Will this thing help?

R

Roger

Well-Known Member
If blades were one sided I'd have it made, but, I also need to grind the 'other' side to match. Being right handed pulling the blade across a belt seems natural and not that difficult. The problem comes in when I start with the 'other' side of the blade and pull with my left hand. Practice makes perfect but I've done a lot of that and still can't get it right. I just ordered a complete 'Bubble Jig', is that going to give me an 'edge'?
 
Continue practicing. I've flat ground about 16 blades now free hand. I'm just now getting to where I can match my sides up without it taking forever. The bubble jig should help. That's my next purchase. How many knives have you ground.
 
I have just done my first blade on a grinder, I ended up doing one side with the grinder and one side with a file. It's a taper grind but the principals are similar I'd imagine. I used a bit of both on each side, I imagine the rubbish grinder doesn't help much though
 
the bubble jig will help a LOTS. Also, what type of grinder are you using? Flat platen or contact wheel? I find it a LOTS easier to grind with a contact wheel - the grind tends to follow the groove of the contact wheel. Even when I'm wanting a flat grind, I do the contact wheel first creating a hollow grind blade, then use the platen to finish.

Ken
 
The grinder of choice for all us noob's....Grizzly. This weekend it's getting modified though, I'll pull the motor and use both ends for buffing and drive it with another motor through some pullys to be able to slow it down. I can grind on the flat platen or the wheel the way I've 'adjusted' it. Hoping I can get some better power grinds with the jig I usually end up finishing with a file and that takes forever.

Thanks for the reply

KenH said:
the bubble jig will help a LOTS. Also, what type of grinder are you using? Flat platen or contact wheel? I find it a LOTS easier to grind with a contact wheel - the grind tends to follow the groove of the contact wheel. Even when I'm wanting a flat grind, I do the contact wheel first creating a hollow grind blade, then use the platen to finish.

Ken
Click to expand...
 
twss said:
You can also start with your left hand and then match it up with your dominate hand.
Click to expand...

What he said. Flat grinding takes some practice and all of the gadgets in the world won't replace doing it! Like a fighter pilot once told me about learning to fly.

Nothing replaces air under your butt!

Your adjustable speed will help as you want to slow things down as you progress to the finer grit belts.

Remember that the most important thing is to have fun and make the best knife you can!
 
It always amazes me when I see 2 perfect, symmetrical edges on the same blade! My first inclination or thought is... "machinery"!!! There are a whole cluster of variables to overcome and the odds against perfection have to be huge. This in mind, I rigged a jig for my belt grinder (actually, belt sander), a 1x42 Delta which is slow, but works fine. Slow is definitely a plus for my pickle fingers. I made a tilting table jig (24 inches x 5 inches) which fits on a plane with the belt, and fits from the backside of the belt. This allows a relatively easy "draw" across the belt with the blade stock regardless of which hand I use at a consistent angle (usually 4 degrees give or take up to 1 degree more). This removes 2 variables: namely, the consistency of the angle from side to side, and secondly, the relative uselessness of my left hand.
I thought of the bubble jig, and it removes only one variable. So, ingenuity, and my adversity to spending that kind of dough on someone else's "jig" prevailed. Hell, maybe the jig is a modern day marvel! What do I know...
 
I started out on a grizzly and I built myself a long shelf and a jig for holding my angles true.
That worked for sometime but I knew sooner or later I wanted to grind freehand. I only started grinding freehand for about a year now and what helped me a lot was . #1 Controlling speed. Once I was able to grind at a slower speed , I had a lot more control. # 2 Plunge guide . I purchased a guide from Bruce Bump not only to get my plunge lines pretty square ,but it helped me get a better feel for where my hands and the grind should be after I bump up against the platen. Your mussel memory will start taking over when the feel is right . Part of getting that " Feel " for me was those guides. # 3 PRACTICE !! I'm still practicing and I still find myself getting better. Oh yeah I forgot to mention that I did buy another grinder with variable speed after the grizzly.
Keep at it , you'll be fine and YOU WILL have a pile of scraps filling up a corner someday. You'll see see one day it will all start to click.
 
I think the bubble jig is the most helpful tool available for new guys (like myself) that are self teaching themselves.
 
My first handful of knives were 2 for 1. Looking at each side you had a great looking different knife. I got the Bubble Jig and after a couple dozen or so knives with it I now grind free hand for over a year now. I start with my weak hand then match the strong side. No more 2 for 1 specials. LOL

I highly recommend Fred's jig set.

No I'm not on his payroll.
 
I initially had the same issue with uneven grinds and tried using jigs and such but eventually gave them up. Somewhere on one of the forums I read that one should start a grind with one's weaker hand and took it to heart. Oddly, when it comes to grinding, my left hand is now my strong hand as it seems more accurate than my right. :) Time to switch again.

Also, it helps to make a batch of 10 or blanks that exactly the same. Take your time and grind each one, give yourself a few days in between blades to let the prior lesson sink in. One day you'll just wake up and everything will click and fall into place. :D
 
I've been flat grinding for lots of years. I do both sides with my right hand, supporting the blade with my left. For the left side, I just turn the blade upside down.
 
