Knife Making: Belt Grinding Problems...and How to Fix Them!
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- čas přidán 12. 06. 2024
- The belt grinder is the most important tool used by knife makers. But it's not an easy tool to learn. In this video knife maker Walter Sorrells breaks down some of the most common problems knife makers run into when they learn the belt grinder....and shows how to fix them.
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Twitter: @WalterSorrells
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Yup, I've had almost all of these problems. Thanks, Walter.
The 2" bump answered a question I have been fighting to correct. Thank you.
As an absolute beginner (1.5 knives under my belt), I find your videos to be an essential resource. They're practical and straightforward. Some of what you describe is easier said than done until you've practiced enough. However, they provide the kind of information that someone needs to do some very focused and deliberate practice. Thank again!
This is so, so timely. Thanks Walter.
Really appreciate your videos! I'm brand new to knife making, and your advice is priceless. You're very easy to understand as well. Thank you
I've watched this video several times. Once when i first started, and subsequent times as these problems have happened to me. I will say, for me, it is one of the BEST advice videos that I have ever seen. The advice is spot on, and makes more sense as you get your hands familiar with that 2x72 feel. Thanks Walter!
It is nice to listen to one who has been there, they know the real deal.. thank you!
Thanks Walter. Your experience is much appreciated! !!!
Keeping it simple for us beginners . Thanks Walter.
Yes, Walter is a good instructor for the novice knife maker. Or should I just say that he's a good instructor, period.
Thanks for this video Walter, it helped a lot. I really appreciate the effort you put into this channel.
This was the video I needed 3 years ago! Super helpful, even now, thanks Walter!
THANK YOU WALTER!!! I've been watching tons of youtube videos on "Fixing Bevels", "Clean Grind Lines", ... etc. This was EXACTLY the information I was looking for. Those looked like my last few knives, so I was getting discouraged, but this video helped correct those errors.
Walter thank you for your videos and pretty much everything on your channel, I don’t have money nor time for bladesmithing classes and you have a real knack for helping us beginners understand what causes the mistakes we encounter and how to fix them! When people asked me where I learned how to make blades I tell them Walter Sorrells! Thanks for all you do!
Best in business when it comes to teach the real Wikipedia of knife making... next generations will be watching and learning knife making on space ship with Walter instead of pressing the button of the 3D printer
possibly the most important video I've seen you make yet(and you've made lots of important videos) as I'm just getting used to my new 2x72 grinder now...I really learned a lot with this one,thanks for doing what you're doing!
Really excellent tips Walter, thanks. You showed several little tricks that I've stumbled on myself through hours of cursing and muttering over my grind lines, and several more that I hadn't!
Thanks so much for this!
Wow, super informative, concise and clear. Excellent teacher. You rock . Thanks again and again.
As a new belt grinder (home made) owner, theses videos are just perfect. My skills dramatically improved since I started to follow your advice. You got a new subscriber.
Videos like this make me want to step to the grinder immediately. Thank you for your wisdom, Walter :)
Thank you for this vid. I have been looking for something like this for a long time.
Thank you! Very practical fixes for me. Some of those issues I figured out how to fix by feel, but this helps keep the problems from returning!
Excellent video Walter. Very useful content. thanks.
Very helpful. Thanks Walter
Very helpful vid Walter, thanks
This is a really well done video . thank you
I was just having a problem with one of these last week. Great video, thanks!
Fantastic video. Very, very helpful!
Great video. Thanks
Outstanding video 👍
Valuable video! Thanks Walter!!
Made my first grind with a belt tonight. Pretty much did all of this. At least 10 angles on the grind - Over heated the tip - 2 inch bump. It’s really atrocious, but It beats the heck out of grinding with a hand file.
what sort of grinder were you using? I started on my 1x30, which I am still using.. but I started out doing convex bevels using the slack section of belt above the little grinding platen. I got good results that way. I've only recently started doing flat grinding.
this was very helpfull thanks Walter
Good video Walter. I've had all those issues at some point in time.
Thanks... really helps...
Great video as usual.
