Wanted: tang-tapering hints/tips

W

Wapiti

Joined
Sep 25, 1999
Messages
482
I am about to grind a full-tang camp/utility knife and want to taper the tang. Most of the knives I have done in the past were stick tang and the last knife I tapered, I wasn't happy with it. I had difficulty keeping the edged of the tang from getting slightly rounded so the whole tang was slighlty convexed, enough to create problems when I put the slabs on (gap-around-the-edge problems). This time I have drilled several weight-reduction holes in the tang, as well. So any info or tips would be greatly appreciated. I am grinding on a modified flat platten (I built based on a design developed by Ed Fowler and Dick Iiams) on a Gizzly belt sander.

Also, where do I stop the taper? I assume somewhere in the ricasso area, after the guard but before the plunge cuts... What do you all do.
Thanks again
Wapiti
 
When I taper tangs, I usually will grind a hollow down the center of the tang, stopping about 3/4" short of the front of the guard, and 3/4" from the butt of the tang. I do all my grinding by eye, so I don't feel comfortable telling you to mark things out. One thing I do recommend is that your platen be "surface ground flat", I mean really nice and flat. Start from the butt and gently work the grind forward to just in front of the guard/bolster area. If your going to drill holes for weight reducion, find the center of the tang, drill one large hole, on each side of that point, centered between where the front of the guard will be, and another between that point, and the butt. One trick that has helped me is to use a magnet to hold the work when tapering a tang. It will give you a good grip, yet keep your hands away from the belt. Good Luck!



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Ed Caffrey
"The Montana Bladesmith"
www.caffreyknives.com
 
Ed, we do it exactly the same, including the surfaced platen. Mine is tempered D2. I add one small item. I usually start the tapering with the back end of the tang facing into the belt, then as I am finishing I turn it around so the back end of the tang gets flattened and squared better, allowing the blade end of the tang to be rounded some. Once the tang is fully tapered, I then rock the whole blade back and forth from tang to blade to round over the angle between the tang and the blade side surfaces.

I'm not sure that even made sense to me. Wapiti, feel free to call or email.

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Jerry Hossom
www.hossom.com
 
To expound on what Ed wrote about using a magnet, it also applies equal pressure across the whole surface of the piece provide your platen is made of magnetic material (not aluminum).

C Wilkins
 
Thanks for the tips, guys.
My platten is only made out of mild steel and is not surface ground flat. I made it more as a prototype to see if it would work with the grinder (and me). I guess I should get some D2 (will O1 work, I have some of that?) and make a new one, harden it and grind it "nice and flat". That will probably help a lot.
The magnet is a good idea I thought of but wasn't sure how to go about it. I have a large one from a 12" Woofer that might work.

GaKnife, I think I get what you are saying.
Thanks.

Just so I understand specifics about where you stop the taper as you go from the tang toward the blade, do you stop right where the tang meets the back (handle-side) of the guard or in the middle (under) the guard or the front (blade-side) of the guard?
Thanks
 
I try to run my tapers to the plunge line, where the grind starts, but as I said above I round it some so there is no clean line between tang and blade.

I got my magnet('s, I have two in case I lose or damage one.) from K&G. Sheffield also sells them. They are fairly cheap, about $15-20 I think. These are made for knifemakers with a nice wooden handle so you're hand doesn't get scorched. I just can't imagine tapering a tang without one anymore. I try to think back about how I did it before the magnet, and all I can come up with is "badly".

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Jerry Hossom
www.hossom.com

[This message has been edited by GaKnife (edited 03-13-2000).]
 
When you guys harden your platens, do you send them to your normal heat-treat place? I'm probably going to have to make a platen sometime soon and I'm wondering if Paul Bos would handle that, or if he just does knives.

Ryan

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For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 6:23


 
Ryan, I think anyone can do it. It's not exactly like a knife blade so you can probably get it done anywhere. I'm sure paul would do it though. Don't forget to drill and tap before sending it off. I know that sounds obvious, but guess what...?
smile.gif


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Jerry Hossom
www.hossom.com
 
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