I hate grinding...........until I start!

[Steve]

It can take me a loonnnnng time to get into that grinding room and start grinding sometimes. But....as soon as I turn on that grinder, I totally enjoy it, well maybe not so much if it's a big fighter made from 5/16" stock or something, but 98% of the time, once I START, I really enjoy it. Anyone else have any of these quirks? Now don't go telling anybody!

[Brett Schaller]

My day job can be physically demanding, and I usually don't get out to the knife shop until after 10:00 PM. There are lots of nights I have to drag myself out there! But once I get started, I don't want to come back in.

[Darren Ellis]

I would rather pound steel any day of the week. It's hard to get me on the grinder sometimes, but like you, when I finally do break down and realize I have too many forged out to complete in any reasonable time frame I get into the grinding groove and everything is fine.

-Darren

[Danbo]

I LOVE grinding blades. It's the actual finishing part that I don't like. All that handrubbing gets on my nerves.

[Sylvester]

It`s the handles for me, even when i get started I still don`t
like it I can grind steel all day

[Dave Larsen]

I'm a grindin fool. And now I have some new 3M belts I can't wait to check out! They're a revision of Trizact, 3M calls them Trizact CF, with the grit applied in a kind of waffle pattern with spaces between the areas of grit. In a simple quick test they cut like mad and run much cooler than anything I've used before. . I'm thinking they're going to make tapering tangs (now that's what I can do without) a breeze. Anyone else used these yet? The drawback is they only go to A45, which is about 320 grit.

You just gotta love new toys...
(Dave, I found myself looking back to find out the name of those belts, so I colored them for easy spotting, hope that's OK! - SRJ)

[SharpByCoop]

...and I know why. There is a LOT at stake. Grinding takes 100% focus. It's not something to take lightly, especially if you are insistent upon replicating the quality work you have done before. (And we all know how very worthy your knives are!) It's the core of a good knife and there is little room for error.

I will liken it to my own current tasks: I agonize about the actual shooting phase of my photography. Without the core images beng clear and good lighting, I can't put out a good product. So it DOES take me a while to get a client's knife into the studio lights.

But once I'm down there and get going, I get *into* it. It's not 'relaxing' because it's so attentive. Like yourself, it's engaging and quite a feeling of relief and success when that's finished.

I feel better...

Coop

[aiiifish]

I don't mind the grinding or the finishing. But I'll have 15 orders piled up before I start any sheaths. Once I get started I get in the swing of it though....

[Steve]

Gotta be some psychological explanation of this type of behavior. Sounds pretty common, though the subject may change, depending on the person and his "duties."

Now that just gave me a thought (Don't look so surprised, I do have a thought, now and then!): That's pretty neat - that our "duty" is to do something that is so fun, generally, and fulfilling, satisfying, challenging, rewarding in so many ways, etc. Lucky us!

[bandido]

I guess I'm not any different... but it's the honey do list that gets me in the mood .. the hell with the list, I'm going to go play with my knives... hehe

I'll bet you all waited till the last day to do your taxes too!

Adios
Greg

[Kevin Wilkins]

I find grinding to be one thing that either "works" on any given day or it doesn't. If I start out to do some grinding and I see right off, things aren't going right, I stop right then and find something else to do. I quit fighting with grinding a long time ago. cause I got tired of loosing!

Other days - like today for example - I sat down at the grinder and could do no wrong. Makes me want to go to Vegas and try my luck at the slots!

[Mike Routen]

Dave Larson,

I've used some of the new Trizact CF belts. Wow, they make the Norax look like old school technology. I'm working on my first damascus blade, and used one of the CF belts for the initial shaping and beveling. It was very smooth, very quick cutting and relatively cool running. I was prepared to buy some at the OCKA show, but Tru-Grit had already sold all 500 they brought!

- Mike

[RJSmith]

I generally like grinding except when I occasionally go through all the grits and then realize that I have a scratch from the coarser grit, which I missed. But, there are also the occasional days where nothing seems to go right. Whenever that happens I usually shut down the grinder , crack open a Bud and see what's on TV


Propeller Head, can you get those belts wet without messing them up? One of the reasons I don't like the old trizacts is because you can't get them wet.

[Dave Larsen]

I don't think these Trizacts are wet proof; they do make water proof Trizact belts but they have another designation.

One thing about the new belts is - no deep scratches. All of the marks are the same depth, so no surprizes. Limited experience so far but the 3M guy did measure the finish of the blades we ground and they came out even across the blade.

[Lloyd Hale]

I like to call it -Dog work- I've ground more large Bowies and Daggers of uncountable shapes and sizes and I've always hated that first set down at the belt grinder after standing patiently at the band saw cutting as much steel off that blank as I can... At that first moment when all that weight is in your hands and you know there's a blade in there some where , I always start a new blade in the morning after at least three cups of coffee and a good plan of attack in my head...One thing I always think about at this time is the story I read once about the old Samauri sword makers and the rituals they went through before starting a new blade.... This helps me hold that heavy chunk of steel against a spinning wheel that seems to be trying to get at me.... We are a lucky bunch aren't we..?!?