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Main Boards => Hunting Knives and Crafters => Topic started by: Scott Roush on January 10, 2010, 08:18:00 PM
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I got some steel from Rooster and I started grinding some of the sawmill stuff he gave me. This is my first time doing a grind on a nice, thick piece of annealed steel and I would like some input if ya don't mind. I used an angle grinder to rough it out and a file to get to where I am now. I started doing a little sanding....
There are some nicks and pits and such that I will probably leave since I'm looking for a 'brute' finish. But I do want the bevel edge to be cleaned up and looking real good...
I was going for a flat grind, but I don't think I've achieved it. Looking pretty convex to me.
So... what do you all think? What to improve? I still have a full 1/8" on the spine.
(http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj61/The_Roushs/DSC01136.jpg)
(http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj61/The_Roushs/DSC01137.jpg)
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Scott Thats a nice start :banghead:
After you think your almost done grinding I or some of the more exsperenced guys will tell you how to quence it.remember its sawmill blade.
Then we will do next step.
You might want to write on paper every step you do so when you do the 1084 or 5160,you will see the difference in each steel
Take your time and do the best you can,don't get disapointed if something goes wrong .Thats how we all learn ;)
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Yep not bad for an angle grinder, like Kevin said, just keep going a bit longer.
Also, you need to resize your pictures per TG picture posting requirements, they are a bit too big.
Thanks
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Thanks guys....
Yep... That is the saw mill steel that you had already did a rough cut on.
Are you talking about extending the cut all the way to the top and then grinding down to where I want the cut to be in the end???
Doug... Sorry about that! I just embed the images from my Photobucket account and I usually have print size photos on there... I wonder if there is a way I can reduce the size of the images on Photobucket before I embed them??? Anyway... I didn't think it mattered since they were linked in and not uploaded directly to the site....
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scott
looks pretty good so far
like rooster says extend your plunges up to the spine but also dont thin the cutting edge any thinner than a dime or it may crack when you quench
kevin
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oops. I already did. I suppose all I need to do is grind the edge down before I quench???
I got the book.... thanks a lot! Looks like I will learn a ton....
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Not sure why the pics would be oversize coming from photobucket, I'd maybe delete them and reload them to see if that helps. They do need to be resized though, thanks
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well I reduced the size twice on photobucket and reloaded, but they look the same! Not sure whats going on....
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Question about filing.... When trying to get the bevel... do most folks file from the edge to spine.... or do they draw file from the tang to tip???
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Picture look fine now Scott, thanks and I'd draw file if it was me.
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Scott good question.First about pic sizes try redusing them to 480 pix at photobucket,just look around and push buttons till you get it.
Now to knife,first thing is you build a knife up-side down almost all work is done from cutting edge.(try never thinner than dime as Kevin said)and if you do ,grind in from cutting edge it will get thicker) I really think your talking about the distil taper and that is done from the back of the knife to the front.But acually only from the plunge cuts forward(and never touch plunge cut)
Little more about the flatt grind,do you have a platin on the back of your grinder?If you don't and want a flat grind ,clap knife down and use a file.Put tip toward you,(claped down)start your file at plung cut and pull forward toward your belly.(not a lot down presure)over and over till all groves are gone.If you do this it will be a true flat grind.Many times you think you have a flat grind ,but don't untill it is checked this way.
Acually on the bevil ,I don't do that till putting sharp edge on,and then its kinda a rounding action(use a slack belt or rotary platin ),with the edge down.Hope some of this makes since
Your doing good and keep it up ,but go slow!!stop and think before you grind or file.Keep showing us pics and we will help.
Hey Scott when I was a beginner a guy told me something I never forgot.He said think about this.You want to make a knife that is smooth and pretty and your going to use grinder and sand paper !!!Everytime you touch it it leaves a MARK
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Thanks.... Yeah.. I will be filing. I only have an angle grinder and I don't trust myself with it at the stage I'm at on this grind. I built a knife board and can clamp that in my vice and the knife to the board. This has helped greatly and I got that from the book... So I have the plunge cut going to the back on the knife now... so I will do the flat grind by draw filing from the plunge cut to the tip as you say. When I have that to my satisfaction, then how do I deal with the plunge cut since I don't want the look of that going all the way to the spine? Just grind the flat area down until that line shortens??? I don't know if I'm being clear here or not... I will try to post some pictures later today...
This is great.. thanks for the help...
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also... I wasn't sure what you meant by 'never touch the plunge cut'???
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What book are you talking about? I got some sawmill blades from work and would like to start a knife later this winter but know next to nothing. A book might be helpful.
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Sheepshooter,
There are several books out, but I dont know which one mossanimal is using. I recommend Wayne Goddard's book,.......
$50 Knife Shop and Joe Keeslar's Handles and Guards. Lin
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$50 Knife book. Awesome.
Okay... A little side issue has come up. I'm planning to use an old ceramics kiln that I inherited to do the heat treating on this knife. I finally got it wired... It's a small 120 volt, 20 amp deal that takes a 30 amp plug. I was told by Aim kilns that I would have a hard time even getting it up to annealing temperatures (1450-1500F). Well, I plugged it in and cranked it up to high and the pyrometer read 1500 after about 10 minutes. So... I don't know how accurate the pyrometer is... so I thought I'd do a little test with a crappy little old tomahawk head of unknown steel lying around (I guess not the best test since it's unknown steel but I didn't mind ruining it). I wanted to heat it up, watch the pyrometer and find the temp at which it went non-magnetic. Well... I got distracted by a neighbor and I went to check on it and it was at just a little over 1500 F. So I went to grab it with tongs to test with the magnet, and the thing fell apart! I apparently burned the sucker up. So... what happened here? I'm assuming the blade was some kind of soft iron and not steel? It's hard to believe that little 120V kiln got it to burning temperatures that fast????
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Okay.... I just looked up the melting temp of cast iron and it is well below 1500F... So I guess that thing was iron! No wonder it never held an edge. Well... at least I know I can get some heat from that thing!
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Thanks guys. I will look for that book.
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Still working on this grind... Had to take a break for a conference. Will try to post pics tomorrow.
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Well.... I've made a little more progress. But it's amazing what you can see in a picture. My plunge line no longer looks straight!
(http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj61/The_Roushs/DSC01154.jpg)
It sure seems that getting good clean steel around the plunge line is gonna be a challenge the way I'm doing things...