Some good explanations sir. Cheers
This should help me a lot thanks.
When I first started making knives my biggest grinding problem was after heat treating or grinding it too thin previous to the heat treat. Maybe the next video you make about grinding can cover these?
Thanks for all the valuable lessons, Walter! I just wish I had an overhead view angle of the grinder in action to fully see your techniques at work.
Would love to see a video on beginner belt grinders and tools!
Thanks man
Thanks again
Great video! I wish this could have been around ten years ago.
Best video ever!
Really helpfull thanks :)
Hey Walter super awesome and helpful videos!!! You should make a folding knife, I always wanted to learn how to
Thanks W!!!!
You just saved me from having to throw out 2 blades that I made the same mistake with, thanks man.
Nice video! But Walter, please organize your playlist section. It is so much more convenient to just hit play on a playlist than browsing back through old videos, add to "watch later" just because you want to watch them in some sort of order and or theme. Thank you, sir!
Love your videos man ive learned alot from them. Any advice on where to find a traditional sen or how to make one(edge angle/steel type/geometry)
Any tips how to find the initial angle you want to grind in?
I've got a lot of problems where I start grinding, and later realize the angle I've set is too shallow/sharp.
Knifemakers don't make mistakes...they just make smaller knives ;)
haha very true.
This is more than true lol
Lol.. when your skindi grind turns into a pukko.
Nice tips :) could you make a video about distal taper?
Thanks, Walter. One of my biggest issues is not being able to keep that grind line consistent all the way to the tip. Then I end up going back and taking forever to fix it. Getting better at fixing it, but I'd rather get better at being even all the way to the tip.
Great video I've ruined many tips could you do a video on how to grind a ricasso?
Hi Walter, thanks for all the great videos; ive learnt a lot from you.
i have a problem with some of my grinds in that, when i look along the blade i can see these shadows. Theyre not visible from a front angle but still i dont like to see them. I'm wondering if its down to belt tension (gas strut) which is fairly strong or part worn belts, or something else. i cant find mention of this problem anywhere and its wrecking my head at this stage.
I use a jig when grinding but i get a very smooth action with it as i move across the belt with no interruptions from burrs or the like. at about 240 grit it begins to really show and becomes more noticeable the higher i go (to me anyway) If i want an 800 g finish or higher i have to finish by hand along the length of the blade with wet n dry paper. can be a real pain but im getting better at that. i hope you can help with this?
keep up the good work!
Thanks again for all your help.
Robbie.
I've been having problems with learning how to polish or get a nice mirror finish
Great video ! Now that i have the knowledge the only thing that i need is a belt grinder. xD
Love the vids can you please talk about some 4x36 grinders
I'd love to see some info about grinding bevels and such on the 4x36. I know it's not optimal, but for me, it's all I have right now.
I have to admit I've never really used 4 X 36s...except to mess around with them in other guys shops, so I don't know that I have that much useful info to share!
Thank you anyway I appreciate it
On these 4x36s the belt doesn't go to the side you still have metal surface without a sliding belt you would need to cut out a slot on the side of the grinder so you can use that to make a clean smooth bevel
Hey mate, how much in front of the front wheels do you have the platen? I'm finding mine either heats up too much, or doesn't grind as flat as i want. cheers!
Do you guys recommend starting with a 36 or so, or is a 60 enough? I find that my 36 is just so rough that I can’t use it smoothly. My 60 ceramic is just nice and smooth, but it takes a while to get a bevel and by the time I go back over it twenty times, I’ve screwed up the angle.
I really want to learn it well without a jig, so for now I have a few convex bevels...
Also I’ve seen knives that have grinds that go all the way from the spine. Is this not good? My last knife I did a full bevel to the spine (because I messed it up lol), and it looks pretty cool still after I smoothed it all out.
