question about sharpening after temper

[swashbuckler_]

new guy here! been messing with the forge off and on for awhile found this site a few months ago and been reading thru it and recently a good buddy of mine gave me a stack of farrier rasps (heller i believe) and i quenched one and slapped it with a hammer and it broke so im making a chef knife for my first knife. my question is, i have it ground down and i think im almost ready to quench and temper it but im not sure how far to grind it down before i go about tempering, i have it down to 2ish mm maybe a little less and going off of what i read i shouldnt take it down anymore until after temper. after temper it seems like it will take a little bit to get sharp and im worried about messing with the temper so whats the right way/ideal way of finishing it up im using a 2x72 belt grinder and wondering what grit to start and process, keep blade wet? i apologize if this has been answered numerous times ive read a bunch but i cant use the search with much success ...pictures soon

[ThomasPowers]

We always held the blade in our fingers and dipped it in water after every pass over the belt.  What grit to start depends on the alloy and how thick it was.  Note that finer grits tend to heat the edge more in my experience.  I might start with a 120 belt for creating the edge and then go up 220, 400, etc till you get to honing readiness.  Others may have their own methods.

[swashbuckler_]

Ok that makes sense! I guess holding it with your hands tells you everything you need to know thanks for the reply

[ThomasPowers]

How will you keep food residue out of that "kitchen knife"?

[swashbuckler_]

Haha I was thinking that, but as it’s my first one and I’m not one for building things without a need it’s staying outside with my hibachi grill

[ThomasPowers]

I see, and you are not planning to use it on food outside with the grill?

[swashbuckler_]

Well whatever the dog doesn’t lick off I was planning on using a dish brush same thing I use on the cutting boards but I’m open to suggestions 

[LeeJustice]

Grind smooth so that there are no places for the food to get embedded.

[swashbuckler_]

Ok probably a good idea the food thing didn’t register as a big deal until he brought it up

[ThomasPowers]

Consult with someone in commercial food prep that has to undergo regular inspections---a crack in a coffee cup can get them dinged!

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

Besides all that has been said, a chefs knife should be a lot thinner than a rasp.

[swashbuckler_]

Ok suppose it’s not ready to go, I’ll grind it down some more

[Frosty]

By hold it in your fingers, that means BARE fingers. Two reasons, first is safety, a light touch on a grinding belt with bare fingers will inspire you to pay closer attention. A touch on a belt with a glove can catch and drag as much of you into the moving parts as the device can.

Reason two is the point of the suggestion above, your bare fingers will tell you it's TOO HOT to hold well before it's hot enough to damage the temper.

Water doesn't soak into bare skin like a glove and there are no burns like a skald, especially if your hand, foot, whatever is trapped in contact with boiling water and you can't get it out. That's B A D N E S S indeed.

Frosty The Lucky.

[JHCC]

Surgical gloves are a good option, as they keep the grinder grit out of your pores and let you feel the temperature easily without presenting any safety hazards.

[swashbuckler_]

Thanks for the solid advice and exactly what I was looking for.. I’m used to always wearing my tig gloves on everything and I’m wondering how to tell if it gets too hot. Simple and best solution!

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

Never wear gloves around rotating equipment, as they can catch and suck your hand in.

[Bob Brandl]

I wrap electrical tape around my index fingers a couple of times and use them as a "shelf" for the spine to rest on, seeing as you're applying pressure to the blade with your thumbs anyway.