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The Folding Knife (& Switchblade) Forum The materials, techniques and the designing of folding knives.

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  #16  
Old 12-22-2003, 11:21 AM
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Geno Geno is offline
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I hollow grind my S/S baldes and I often use my jig for straight grinds.Folders are the bulk of my hollow grinding.
Small patch knives I flat grind on the platten.
Most of my damascus blades are convex ground for the added strength and wearability of the tool.
I flat grind and convex grind free hand, but use a jig on the hollows.Guess I'm just wierd8o
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  #17  
Old 12-23-2003, 10:10 PM
PeterAtwood PeterAtwood is offline
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I do a combination usually. I have a setup similar to Chris Crawford's and I often will start the grind with that to set my lines and give me a nice flat even bevel, then switch towards the end to freehand for the finer belts and cleanup. Other blades, like some recent recurves I do all freehand. I also did my first hollow grind in a very long time recently, also freehand with pretty good results. I find I'm getting a lot better control as I go along...

I would agree with Chris that anyone who think it's like falling off a log to use a rest or jig is fooling themselves. But it does help!

I'll also add that I have learned alot about pushing lines around using both the jigs and freehand methods. There's often several ways to get to the same desired result. I think it is worth it to look at them all and pick and choose the strengths and weaknesses as you see fit.


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  #18  
Old 12-27-2003, 05:09 AM
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I use the two blades at a time, back to back method, then cut them apart when the grind is about finished. For finishing I have a steel holder that works for all blades.


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  #19  
Old 12-28-2003, 09:38 AM
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Free hand it all!!!

My method is to acutally make the liners up, get the blade about .025 over final thickness and then use the liners to hold the blade while grinding. It's basically like working on a fixed blade. There are still times when you will need to grind where the liners will be in the way, and as mentioned previously, I have a piece of 1/4" X 1 mild steel set up with a pivot hole and stop pin that I can mount the blade in for grinding.


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  #20  
Old 12-28-2003, 12:26 PM
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Hmmm, it seems that there are many clever and useful methods for holding folder blades while grinding. So, I was wondering, am I the only one who just holds the blade in my bare hands? Maybe it's just my thin pointy fingers but I've never felt the need for a handle on my folder blades while grinding. I make blades as small as a 2" cutting edge, as thin as .080, and sometimes I lose a little off the tip of a thumbnail or get a scratch but that's about it, even on 60 grit belts. Am I just lucky or what?


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  #21  
Old 12-28-2003, 01:11 PM
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I used to hold the bare blade in my hands but I feel that I have more control, espically for grinds with false edges with a handle. Try it, do you notice that you grind more consisiantly on fixed blades? It might be because of the handle.


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  #22  
Old 01-29-2004, 09:01 PM
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I do it alot like Chris C. does it.Alot of the time I use a jig but like Ray said sometimes the blade is so odd shaped that you can't help but do it freehand.One of my problems about freehanding is that even though I keep my arms in real tight against me is that every once in awhile the blade will jump down.i'm working on a rest that one of the other makers came up with,a rod on a bracket right in the center of the belt.That will seem to give you a rest but still be able to rotate the blade up or down while drawing it across the belt.Just ideas that I have.Any constructive critism is welcome


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  #23  
Old 01-30-2004, 07:12 AM
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Jeff Higgins Jeff Higgins is offline
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With a cue from Chris Crawford's jig, I made this one, which has some design features from past jigs I have made. If you'll notice the brass piece, it allows the use of a tanged-blade.



Here's another shot. You can see the knurled thumbwheel used to adjust the grind angle.



I would like to offer that with this jig, one can make a very precise grind, but it does not come without a price. I feel that it does take longer. You have to fiddle with setting it up and keeping the angles the same from one side to the other. Otherwise it works really well.

Right now, I'm working with different "temporary handles" like Mike V. uses. Like him, I have found that aluminum does work the best. I'll try to post some pics of these soon.


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  #24  
Old 01-30-2004, 08:52 AM
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That's a pretty cool jig.
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  #25  
Old 01-30-2004, 10:41 AM
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Gary Mulkey Gary Mulkey is offline
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It's always interesting to hear all of the different techniques used. I would guess that most have evolved through trial & error. I used to use a tool rest & push sticks but have gone to free grinding everything because it gives me a better "feel" of the grind. Most of the time I grind two folder blades back-to-back but occasionally for various reasons will grind a solo blade. Often for this I use an artificial handle of scrap 1/8" steel with a tapped pivot pin hole and a cut slot similiar to a frame lock spring to hold the blade from pivoting. These I only use for the rough grind. I like the feel of no handle for the finish grinds.

When grinding folder blades I have come to prefer starting with an 80 grit belt rather than the 50 grit that I use for fixed blades. Since there is no need to remove large quanities of material, this seems to give me more control. This may be because I have a fixed speed grinder.

Gary
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  #26  
Old 01-30-2004, 11:48 AM
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Don Robinson Don Robinson is offline
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Quote:
Originally posted by Alain M-D
I read in a book (Ron Lake I think) that some knifemaker make two
folder blades at the same time on the same piece of steel (each blade is profiled
but the end of the blade, close to the pivot hole is not cut.

One of the blades are used as handle grind the other. After the the two blades
are grinded, that only remain to separate them with a little cut in the center...
That seem to be a good idea!

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http://www.amd.miville-deschenes.com
This is the way I do it. I make two blades, back to back, mirror images, and use one for a handle while I grind the other.

POB, look at the picture in your book.
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