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For makers who forge first: stripping scale, flattening forged blanks, grinding san mai and damascus, and getting a forged blade ready for heat treat.
13 articles · written in Sterling, Illinois
13 articles
Here is the plainest sentence this blog will ever run: a fully assembled, American-made, tilting 2×72 with a ratchet tensioner for $845, down from $1,195, in stock now. It is on closeout to make way for the Nova.
A cleaver is wide, heavy and easy to rock, and a short rest lets the edge wander. Here is how I sharpen large cleavers on the 2×72 with an extended work rest: full support, angle setup, and safe handling.
Brass, copper, aluminum and titanium each misbehave on a belt in their own way: loading, smearing, sparking. Here is how I grind non-ferrous metals on the 2×72 safely, from belt choice and speed to dust handling and protection.
Etching reveals a damascus pattern, but a frosting belt is what makes it pop. Here is how I run frosting and surface conditioning belts on the 2×72 after the etch: which belt, how slow, how light, and what to avoid.
Tough steels like CPM 3V, M4 and 52100 eat cheap belts and heat up fast. Here is how ceramic and Cubitron belts compare on cut rate, heat, life and cost, and which one I run on the 2×72.
A 400-grit hand-sanded finish is the working knifemaker’s standard: clean, even and easy to maintain. Here is how I set it up on the 2×72, the hand-sanding technique, and how to chase out the stray scratch.
Grinding steel throws sparks, grit and fine dust at your face and floor. A water trap bucket under the belt catches most of it for a few dollars. Here is how I build one and where it mounts.
Carbon steel, stainless, tool steel and damascus all grind differently, and a VFD lets you match belt speed to each. Here is how I set speed by steel on the 2×72, and why thin stainless wants slow.
Every blade I make follows the same path on one 2×72: profile, bevel, heat treat, finish, sharpen. Here is the one blade, one grinder workflow, the belt order, and the checks that keep each edge as good as the last.
Profiling is where the belt earns its money, and grit is the whole decision. Here is which grit I profile with on the 2×72, why fresh 36 to 60 ceramic beats a tired 80, and when to step up.
Thin cuts better, right up until the edge turns blue. Here is how I take a knife edge thin without burn-through: where to stop before heat treat, what changes at 220 grit, how I check thickness, how often I dip.
If your grinder buzzes through the bench, the drive wheel is the first suspect. Here is what throws a wheel out of balance, how to check it, and why a machined aluminum drive wheel runs smoother.
Built in Sterling
I machine the parts, hand-assemble, track and test each grinder before it ships. Most orders leave in seven to ten business days from time of order.
Fiber-laser-cut 6061 aluminum on the 9x12-inch base. Easier to tilt and move, and corrosion resistant.
My heaviest 2x72: a 3/8-inch steel chassis with machined dual-axis tracking. Bolt it down and it stays put.
Reaches the choils, finger grooves and inside curves a flat platen never will. Wheels from 1/2 to 1.5 inches.
Built to order
I answer my own email. Tell me the work you do and which grinder you are considering.
