Why Grind Bevels Many Times?

You're not being rude. You asked reasonable questions.

I ground two small blades with one belt. I cooled frequently in a bucket of water. As I told another person who responded, I have only been doing this for a couple years. Grinding the bevels has been the most challenging part of the process. No surprise there, right?

Here are the benefits of this method:

1. The flats of the blade can be machined to their final finish on the grinder with no, or very little, hand sanding. This is a huge time saving. It eliminates most of the mind-numbing tedium of hand sanding. If you do some hand sanding, you won't be blurring the sharpness of your grind lines, since the blade is still totally flat.
2. This keeps the grind lines very sharp and crisp, since they are sculpted after the flats are finished.
3. No grinding before heat treating means that the edge will not be thin and subject to warping in the HT.
4. Not changing belts and going over work previously done saves time in the long run.
5. The final result is better (for me anyway).

I think it is good to challenge conventional wisdom from time to time. I did an experiment to test what we think we know and it taught me something different. I'm sharing what I learned. Try it. It might work for you.

Thanks for your reply.
 
Ken:

I grind the bevels in the normal way, nibbling the steel bit by bit. I keep making passes until the grind line is at the height I want and the plunge line is the way I want it. I cool the blade frequently in a bucket of water. I think that using a higher grit belt is a little slower, but I don't have to go over my work repeatedly with other belts. As I said in other replies, there are other time savings and benefits in this method.

Thanks for your reply.
 
Kevin:

The stock is 1/8" and the grind lines are 1/2" high on the knives I just finished. I am making a bunch of small folding knives. The total blade width is about 1-1/4". I made about six blades using this method and got the best and most consistent results ever.

Thanks for your reply.
 
Hugh Buchanan said:
I made about six blades using this method and got the best and most consistent results ever.
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You can also golf 18 holes with one club.

It makes sense to you right now because you lack the experience to appreciate a more aggressive approach. What you are doing works for you, so I would say keep doing it until you outgrow it. Once you get a couple hundred knives under your belt, the dreaded belt switch or the fear of warping during heat treat will not be an issue. You will develop the muscle memory and skill to rough out a bevel fast... then it is a simple matter of a few finish passes. It is far too early in your steel addiction to make conclusions about streamlining production.

Keep having fun, bud.
 
Ricks advice is very good.

Saturday I was at Steve's shop with my grandson Zephen. He is getting a fast track start on knifemaking by having two fully equipped shops to learn in. He had been grinding the bevels on a knife for about 30 minutes and I came over to check his progress. It was pretty good for a new maker. He was grinding the bevels on a 320 grit zirconia belt. I turned off the grinder, put on a coarser 120 grit belt, turned the grinder back on, raised the speed - and finished the bevels in about 60 seconds, Then I put back on the fine belt and cleaned it up in a few passes. He asked how I could do it so fast. I told him I let the belt do the work and only guided the blade. I also pointed out about tucking your elbows in and spreading your feet apart to keep from wobbling around. The muscle memory of how to hold the knife and how to stand comes with time ... and practice.
 
I grind sitting down, keeping your elbows in is important no matter standing or sitting. I grind FFG to the spine and there’s no way I could grind my bevels even on my .100 thick 2” plus tall knives with a 320 grit belt without going through 6-? Of them. Also Taking a long time.. there’s also a Bevel guide for those worried about keeping them crisp. 36g, 60g then 120g and then to how I want to finish, usually Scrotchbrite & then Cork Belts with Green Crome ..
 
Hugh,

When quoting posts, you can insert the quotes and then type above or below the quote, no need to make multiple posts.

Small folding knives and bevels are mutually exclusive in my mind. Post pictures.
 
Ken H> said:
Are you saying you take the bevel from start to finish in only one pass? You grind at same spot until the bevel is complete, then move a bit more? Am I understanding this correctly?
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Ken:

I grind the same way you do, but I only do it with one belt. Conventional wisdom says using a 320 grit belt is slower. I'm saying it ain't much slower.

Thanks for your reply.
 
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Randy3000 said:
Hugh,

When quoting posts, you can insert the quotes and then type above or below the quote, no need to make multiple posts.

Small folding knives and bevels are mutually exclusive in my mind. Post pictures.
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Thanks, Randy. When replying, it looks like I'm adding to your post, the way my computer displays the info. I'll try to post some pics tomorrow.
 
AVigil said:
320? I use 400 grit on my slip joints to dial in the tang dimension because it remove so little material.

320 grit is more of a finishing grit and designed to remove very little steel.

Now some makers will start with 50 grit and complete the grind then remove the scratches with 320-400 grit

Using 320 would be a very inefficient way to remove steel in for main bevels
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Adam:
You are a fantastically skilled knife maker. The knives you make are things of beauty and I would never, as newby knife maker, have the temerity to contradict anything you say about knifemaking.

Thanks for your reply.
 
Rhinoknives1 said:
I grind sitting down, keeping your elbows in is important no matter standing or sitting. I grind FFG to the spine and there’s no way I could grind my bevels even on my .100 thick 2” plus tall knives with a 320 grit belt without going through 6-? Of them. Also Taking a long time.. there’s also a Bevel guide for those worried about keeping them crisp. 36g, 60g then 120g and then to how I want to finish, usually Scrotchbrite & then Cork Belts with Green Crome ..
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That's interesting...Scotchbrite and THEN cork....
 
Maelstrom78 said:
That's interesting...Scotchbrite and THEN cork....
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I make a working finish for my Culinary knives. Add green chrome polish on your cork belts and you can go up to 400, 600 or 800 grit if you like. I usually go to 600, then vaccine to the fine scotchbrite for a final.
 
Rhinoknives1 said:
I make a working finish for my Culinary knives. Add green chrome polish on your cork belts and you can go up to 400, 600 or 800 grit if you like. I usually go to 600, then vaccine to the fine scotchbrite for a final.
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For sure I like the cork + green chrome finish. I don't even know how to describe it. Like it almost has a texture? A visual texture that is different somehow. I've been digging going from an A65 gator to 400,600,800 cork.

I agree with you that you need a pretty fine finish to go to a fine scotchbrite. Here's a crazy idea.... what if you put some green chrome polish on that fine scotchbrite belt?!?
 
Hugh Buchanan said:
Ken:

I grind the same way you do, but I only do it with one belt. Conventional wisdom says using a 320 grit belt is slower. I'm saying it ain't much slower.

Thanks for your reply.
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Again you say that :) No my friend , IT IS slower...........a hundred times slower .How many days it will take you to grind ONE side of this blade with your AO 320 grit belt ? It is 7mm thick steel and about 4 inch blade ...I can grind that in TEN minutes , considering the time I waste to cool blade between grinding because it is hardened 52100 steel ..........
RxCCipc.jpg

MUMPWzO.jpg

I really would like to see what kind of blade you grind with 320 grit belt ?Any picture to share ?
 
J. Keeton said:
After reading this thread, I know one thing for sure.... I'm taking way too much time grinding my bevels.:oops:

I need to up my game! :thumbsup:
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Gone in 60 Seconds .....:D
Skip to 3 : 40 sec.


Even lady can grind fast :p

 
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