Yes it will. I've ground 5 or 6 hundred blades over the last ten years and I can grind blades using many different free hand techniques learned from other makers; but I always grind using the BJ. Why not. For consistent grinds and even plunge lines the Bubble Jig is hard to beat. These days I'm grinding 10 blades a year instead of 50 so I might go months between grinds. Using the BJ its easy to reproduce grinds from years past. I keep patterns with the grinding angles written on them; I trace the profile and set the angles I need and grind the blade.
I have not had need of a throw away bucket for junk blades in years.
Use it to set your edge geometry and sharpen, it makes it easy and repeatable.
Give me a call if you need a hand, Fred
 
Should arrive in the mail today. I'll enjoy giving it a try, thanks.





Fred Rowe said:
Yes it will. I've ground 5 or 6 hundred blades over the last ten years and I can grind blades using many different free hand techniques learned from other makers; but I always grind using the BJ. Why not. For consistent grinds and even plunge lines the Bubble Jig is hard to beat. These days I'm grinding 10 blades a year instead of 50 so I might go months between grinds. Using the BJ its easy to reproduce grinds from years past. I keep patterns with the grinding angles written on them; I trace the profile and set the angles I need and grind the blade.
I have not had need of a throw away bucket for junk blades in years.
Use it to set your edge geometry and sharpen, it makes it easy and repeatable.
Give me a call if you need a hand, Fred
Click to expand...
 
Roger, it takes time and not just the abscent minded passing of blade across the belt, you need to slow down and notice what you're doing

im new to this but i'm getting better, my *personal* opinion, take from it what you want and leave what you want is i dont want to depend on jigs and tools and such, they can help you at first but just as dont depending on them. i started free hand on platen and im glad i did. but on the other hand if i tried riding a bicycle with no training wheels i would've ended up with broken bones and hating it so in my opinion use methods like using a marker or dykem to see where you're actually grinding, scribe the edge, mark several heights for the bevel to keep yourself in check and see where you go wrong (as mentioned you can start with the non dominant hand first), practice with the grinder turn off, try smaller blades first, also and this may seem simplistic but do you see where you grind? i mean do you stand close to grinder looking down on work or do you stand bit further? do you grind edge up or down, if you can do switches between hands after few passes (so the memory is still in your mind but only hands are switched), and if you actually use a jig dont be entirely dependant on it (if you can)

hope this helps
 
SHOKR said:
Roger, it takes time and not just the abscent minded passing of blade across the belt, you need to slow down and notice what you're doing

im new to this but i'm getting better, my *personal* opinion, take from it what you want and leave what you want is i dont want to depend on jigs and tools and such, they can help you at first but just as dont depending on them. i started free hand on platen and im glad i did. but on the other hand if i tried riding a bicycle with no training wheels i would've ended up with broken bones and hating it so in my opinion use methods like using a marker or dykem to see where you're actually grinding, scribe the edge, mark several heights for the bevel to keep yourself in check and see where you go wrong (as mentioned you can start with the non dominant hand first), practice with the grinder turn off, try smaller blades first, also and this may seem simplistic but do you see where you grind? i mean do you stand close to grinder looking down on work or do you stand bit further? do you grind edge up or down, if you can do switches between hands after few passes (so the memory is still in your mind but only hands are switched), and if you actually use a jig dont be entirely dependant on it (if you can)

hope this helps
Click to expand...

I do respect your opinion on this Shokr and I don't post this to argue the point; its only meant to be a comparative view.

My shop is not only for making knives, but is an all around production facility. Its small 32 x 24 but has a lot of machinery in it.

I have one whole wall of shelves where I keep different fixtures--jigs and alignment tools. These are used in milling, welding, grinding, sawing and half a dozen other operations in the shop. If I'm going to do something repeatedly I will try and see if there is a fixture or jig that will make the task easier and more consistent. I've found over 40 years working in one shop or another that taking the time to make these "helper" tools is time well spent. The amount of time saved by making and using these helper tools is huge; the outcome is you can produce more quality items consistently and in less time.
Fridays in my shop is fixture/jig day. I try to spend 1/2 a day on Fridays making these helper tools; as well as any other change to the shop, that will make it more productive.

Fred
 
I've got a coffee can with a half dozen boogered up flat-ground (or attempted) blades. I've heard it's the toughest grind to master and my experience bears that out. When I commit to offering the flat grind on a regular basis I'm going to for sure go with the Bubble Jig to help me get it down. Anything helps with the learning process.
 
Try Fred's BJ with a open mind.
It didn't do a thing for me. but I had already ground about 2000 blades. for better or worse. So I sold it and the clamp to a newer maker that said it was helpful to him.

As makers we tend to get a little opinionated and I have found what works for me may not do a thing for you?

I do recomend that you get one of Bruce Bumps Carbide file guides when funds allow to use with the bubble Jig.
They have two points of contact and the carbide laughs and has just barely been poilshed by the 36 grit ceramic belts after about 300-500 blades.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top