Hand filing vs belt grinding for drawknife bevels

I grew up learning to file every bevel by hand with a mill file. Took me 45 minutes to get a drawknife right. Last week I tried a 2x72 belt grinder at a shop in Ohio and did the same job in 8 minutes. The edge came out just as clean and I didnt have to stop every 5 minutes to rest my shoulder. Any of you guys switch over and regret it?

4 comments

4 Comments

phoenixw1122d ago

Eight minutes?! That's wild, I'd be worried about burning the edge clean off at those speeds. Does the finish feel any different to your hand than a filed one?

miles_burns22d ago

Burning the edge clean off" is exactly what I'm going for. @phoenixw11, that faster heat actually changes the steel in a good way. You get a harder, more durable edge that holds up way better than a filed one. The finish feels smoother too, almost polished.

emma_flores22d ago

My last burnt edge project ended up looking more like a campfire marshmallow than a tool, so you're way ahead of me.

ninaowens22d ago

Oh man, Em's campfire marshmallow comment got me... that's exactly how my first couple tries went too. But honestly, once you dial in the heat just right, it's like a whole different ballgame. The edge holds way longer than anything I've filed, and it's got this weird smoothness that almost feels waxy to the touch, but in a good way. I've been messing with this for about a year now and the durability difference is night and day, especially on harder steels. Just gotta be careful not to overdo it or you'll end up with a brittle edge that chips easy.