heat treating?

[justin sherriff]

I just picked up a Lie Nielson 1/4 inch molding plane iron blank. Will be making a grooving plane with it. Should I put the bevel on be for or after I heat treat? Maybe just start making the bevel then finish after heat treat.

I use a hand crank grinder so I an not to worried about over heating the blade.

[Derek Cohen]

I would partially shape the blade, then heat treat. A too-thin bevel when heat treated will be vulnerable. Removing some of the waste when the steel is soft appears to be a good idea. It is likely to gum up the wheel surface (especially cbn), however, so watch for this.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Jim Koepke]

Shaping it when it is soft can be done with a file to avoid gumming up the grinder.

jtk

[justin sherriff]

Shaping it when it is soft can be done with a file to avoid gumming up the grinder.

jtk
Did not know it would gum up the grinder. I will use a file now.

[Alan Schwabacher]

If you use a CBN wheel, grinding softened high carbon steel is said to be a problem. But with a hand-cranked grinder and an ordinary aluminum oxide wheel, I wouldn't expect a problem.

[Tom Bussey]

Hard steel grinds easier that soft steel but id were using a hand crank grinder I would file it in the soft state first.