I'm just getting into knife making and have experienced all of these issues. Am I correct to assume that a jig would fix many of these issues?
does combat abrasive ship to canada? did not find on there website
I sometimes end up with ripples in the middle of my bevel when I'm using 120 grit and up what causes it
Q. How soft should the metal be after annealing? Still seems hard using angle grinder ....... Nothing like the videos where it looks like it comes off like wood. Procedure... binged watched your vid this rainy sat morning. Had some Mystery iron (very old bush hog blade and an old file) Later that evening. Built the outside fire pit forge like you said (Got funny look when I bought the hair dryer by the way....). Fired the material, magnet test, check, color looked red hot (During the day). Mounded the rest of the bag of charcoal on it and left it over night. Thanks
Great video, really helpful. My first grinder arrives tomorrow, but I have no idea what speed to run the belts at for grinding! What speed would you recommend please? Thanks
High if you want to remove a lot of material without taking forever, medium speeds for putting bevel and cutting edge, finally use slower speeds to do fine details/polishing the piece. Hope to be of help.
Wish I had found this vid earlier. Just fubared my rail spike blade i was working on and going to have to reforge.
Excellent explanation really very detailed. Only prob I don't have a belt grinder like that. Any chance you could do a video on doing the bevels with an angle grinder. Any tips more than welcome. Or you think it is just mad to attempt it with said angle grinder?
Work With Nature an angle grinder could be used to get the bulk of the metal off in the absence of a belt grinder, but you'll never get a good grind with it.
My recommendation would be to take 80-90% of the material off with the angle grinder, and then finish with a file to even everything out
Check back through my videos and you'll find one that I did maybe a year or so ago.
Could you do a video on how to put serrations on a knife, or how to do file work on the spine of a knife? Thanks
I second this. I have been wanting to make a bread knife for a while but short of quite expensive grinding wheels, there aren't many options that I have seen. Tired to freehand some with a small 1/2" sanding drum and 1/4" grinding wheel but they turned out sub par and I had to grind them back to a standard full flat.
The most sure fire way that I have found to put serrations in is to carefully file them. You could also Dremel them in but don't use a die grinder - way too aggressive. Be mindful of your angles, be consistent - you can aim the file by standing in one spot and try and get the same sight picture each time or use a jig. Or if you're like me just go for it - the spikes are meant for protecting the edge and tearing, not for geometric perfection.
I would like to see this as well, just out of curiosity (not going to try it anytime soon).
My guess is that without a CNC machine of some kind, the best bet would be to use a very thin contact wheel with a thin flexible belt. If you watch “Man at Arms: Reforged”, you’ll see them use a grinder like this regularly for fullers and other stuff. My guess is that you could do it with that kind of grinder, although the spacing and beveling would be incredibly hard still I’m guessing.
The other idea I have, just instinctively anyway, is to cut out a semi circle with a file or rotary grinder, and then use a small flexible belt to bevel them (actually, a worksharp sized belt would probably work well).
Very useful stuff. Do you have any tips for using undersized grinders? All I have access to is a 1x30, so I am working with very low torque, and a very small working surface. I am running into problems with "waving" along the length of my bevel, since i can only grind 1" at a time.
ALet338 same problems
You guys could get one of those hand belt sanders used for like coffee tables and sanding large surfaces of wood and clamp the handle into a vice
works really well if you dont mind working on your material downwards instead of vertical
I've gotten good results from using this method. I'd recommend a Skil belt sander. It did great for about a year and you're not too upset when it craps out on you since they're not all that expensive. Also stay away from the Rigid belt sander if loud and whiny is a deal breaker for you.
ALet338 😯
Try using a bit less pressure and running the blade across the belt a bit faster and at a more even speed. You're probably pausing or moving at an irregular speed across the belt IMO.
Also try keeping your thumb behind the flat right in the center of the belt, and slide the flat against your thumb, so that the pressure stays constant, instead of varying as your thumb moves in relation to the platen. I actually use my thumbnail to apply pressure this way instead of the pad of the thumb, as it slides more smoothly across the steel. Works best with a tool rest although you can make a 'rest' with your hand to slide the blade through, but it risks bloody knuckles.
