Freehand grinding. I'm messing up

B

Brad McHatton

Joined
Aug 7, 2020
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17
Hey folks,
I started making knives about a year and a half ago. Made a few with the Gough(sp?) jig at first and then did some more with my grinder. Then I got sidetracked for a year and have just recently started back. When I started doing it freehand I couldn't get it like I wanted and wound up with a continuous bevel from spine to edge. No "flats" above the bevel. At the time I was just excited about the fact I'd made a knife or two. Now that I'm back to it I'm wanting to get the grinder portion done right. BTW, I'm using a 4x36 bench grinder and I know that doesn't lend itself to great grinds. I'm looking to upgrade to a 2x72 but life with 2 daughters tends to eat up fun money.

All that said, my issue now is that my freehand grinds are producing a crescent shape. Higher at the plunge and tip. I guess I can do that until I get to the flat with the grinder and fix it with the jig but I'm hoping someone can tell me what I'm doing wrong. Is this just what I can expect from a 4x36? Should I continue with the jig until I can get a 2x72? Any and all input is appreciated. Thank you.
 
I’ve been making knives on and off for about 8 years. Started like you did. I still use jigs to set the initial bevel or to break in the 45s to the scribe line. I recently messed up a large kitchen knife freehanding it so just went ahead and ordered a bubble jig. It really is great. I don’t use it all the time but when I need it it’s a great tool for freehand grinding.
 
Brad McHatton said:
Higher at the plunge and tip.
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That's where you are putting most of your pressure, keep at it and ease up on these parts and do a pass or 2 with your fingers at the low spot.
Hard to say what's the cause without seeing what you are doing. How one holds and grinds a 4" blade is a lot different than a 9" chef's knife or 12" bowie.
Brad McHatton said:
Is this just what I can expect from a 4x36?
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Not necessarily. I'd say this is what to expect from "just recently started back". Some folks say it takes 10,000 hours to master something. How many hours of knife grinding do you have under your belt since 'recently starting back'?
 
ChristoDart said:
I’ve been making knives on and off for about 8 years. Started like you did. I still use jigs to set the initial bevel or to break in the 45s to the scribe line. I recently messed up a large kitchen knife freehanding it so just went ahead and ordered a bubble jig. It really is great. I don’t use it all the time but when I need it it’s a great tool for freehand grinding.
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Thanks for your reply Christo! It looks like a great tool. My only question is, it seems like the system is made for a belt/platen that are set at a 45° angle. Will this be suitable for a vertical belt?
 
weo said:
That's where you are putting most of your pressure, keep at it and ease up on these parts and do a pass or 2 with your fingers at the low spot.
Hard to say what's the cause without seeing what you are doing. How one holds and grinds a 4" blade is a lot different than a 9" chef's knife or 12" bowie.

Not necessarily. I'd say this is what to expect from "just recently started back". Some folks say it takes 10,000 hours to master something. How many hours of knife grinding do you have under your belt since 'recently starting back'?
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Very good point we. I don't have nearly enough hours in the game. Maybe I should try to even out the pressure with some practice stock instead of with a blade I've already shaped. Thank you so much for the input!
 
I think Fred sets it at that so he can sit while grinding. You can set the platen at any angle since the bubble level can spin a full 360 in the jig.
 
I'm getting settled in with a new grinder. I find that using a 36 grit belt and a light touch gives me feedback on little adjustments. I look closely at it after every couple passes as I try to straighten the grind, steepen or smooth the plunge, even the edge thickness etc. Hollow grinding is a separate learning process and I'm further behind on that than flat and convex.
 
try the fred rowe the bubble jig. it trains you to lock your wrist at whatever angle you choose. i did 12-15 knives with it, then i didnt need it anymore and was going freehand ever since.
 
Brad McHatton said:
Thanks for your reply Christo! It looks like a great tool. My only question is, it seems like the system is made for a belt/platen that are set at a 45° angle. Will this be suitable for a vertical belt?
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Brad McHatton said:
Thanks for your reply Christo! It looks like a great tool. My only question is, it seems like the system is made for a belt/platen that are set at a 45° angle. Will this be suitable for a vertical belt?
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Hi Brad,
The BJ works with any platen setting, from horizontal to vertical. I like grinding with a slight pitch to the belt it gives me better control. This little tool is a real confidence builder. Many that use the BJ use it to set the bevel angle and to get the plunge lines correct. The jig can then be removed and the matching bevel surfaces used to finish grinding the blade.
Regards, Fred
 
Walter Sorrells has some great tips in this video that I found helpful when I was first learning freehand grinding.
 
Outside of the pressure component, a lot of newer makers make full passes every time. Scribe in your center lines and then keep track of where you are as you’re grinding. You’ll find that your plunge and tip are much closer to the center line on the edge of the blade if pressure is off. Spend some time grinding in the middle and then run a few full length passes as you’re finishing up to make sure everything is even.

I guess that’s more of a “how to fix it” but if you pay attention to it while you’re going, you won’t find yourself chasing the bevels down much at the end. Good luck!
 
Food for thought: Try cutting the belt in half so you have a 2x36 belt. It won't magically improve your skills, but should cut faster than 4" wide. It might give you a little more control. I don't know what kind of tracking mechanism you have so I don't know if it's possible, but you can try it. Hopefully, you can adjust the tracking enough so you can move the belt to the each edge of the platen.

With the machine off, pierce the belt just above the platen with a box cutter. Then move the belt down by hand making 2 belts.

On the pressure topic: I like to imagine that the only place on the bevel that is getting ground is the area where my thumb is applying pressure. You can play around with scrap to see what I mean. Get a bevel going. Then, pick a spot and push the blade into the belt with your thumb. You see the grind line move up right there.

One other thing to think about: The more metal in contact with the belt, the slower it grinds. So, as you approach the tip and pull the tang back, there's a lot less metal in contact with the belt. That means it cuts faster. All that practice that the guys mentioned pays off right there. You ease off the pressure as you approach the belly.

I haven't made a 1,000 blades yet, so I'm still on the journey too.
 
Good advice so far. I don't think it takes 1K blades to learn to freehand grind... but a few dozen and the right equipment make it easier. As has been said, you're not quite right on your pressure. Also, no rule that every pass has to start at the plunge and end at the tip. If you're thicker in the middle, grind the middle closer to flat, then clean it up with a full pass once you're closer to level.
 
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