Questions - Post heat treat grinding

Big Smitty

Big Smitty

Well-Known Member
I typically use O1 and I just bought some S35VN. I like to grind my bevels post heat treat and was looking for some input on post HT bevel grinding for the S35VN. I'll be using 3/16.

How will the S35VN grind post heat treat? I expect it will be tough, but still grindable. What type of belts should I use for hogging down through finish. Final finish will be scotch brite. I use a cool mist to keep things cool while grinding. Appreciate any input.
 
Ceramic belts and dunk the blade after each pass to keep her cool.
I use 36g, 60g & 120g VSM belts but any of the quality ceramic belts will be fine.

Then I go to cork or Scotchbrite depending on the final finish.

Does that help?
 
rhinoknives said:
Ceramic belts and dunk the blade after each pass to keep her cool.
I use 36g, 60g & 120g VSM belts but any of the quality ceramic belts will be fine.

Then I go to cork or Scotchbrite depending on the final finish.

Does that help?
Click to expand...

Also i only use each belt for bevel grinding one or two blades, after about 40-50% of the grit is gone they strat to build up heat a lot faster so I move them over to profiling and tang tapering duty.
 
What is the reason for choosing to grind after you have just made the steel more difficult to grind by hardening it?

a neophyte,

Jeff
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I've worked just enough with S35 to know that after heat treat it's a nightmare to grind versus O1, or most of the simpler steels. Personally, I also do a lot of grinding post heat treat, but its not something I'd recommend with S35.
 
Bush Monkey said:
What is the reason for choosing to grind after you have just made the steel more difficult to grind by hardening it?

a neophyte,

Jeff
Click to expand...


We have lots of people that grind post HT and it's normally with something long and thin like a fillet blade where it's easier to keep it flat when just profiled. While minor warping can be straightened, it is a PITA and folder makers have really tight tolerances to work with, so they don't have the luxury of just grinding out small movement in the steel. It does require more belts, both because they wear faster and because they have to be sharp to keep heat down. Also grinding is slower because the heat has to be kept down by going slow and dipping often. That isn't too bad except at the tip where it's easy to get that brief red spot where it gets very thin. If that happens, you are stuck "respecifying design parameters". :-(
 
Thanks guys. I am getting ready to do a 10 knife run of a hunter pattern. Ed's got me a little concerned so I will do just one blade and heat treat it to see how it grinds post HT. Normally I taper the tang and bevel grind post HT.
 
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