Push Stick While Grinding

H

hellgap

Joined
Dec 17, 2008
Messages
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How many people use a push stick wile grinding blades. I just tried it actually ,I burned my thumb from pressing to hard and grabed a file that has a maple handle .I took it and pressed the end of the flat end of the handle into the centre area of the platten and pressed only hard enough so i could slide the steel easily. I ground out the crap on the CPM154 within a couple minutes . Normally it takes me 30 to 45 min to grind the pit marks out even starting at 60 grit and working up to 220 . kellyw
 
I've used one before HT ever since the first time I watched Jim Siska do a grinding demo.
Definitely works better for me than ruining the grind by wincing because the blade got too hot.
 
I have to dip thumb on every pass when I'm doing post heat-treat grinding. I have read that the pain thresh hold for a normal person is around 130 degrees Fahrenheit. I would assume that the years of grinding and forging have raised that threshold by a bit, but it is still under my 400 degrees tempering range.
 
bikermikearchery said:
I have to dip thumb on every pass when I'm doing post heat-treat grinding. I have read that the pain thresh hold for a normal person is around 130 degrees Fahrenheit. I would assume that the years of grinding and forging have raised that threshold by a bit, but it is still under my 400 degrees tempering range.
Click to expand...

I was a massage therapist and would do hot stone massage and would heat the stones to 135F... It would take me a while to get used to the temp so I would agree with your 130F statement; actually that might even be a little high.

I use my hands because I know what 135F feels like on the dot and don't let a post-HT blade get past that... :rolleyes: granted, I've shaped/ground a dozen or so knives but haven't finished one yet... so take anything I say with many grains of salt!
 
I try to forge close enough to final dimensions that I don't have to do a lot of grinding before HT, and after HT I grind by hand so I can feel the heat.
 
When I'm profiling and rough grinding, I use tig welding gloves. That thin layer of deerhide has saved my fingerprints from being sanded off many times over. Post heat-treat, its bare hands (cheapest thermometer in the world). I used to grind with a stick when I first started out, but quit after turning a few tips blue.

Also, I don't grind on the work rest all the time, so I kinda need to have my hands in there.
 
I started using a push stick after watching a demo by Tim Hancock a couple of years ago. I made one of 1\2 inch thick micarta that is resistant to heat. The stick is teardrop shaped, the rounded is is what you hold and the pointed end is pushed onto the steel. The pushstick is held stationary over the middle of the contact point and the steel is pulled with the other hand. By exerting a twisting force the grind moves up or down. You can take off alot of metal quickly with good control with this style of grinding. It is easier to achieve a good consistent grindline as well.
Good Luck :thumbup:
Alden
 
I agree Alden I did 4 knives today but stop using the stick after I get all the pit marks out I found 60 grit was enough and I could do one knife in minutes compared to 30 min before. I could not believe it. Aguy by the name of Bill Shiller from Carrot river saskatchewan told me that 8 months ago I thought that was being to extream wow was I wrong. I use mostly cpm 154 or 154cm both tuff as nails im sure the stuff is around 50 rc soft and comes out HT at 60 so It is nice to Have found out the hard way and use a stick . Im thinking just a piece of maple 3/4 inches wide and 1 1/2 inches high will work ok . I will also try a tear drop like you suggest. I have lots of maple 100 board ft lol
 
I use a whole series of push sticks.
  • Dowels from 1/4" to old broomstick
  • Wine cork
  • Wood scraps
Only with a rest - not useful when freehand grinding.

Rob!
 
Like many of the previous posters, I use a push stick pre-HT and bare hands post-HT. I use the stick for both flatt and hollow grinds... but I use it differently for each. One end of the stick has a rounded point. This is the end I use for flat grinds. I flat-grind using a tool rest, so the stick is used to apply pressure to the blade where I need it. For hollow-grinding I use the other end of the stick (which has a step/notch in it). I don't use the tool rest either, so the spine of the blade rests in the step/notch on the stick (make sense???).

Erin
 
My push stick is made from bits of scrap wood, about 5 or 6" long, rectangular, usually 3/4" x 2" cross section, with a step ground into the end so I can hold the stick edge up and rest the spine of the blade on the step while grinding. Any wood will do, it is expendable, and the end step can be reground for each blade with you are grinding.

George
 
Using a push stick while profiling a blank is the only way to go.

Old paint brushes don't get thrown away, they make great push sticks. Take off the ferrule with the bristles so you just have the wood. The large end (where the ferrule was) is the handle and the pointy end pushes the blade. I'll usually shape them a little bit for comfort, but they're a pretty good shape as is. As george tichbourne mentioned above, I usually grind a step into the pointy end. I can push the spine of the blade into the grinder and down tight on the tool rest at the same time.
 
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Push sticks are great! I use old corks from wine bottles. Just a bit wider and softer. Works for me!
 
I use one from start to finish. It's made from UHMW... It's all done Tim Hancock and Mike Vagnino style :)
 
I try to stay away from push sticks with any grinding in favor of having as much desterity as possible, but with metal grinding things heat up awfully fast, usually I would just slow down, but a push stick isn't a bad idea.

I have an idea for a grinding glove with wooden or silicone insets in key parts for grinding.
 
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