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Allen Rumme

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I started grinding my first folder blades today and soon discovered that there just isn't much to hold on to when grinding a blade that is 4 1/2" long. Before I burn and grind my fingers any further, I thought I would ask the folder makers here how they hold their blades for grinding? Any suggestions would be most appreciated!

Allen
 
I use either a small vice grip or make a handle that I screw the folder blade to.
 
I don't know if this is any help to you, but when I made a friction folder, I left the stock oversized at the back (pivot area) by a few inches. I ground the blade, then cut the excess off of the back to shape.
 
With fingers of steel! :)

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I don't grind the blade at all until after heat treating and the whole knife is complete. One of the last things I do is to grind the blade. I just hold on to the knife handle, the whole folder is functional and complete except for grinding.

I do this because of blade warpage during HT.
 
Thanks for all of the suggestions guys. I have several ways to go. Les's and Craig's methods are the easiest to implement, although I don't have the clamp or wide vise grips. But, that is easily remedied. Ron, I'm not sure I'm ready to grind after HT, but that could be in my future.

Les, if I still lived in Corpus you can bet I'd be bugging you to visit your shop.

Again, thanks all!

Allen
 
Come on down Allen, your not but like 2 days drive... :)

I grind everything after HT, even been known to taper tangs on fixed blades post HT. Warpage is one of the reason....
 
Les George said:
Come on down Allen, your not but like 2 days drive... :)
Click to expand...

Yup, about 1000 miles. My daughter still lives in Portland so I get back there with some frequency, but after 33 years there I'm really into other places. :)

Allen
 
If I recall correctly, I seem to remember Don Robinson mention on another forum that when he cuts out his blade blank, he does so that he essentially has 2 blades, with the backs (not the spine) of the blades back to back. He then grinds them, holding onto the extra length of the other blade.
 
I made a set of handles specifically to hold my folder blades when I grind them. Tighten it up and it's like grinding a fixed blade.
 
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