Spine Thickness Does Matter

[jmforge]

He did a different demo of the sine block feature where he tapered a bar using a 2 1/2" Bader serrated wheel and a 300 micron Gator belt..

Maybe it does, but I watched a video and Travis doesn't mention it, but is possible that it includes that feature.

M

[Marko Tsourkan]

Then is it is possible. There is no description on TW site and the last time I talked to Travis about the attachment, he didn't mentioned the tapering option, but I did know that he was working on some improvements to the jig. I just wonder how it works if you do a taper on both sides or a blade, as the second side's taper should be double the degree.

In any event, I would look for a real surface grinder before purchasing a 1K attachment.

M

[jmforge]

Marko, the current version has a "registration" pin at 6 inches from the pivot point and one at at 3 inches, so you space it for the initial taper at 6 using a feeler gauge (?) and when you flip it over to do the other side, you can use the same spacer at the 3 inch mark. It also has a dial indicator. It would appear that Travis has really gone the extra mile to make this thing easy to use for the mechanically impaired like me. My concern with a real surface grinder is how much it would cost to get one in good working order and then modify it to work with belts, especially if I am already looking to buy a second grinder and convert my KMG into a dedicated horizontal platen setup most of the time and possibly buy a KMG "flatbed" grinder too.

Then is it is possible. There is no description on TW site and the last time I talked to Travis about the attachment, he didn't mentioned the tapering option, but I did know that he was working on some improvements to the jig. I just wonder how it works if you do a taper on both sides or a blade, as the second side's taper should be double the degree.

In any event, I would look for a real surface grinder before purchasing a 1K attachment.

M

[Marko Tsourkan]

Hard to say. There are some limitations to the jig that make it not very attractable at the current price. I would not think twice about getting another TW-90 though.

M

[jmforge]

Of course there are going to be some compromises, but having done some preliminary research on the cost of doing the same thing even with an old "real" 6 x 12 surface grinder or one of the Chinese made benchtop grinders from Grizzly or HF and a sine plate /mag chuck plus belt conversion, the $1000 doesn't seem so quite so bad as long as it does what I need it to do, which would primarily rudimentary tapering and flattening and getting damascus billets in a flat enough form that stock removal guys could use them.

Hard to say. There are some limitations to the jig that make it not very attractable at the current price. I would not think twice about getting another TW-90 though.

M

[Marko Tsourkan]

I am thinking 618 - 624 Brown & Sharpe Micromaster from 1970s if I end up going that direction - I have no money to waste on imports (ones that are made for the likes of Clausing might be an exception). Until then, I can get a very good distal taper without any jig.

M

[mhlee]

That is a conclusion I arrived after (thicker spine translated into thicker middle). I have not ground a thick knife before and was wondering how claims that spine thickness doesn't matter as long as a knife ground thin above edge (unless above edge means middle, or more precise, hollowed out middle like in Shigefusa ). The degree of convexing was similar on both knives, but that didn't seem to matter as the thicker knife wedged in it's mid section.

I already reground it and cut some vegetables with it. Definitely a difference.

M

Marko - Will you be applying this to both your customs and your stock knives?

[Marko Tsourkan]

Custom and ready-made (coming in the future when I figure how to manage my custom orders better) will be virtually the same knife with the only difference being that the latter I will make without an input from a buyer. So far geometry and profile selection has been left to me on most custom orders, so the two will be very similar in all respect, except ready-made will have handle material and combination selected by me.

I will have curly koa, curly maple, Arizona Desert Ironwood, Ebony as my wood staples. I might add a few other types of wood as time goes by. I will continue using horn, but will look for other materials, as well as other constructions of a handle as well.

Oval, and Western handles will be available shortly. A hybrid oval/Western wa is in works.
M

[mhlee]

That's awesome.

[Marko Tsourkan]

Ready-made knives will give me a little more flexibility on size, production time, etc. Communication and customization takes time - say you make 3 knives of same size, profile and geometry with handle material you have on hand, you get them done faster than 3 custom knives with different profiles, geometries and handles.

M