[Jamey Saunders]

Coop,

By no means am I an expert, but here's how I grind blades:

When I first started, I used a wet rag over the end of my thumb to keep from burning myself. I have found, however, that I have better control and feel by not using the rag. I don't use gloves or a push-stick either.

Like the others, I do the majority of my profiling with the tool rest in place. I remove the tool rest and freehand my bevels.

As for getting the plunge cut too deep and higher than the rest of the grind line, you have to keep in mind to keep the blade parallel to the face of the wheel as you look down on it. Having the blade a few degrees off of parallel will cause the plunge to be higher than the rest of the grind. I agree that this is the harder part of the blade.

I also think I do the same thing that Don does: When grinding toward the tip, I do not rotate the handle down, but rather toward me to taper the blade toward the tip. I always (with very few exceptions, such as upswept blades) keep the main cutting edge level.

I agree that practicing on wood would help. I wish I had been given that advice when I started. Grinding on wood would help you develop the "feel" of grinding, because it would be so easy to remove too much. The main problem I have is trying to go too fast. I get impatient and want the blade ground NOW! I have to tell myself to slow down. Just take off a little at a time. I only grind from the plunge to the tip (in one direction) unless I'm finishing.

Keep practicing. The samples you posted really look great for a beginner.