-20120906-00695a.jpg
 
I absolutely love seeing guys ingenuity... it's great to see what someone comes up with when they use what they have, nice work.
 
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