Bevelling with an angle grinder?

[mrcairney]

Aside from a steady hand and patience, how would you bevel a knife blade with a grinder? What I mean is, how do you get the correct angle? if anyone does this, I've love to see your set-up.

I know a belt sander would be easier, but when money is tight, grinders are much cheaper (if not perhaps multifunction)

 

[Whittler Kev]

I've always done it by eye, taking a little of each side, a bit at a time (done drill bits on a hand held angle grinder as well - it's all I had)

 

[ged]

They're a bit firece, and they have some bad habits like setting fire to your clothes while they take away your eyesight.

You could use one to rough the grind out but I think you'd be struggling to get a good finish, it will probably need a lot of work by hand to tidy it up afterwards.

Presumably you'll be heat treating the blade afterwards anyway, but I think you'd still have to be a bit careful not to overheat parts of the blade, it's very easy to get things white hot with a wheel edge that's doing 80 metres per second. You might find a flap wheel better than a solid one.

Aldi did some pretty cheap belt sanders in the past year or so, around twenty quid. I think Biker had some bits of belt sander for sale, dunno if he still has them.

 

[mrcairney]

Thanks guys, I think the con's outweigh the pro's for this one. B&D have an outlet next to work and their angle grinders are only £20 right now. Plus I get 10% off too!

Not had much luck finding a belt sander though!

I will, however be picking up one of these quite beautiful things for checking though. (the bevel gauge)
http://richardkell.co.uk/handtoolsECom.htm

 

[sasquatch]

You can rough bevels out but be careful not to go too crazy. If you have a digital micrometer it makes it easier, set it to 1.5mm for 3mm steel. Scribe a line down the middle after you make the edge black with a marker, then back it off to about 1.4mm or 1.3mm and do both sides. You'll now have 3 lines, take it down to the two outside lines carefully. You can finish it off with a file by hand down to the middle or build a simple jig to get a consistent bevel. That's how I do mine minus the angle grinder and I put really high bevels on. It takes time and patience and a steady hand but it will work. Keep us posted on your progress...

 

[Samon]

I was pondering this one the other night but for the parts needed to do so.

check out ebay for cheap disks and backing pads to put sanding disks on, that's what I intend on doing sometime and by eye is best once you practice.

 

[mrcairney]

I'm guessing that you'd have to clamp the blade flat a horizontally, too?

 

[Samon]

I'd clamp it flat mate, it'll be easier that way. clamp it flat when using a file too and get some g-clamps to clamp it.

 

[mrcharly]

It's possible to do delicate stuff with an angle grinder - I've used one to take paint off, I reckon I could remove the paint layer-by-layer. Overheating would be more of a problem.

 

[mrcairney]

It seems the belt sander gods were listening. Just picked up one from lidl for £25 that has the option of being flipped over, clamped and used like a bench sander. Result!

Ah Lidl and your no-name toolery