The last thing is that as long as you're not too close to the plunge line, you can tilt the blade up or down, so that the flat is still flat on the belt, but you are grinding at, say, a 45 degree angle down the length of the blade instead of perpendicular to the edge. This gives you a much longer plane of contact and allows you to bridge the peaks of all those waves, which will help you get them all back in the same plane. Hope that wasn't too long winded! Happy grinding!
I've been doing this with an angle grinder 40yrs now
Just a heads up! I'm listening with headphones and the transitions with the music is really loud so I'm having to keep turning down the volume then turning it back up to hear you speaking. It's not so bad that I'll stop watching the videos but a slight volume reduction during the transition would be appreciated.
sumochop360 ... you're not trying to blame him for YOU wearing headphones are you?poor,poor baby!
Seems to me after watching various videos on knife making across the CZcams universe, free-hand grinding skill is what separates the master craftsmen from the incorrigibly unskilled and mediocre amateur wannabes. In short, your grinding skill is what makes or breaks you as a custom knife maker.
Hello Walker and thanks for the information. I would like to purchase some inexpensive knife blanks in order to practice grinding. Where would you recommend looking for cheap knife blanks? Or better yet, do you have a recommendation on something to practice on? I was considering using my stack of old mill files from my wood shop possibly. Any advise would be greatly appreciated, thanks again.
If you just want to practice grinding, you can't beat mild steel bars sold as welding steel. You can't harden them, but they're comparitively cheap.
Walter Sorrells thank you sir.
haha just had the issue with my grind line going all the way to the spine... my fix "welp, take er all down now!" Haha if only i realized i could just take a few thou off the flat of the blade. Now I know!
Hey Walter is it possible to make a karambit on a 1" wide piece of steel? I don't remember if it is
You probably could, but I might try to forge it out a little or upset the steel and then forge it out. 1.25" would give you more steel to work with around the ring. If you have a way to drift the ring, 1" wide should be plenty. I like to use a 1" wrench to make them sometimes, but that is the interior of the box end.
Thanks
Walter, you are all right, but much easier is to make fixture which set the angle between blade to the belt automatically.
Radoslaw Jocz
Knife bevel jigs, lots for sale or just make one. I made one and helped me alot. I have some for sale as well.
👍🏻💯
Anybody have and tips on getting a round handle mine just keep square bc of the pins and good way to get around them
DeckDemonS hammer in wood pins first, unglued, then put in real pins after shaping.
🤘🏼⚔️
if you screw up your grind lines, a full flat or convex always works well in a pinch.
Lol, that's exactly what I was thinking. "I went for a rustic look on this blade, challenged myself to make it using an angle grinder".
haha yep
I'm in the process of making my first knife (from an old rusty cleaver I got for $1) and I'm at the point where I can't continue the process without a belt sander so I'm looking into getting one. What a coincidence lol
KHRS whats your price range?
The only one I can "afford" right now (by afford I mean what I'm willing to spend on something that's going to be used very rarely in this context and I won't be able to use due to leaving for boot camp) is the $50 generic one from Harbor Freight. This knife (about 6 inch long) and possibly a smaller knife from the cutoff are the only knives I'll be making in the foreseeable future unless I happen upon another "easy" project like this.
Basically, something cheap that I'll only use a few times (for now).
throttling the blade is a better term for problem 2
Who is Kevin ?
Take a shot whenever he says bevel
I had to stop halfway through this one because I realized it's going to make me overthink what I'm doing. lol
do you really want to get back into the game?
*When you use a angle grinder for your bevels*
I would suggest to the new knifemaker to go down to their local hardware store & buy some cheap steel bars and practice on them until they are confident on grinding. I bought 4 or 5 bars of 1/8-1/4" bars, cut them into 8" lengths & practiced on them. I do the same thing when trying out new patterns.
Always good to practice on some cheaper stuff than just going right into it. Working on my freehand grinds still after working on blades on and off for the past 6 months. Surely am better than the day i started, but need to keep improving
you lost on forged in fire. DISHONOR FAMILY
First yippie
Roman Tressler 5 seconds off bud. Sorry boutcha
Hum.....to be debated later
First?