let's talk work rest bevel grinding jigs.

Jeff,
Well here is my thoughts on building a grinding jig the works. If it slides straight across your rest and the rest is straight and 90* you can duplicate a straight across cut. However most blades are not straight across/flat so how is a jig going to help you on the curved profile of a knife blade??? :les:

When I build mechanical things I have to draw on the knowledge I have or have seen. Since I have done carpentry work since the age of 14 my thoughts was a very expensive drawer slide :3: that I remember using on some very expensive cabinetry I built for a client!

I had a jig all figured out with ball bearing slides that would have made grinding a blade that was flat,:31: a perfect every time, an absolute snap, and then it hit me,:sad: all blades are not straight, :what!: in fact few are!! So back to the drawing board, my ultimate jig idea didn't seem so great after that! :s12138:

Who knows maybe I just ain't thinking straight about this idea, so far this idea has been out of here! :s11798:

So I am patiently waiting to see what other minds have worked up. Like I said, as a part timer I don't grind enough blades to do it consistently, so here I go breaking out the paint stirring sticks trying to re-train my mind and body so as not to screw up the one I am currently working on!:s12108:
Anyway this has been a humors look at my thoughts on a jig that works!
 
Jeff,
Well here is my thoughts on building a grinding jig the works. If it slides straight across your rest and the rest is straight and 90* you can duplicate a straight across cut. However most blades are not straight across/flat so how is a jig going to help you on the curved profile of a knife blade??? :les:
Jeff's jig allows you to rotate the blade in any direction as far as I can tell. It's an idea I will have to borrow once I get the material. :biggrin:
I think of his jig as more of an angled work rest.
 
On the jig I built, I grind hollow grinds, flat grinds, recurves, 3 or 4 different top clip grinds. All of the blades I grind have lots of curve to them.
 
Pics, tomwatson pics or it didn't happen. :biggrin: Seriously I would love to see some pics of what a fellar is using. Some how I just have not been able to wrap my head around a jig that works and will give repeatably results. Pictures in use would be nice as well.

I think it was wildman who said he was gonna do a video when he got back from work. So still waiting to see that!
 
Pics, tomwatson pics or it didn't happen. :biggrin: Seriously I would love to see some pics of what a fellar is using. Some how I just have not been able to wrap my head around a jig that works and will give repeatably results. Pictures in use would be nice as well.

I think it was wildman who said he was gonna do a video when he got back from work. So still waiting to see that!

Yup I fly in Mon night so I will be in the shop early Tue morning and I will do a video.
 
An inside curve is problematic using my jig. An inside curve is also problematic to sharpen.
 
Justin,
I use to make quite a few FFG recurve fighter type blades by freehand.
The recurve is done in your profile, then start your plunge and slow your draw across the platen as you get to where the flat grind is taller. I don't really have any problem with them and they may be easier that a even FFG. I guess I'm saying, Don't over think it. .It just gets bigger as you go!
 
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I'm new to knife making and have been really struggling making flat grinds with my grizzly grinder. The platen is small, so its difficult to use a block jig. Also I dislike moving the jig around with a blank attached to it. Your setup really give me some ideas.

Thanks. :thumbup:
 
My jig is just 2 pieces of angle that I clamp onto my blade using a small deep throat c-clamp. I bought a digital angle gauge from HF and can create/duplicate any angle in less that a minute, been working pretty good for straight grinds so far.
 
I am also looking to get a jig, i just don't have the time to grind enough to keep my freehand grinding up to par
 
No freehand can do what a jig does with ease.

I am also looking to get a jig, i just don't have the time to grind enough to keep my freehand grinding up to par
 
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Guys-Since I started reading this thread I've been experimenting with jigs before actually grinding a knife with one... kinda seeing what might work best for me. For the most part things are working but I can't quite get my bevels to match when I change sides. I'm thinking it may be because my work rest and flat platen are not squared up 100%. So let me ask... what kind of tolerances do y'all have for keeping the platen and work rest square to each other and for that fact how much of a difference does it make. Thanks!
 
Hmm well its all revalent if your platen is out of square with your work rest say 2 deg then it should show up equally on both sides of the blade.I square up my work rest and platen with 123 blocks.
 
Has anyone seen that angle pro jig. I just seen it on another forum. Jim McCuinn is the guy making them they looked pretty good have a magnet system that holds the tang.

Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk
 
Here is what I use. I tilt the tool rest into the belt to get the bevel, using a formula to arrive at the degree of bevel angle that is needed, I use a digital angle finder from HF. Zero it on the platen, then move it to the tool rest and adjust it to the desired angle. The jig is made so you just flip it around on the tool rest to grind the other side, no fiddling with it to grind from one side to the other. When making the jig it is very important that the base and the blade clamp portion be exactly at 90 degrees.

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I don't know why I'm even weighing in here I am such a nubee (I've completed 2 knives) but, This is my set-up: I use a HF 1X30 grinder. I keep my platen at exactly 90* to my work surface (I check it all the time). I have overlaid a 1/4" thick piece of aluminum on top of the standard work table that increases the top of my work surface to 6" deep by 18" long. I have a set of wooden blocks that are 2" X 4" X 12". They are finely milled and square. Each one has an angle cut on one of the long edges (2*, 3*, 5* 10*, etc). So if I want to flat grind a 2" blade I simply use one of the handle pin holes to fasten the Knife blank to the wood block with a roundhead wood screw. Then I trace the outline of the blank onto the wood and when I am ready to flip it over I simply put it on the wood block in exactly the same reversed position using the same pin hole and an opposite hole in the block. Then I simply slide the block into the belt and pull it across. It is easy to keep the block square to the belt because I can feel the front edge of the work surface with the middle finger and ring finger of each hand.

So,0k, Ok, I know it won't work in all situations (Hidden tang, grinding after heat treat - hard to cool the blade, etc) but I'll tell you one thing - this method has allowed a nubee do nearly perfectly matching flat grinds on longer, taller knives. I won't bother to take photos unless anyone wants one. just my 2 cents

Wallace
 
Whether you are proud of your work or not, show it. You will get some remarks and that is what you are looking for.
 
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