W.I.P.: My First Scandi Grind [was Blunted Tip]

redsquid2

redsquid2

Rockabilly Interim Pardon Viscount
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I'm filing in the bevels, and suddenly I notice the tip has turned blunt. This one is my first Scandinavian blade, and I wanted it to have that traditional profile. I could file down the spine, but that would change the profile.

Here's a jig I made:

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Here's what happened:

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What is the best way to proceed?

Thank you in advance for any tips (no pun intended).

--Andy
 
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If you don't want to file down the spine to move the tip forward then the best thing to do is keep on doing what you're doing.
HOWEVER, stop filing when you get to the tip. When you get there, keep more than 50% of the width of the file on the knife. The reason your tip is blunt is because you allowed the file to roll over the edge.

It looks good, just take it slow and pay attention at the tip. You'll have to file away more material in the curve before the blunted tip blends back in but your profile should remain the same shape.
 
Just re-shape the tip with a gentle stroke of the file along the edge and continue. Another way is to place a sheet of sandpaper on the table and draw the tip-edge along it while raising the butt. A stroke or two will remove the tiny flat. Don't change the spine unless you want to.

When filing and sanding after that, pay attention as the file/paper gets to the tip that you don't over-file it as Chris pointed out. You have to adjust the angle or the file/paper as you curve up the tip to keep the edge even .
 
Thanks for all the feedback.

This morning I already followed your advice, bladsmith, to "place a sheet of sandpaper on the table and draw the tip-edge along it while raising the butt." I am surprised how nice the result is.

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Thanks again.
 
Thanks, jonnymac.

I'm going to make this into a WIP thread. Probably boring for some of you professional knifemakers, but maybe interesting to other amateurs like myself.

I am using CPM154 from usaknifemaker.com . The blade dimensions are 4 1/8" X 1" X .140." Actual thickness is a little less after sanding.

I have filed maybe 15 knives in the past, but this is my first scandi. In the past, I always did it free-handed. This time, I wanted the grind to be nice and even, so I decided to use a jig. I went online and researched jigs.

Here is a picture of a trick that I saw on youtube. I found a washer that was approximately half the thickness of my bar stock. Then I adjusted the jig to the desired angle of 11 degrees, using a little paper triangle. It is self explanatory perhaps. I used the washer because I wanted the finished grind to be as close to 11 degrees as possible.

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Currently I am hand sanding at 320 grit and moving on up. I have also cut some notches in the tang, and roughed up the tang with a file. This is to help the epoxy grip good.

For heat treat, I will send it to Texas Knife Supply. So far I have gotten good results from them.

More pictures to come.

--Andy
 
I have sanded it up to 500 grit, and I think I will send it off for heat treat now.

I just have my reservations about those notches I cut around the edges of the tang. Will those cause cracks during heat treat? Feedback appreciated.

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I sure wish you had posted some sketches and asked before making those notches. At this point, just let the HT guys know that the tang does not need to be hardened. They will probably just quench to the tang and avoid the problem.

In the future, either make rounded indentions with a chain saw file, or do what most of us do - drill a hole or two in the tang. Notches like you made have no function beyond breaking the tang off.

If it were me, I would change them to rounded indents now.
 
bladsmth said:
I sure wish you had posted some sketches and asked before making those notches. At this point, just let the HT guys know that the tang does not need to be hardened. They will probably just quench to the tang and avoid the problem.

In the future, either make rounded indentions with a chain saw file, or do what most of us do - drill a hole or two in the tang. Notches like you made have no function beyond breaking the tang off.

If it were me, I would change them to rounded indents now.
Click to expand...

Thanks, Stacy.

I had the knife ready to ship to HT, but I read your reply this morning. So I unpacked it, and fixed the notches; rounded them out and beveled around them. That front one looks like it has hard edges, but it is just because of the angle of the picture.

I think it will be OK now.

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It looks uglier, but will probably survive better. In the future, just drill holes in the tang.
 
Update: delay in heat treatment.

According to USPS delivery confirmation, the blade was delivered at Texas Knife Supply at 8:34 AM, Tuesday, 13 Nov.

So I am thinking "Heat treat on Tuesday 13 Nov., cryo treat on Wednesday 14 Nov., ship out to me on Thursday 16 Nov., arrive in my happy hands by no later than today 26 Nov."

So I called TKS today, and said I was worried about it, and they said the guy who does the heat treat has been out of the country for the last couple of weeks, and that he will be catching up on these things as soon as he gets back.

ETA: two more weeks, if I'm lucky.
 
So a question comes to mind. What kind of a wood block is going to be strong enough for a stick tang knife? I am guessing that something really burled would be more likely to break near the butt end. Remember the tang does not go all the way through. So although this looks nice:

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...it might not be tough enough. I am not building a safe queen. I want it to look good, but be a using knife.

I am also liking some of the other blocks from Ankrom Exotics. Like this English sycamore:

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or this bubinga:

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or pau ferro:

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AKS had a turkish walnut block that I liked.

Lots of choices, but I wanted to get y'alls thoughts on strength. It seems like whatever wood I choose, if it has a lot of burl, it will be more likely that a chunk would break off.

I even considered Dymondwood, in the ink black cocobolo color. Dymondwood is supposed to be really tough.
 
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This is a very good-looking Scandi grind especially with the hand filing technique. What file are you using and how long is it?
 
The bubinga is very strong and so is the pau ferro its more like a rose wood. Either should last a very long time. The burl if its stabilized will be fine but if its not then I wouldnt use it. The sycamore I have not used but if I remember correctly its a pretty soft wood. That is if its not stabilized, like the burl if its stabilized then it will work just fine.
 
I just came across this thread again, and was wondering, what is the purpose behind notching the tang like that? I can't see doing that would remove much weight. Sorry if it seem a "newbish" question, but, I'm still new at this.

Other than the one question it's shaping up to be a great knife and a nice save on the tip there!
 
Some people notch the tang to make it hold tighter in the epoxy. Most use a slightly larger tang and put a single pin through it to hold the blade tight. Redsquid had cut slots into his tang, which may have caused problems later on, so he ground them out in those dips. It isn't a normal shape, but it may have prevented a broken tang.
 
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