hollow grind

[Smitty]

I want to share my very first hollow grind with you guys. I have been a member for several years and still consider myself a novice. I can flat grind well enough to get by and people seem to like my knives. But I could never do a hollow grind. About a year ago I got an 8" Jet from John at True Grit. Still couldn't learn to hollow grind. So I sort of accepted the fact that I might have to be satisfied with flat grind blades.
This evening I was out in my shop and had profiled and drilled a piece of Brad Vice's Alabama damascus. As I ground the flats I realized that the billet was too thick to get a satisfactorily thin flat grind on - at least in my mind. I will never know what possesed me but after I had the flat ground I moved to the 8" jet wheel which had a 60 grit belt on it and laid the knife billet against the wheel just as I had been reading about for so long and started a hollow grind. I went slow and took light passes and here is the result. It's not a show stopper but it is the first piece of steel I tried to hollow grind. Didn't know where to post this. And since I am still a newbie after all these years decided it should go here. I want to thank everyone who has written tutorials and discussed hollow grinding. All your tutorial and discussion sort of came together in my head and I had a halfassed succeeded. Thanks again. I am going to try to post pics. You can see where I took some 220 grit paper and started removing the belt marks and my version of hollow grind isn't as deep as I would like but maybe that will improve with time. Thanks again.

[Smitty]

Trying to post pic of hollow grind.

[combs6136]

Smitty, I had to grin when i read your post.....I have been making knives for 15 years and only hollow grind....I am getting ready to try a flat grind..I have a piece of O1 just about ready to go....Do you grind horizontaly or vertically on your flat grind?.....As you can see i need help.............By the way on all my hollow grinds i have a jig i made to get the groove started......Then it is no problem.............Good luck.............carl

[Smitty]

Carl, I grind vertically. When I started I ground cutting edge down but then changed to grinding with the cutting edge up. I'm nobody to be giving advise but I start by marking a centerline on the cutting edge. Then with the cutting edge up I use my vertical sander to grind a 45 degree angle from the center line on the cutting edge to the edge of the work piece on both sides. Then I place the blade cutting edge up against the belt, on the platen, at the angle that will remove the material between the center line and the back of the blade using the material from the 45 degree bevel as a guide. I may have learned that from the grinding DVD I bought off the forum or seen it in one of the tutorials but it feels more natural to me.
Thanks for the tip about using the jig to start the groove.
Smitty