Finger guard radius

B

bmills

Well-Known Member
What do you guys use to grind the radius on the finger guard to flow into the handle material. Would the cylindrical sanding bands used on an arbor be the thing? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Bill
 
I use a 3/4" wheel on a small wheel attachment on my grinder for the steel and a big rat tail file on the handle material.

Carey
 
2" wheel

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I don't have a knife grinder so I will have to go with a dremel or die grinder of some sort. I can't think of the name of the arbor. Is it "expandable arbor"? Thanks for the replies.

Bill
 
Bill...if you have a drill press or even a drill and some patience. You can get the drum kits. I havent switched speeds from slow so I know it works. I know it would work even better on a higher speed.

I have recently been using a 2" belt split in half and doing it on my grinder. I am not fortunate to have a small wheel attachment yet:(

All of the suggestions above will work too. I just havent tried files or small wheel yet.

Good luck in whatever you chose!

Chris
 
Every Knife is different.the size of the guard,the size of the knife the shape of the handle, the guard must flow and look as ifit come right out of the tang.
I use a 1/2" wheel,'3/4" wheel,1' wheel, Rat Tail files, a Foredom Flex shaft with Abrasive cartridge rolls in various sizes and Cratex to clean it up
I also use a Large nail with a rubber hose on it and wrap sandpaper on it to clean up
 
Bill,

If you don't have a grinder, you can do the whole radius with a rat tailed file and clean it up with progressive grits in short order and a file doesn't eat metal nearly as fast as a grinder and a small wheel. People used hand tools a long time before any one came up with power tools and did beautiful work. They will almost talk to you and tell you what you need to do next if you will listen.

Carey
 
I rough mine in on the side of the belt with it tracking over the side of the platen. Then I true it up with a half round file. Sandpaper in progressively finer grits wrapped around whatever is handy that is round and the right size to clean it up.
 
you can rough cut the radius with a hacksaw or band saw then finish with a big round file or drum sander
 
Thanks for all of the suggestions. I have ordered some sanding drums and a mandrel. A rat tail file, cratex and sand paper will be used also.

Bill
 
bmills said:
Thanks for all of the suggestions. I have ordered some sanding drums and a mandrel. A rat tail file, cratex and sand paper will be used also.

Bill
Click to expand...

I've been doing it that way for a bit. Actually works pretty good but you will go through the drums. They're not exactly designed for steel.

I took a pice of really flat board, about 1" thick and cut a hole in the center of it big enough for the largest mandrel to sit down in. I clamp that board to my drill press, raise the table so that the mandrel just sits below the top of the board and then use that for a work rest. It also gives me the ability to work the mandrel up and down some while working the curves.

On the other hand I'm finishing my No-Weld Grinder and will hopefully be getting a small wheel setup soon so I don't have to do it that way anymore. :D

Charlie
 
I knew the drums wouldn't last long. If I get to the point where I can actually make a decent knife I will consider the NWG with small wheel attachment.

Bill
 
I use the sanding drums on a drill press. It works. Not as easy or as fast as a small wheel on a belt sander, but it works.
 
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