bworkman111 Posted February 16, 2014 Share Posted February 16, 2014 I am in the process of making my second knife. I am filing the bevels and I am having a hard time keeping them straight. They look rounded and uneven. I have already spent many hours filing but I cannot figure it out. I was wondering if there are any tips or tricks that I might find useful. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Sells Posted February 16, 2014 Share Posted February 16, 2014 use 2 hands, practice. If you are rounding then you are allowing the file to rock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K. Bryan Morgan Posted February 16, 2014 Share Posted February 16, 2014 Try draw filing. Clamp your knife blank to a board, so the tip don't poke you in the belly, it does happen, then put the tang of the file in your left hand. Pull the file towards you. If you put the tang in your right hand you have to push, not pull. But then that's not draw filing. You can really hog some material in a short period of time this way. With some practice, practice, practice, I've seen some very nice bevels made this way. There just aren't any short cuts when it comes to hand filing. Its all about technique and consistency. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doc Posted February 16, 2014 Share Posted February 16, 2014 bworkman : I would google draw filing. There are a number of good explanations there and much more understandable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Hale Posted February 16, 2014 Share Posted February 16, 2014 Was the instruction with pictures in the knife making lesson of any value? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmccustomknives Posted February 16, 2014 Share Posted February 16, 2014 I take a large heavy piece of angle iron and clamp it in my vice. Then I clamp the blade with its edge out on the angle iron. That keeps everything stable and level. That and use good sharp files. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
switchjv Posted February 16, 2014 Share Posted February 16, 2014 There's a guy on you tube who had a jig to make the bevels with a file. I made one and it works great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bworkman111 Posted February 17, 2014 Author Share Posted February 17, 2014 Thanks for all the awesome and helpful feedback! I will try all of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 draw filing ++ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bworkman111 Posted February 17, 2014 Author Share Posted February 17, 2014 Thank you for the responses Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockstar.esq Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 I've found that using a really big magic marker on the filed surface will quickly help you to see where you are cutting and where you're not. The marker dries fast so you can re-color the surface as often as you like. Stopping more often will help ensure you're making things better- not worse. I've learned more about my own consistency watching how long it takes to fix a mistake using this method. One other thing not mentioned thus far is footwork. I've found that not moving my feet while doing something that requires consistency is a huge help. It doesn't matter if it's filing, archery, or rolling pie crust. Keep your feet comfortably planted and it's impressive how much accuracy improves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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