Here's my first knife blade I have built its not done by no means yet but heres what I got after working all day on it .

 
 

Looking good!

looking good so far jeff    oh yeah ya going to love this it is a real addiction    but a good one

thanks Jeff I am only haveing a problem getting the right angle for the edge cant get it figured out plus I dont have the tools to get the job done been fighting it with a bench grinder and a belt sander but just aint working think I am going to have to get someone to put a edge on it for me ant the right angle it needs .

Dorris,

 Looks good!
I bet you could build a simple jig out of wood for that belt sander or grinder to get an edge.

Do you have a bench vise or possibly a C clamp to hold the blade to your bench? If so you could use a file on it. I have used a file on all of mine so far and they turned out good. It does not take as long as you think it would.

Tommy

for the edge use a file  :D  thats what i did to reshape a machete of mine got it near shaving sharp using a set of $10 files like an idiot i also cut my finger using it the next day DOH!  

i made about three knives with nothing but a bench grinder. justs takes some patience

I have been useing my bench grinder and got it fairly close I talked to highpockets and will be sending it to him hes going to put the right angle and edge on it I will be building another one soon and can go by his angle going to try to make some kinda jig to use it will just take me a few times and I may get it by then thanks for everyones advise it is very welcome .

Dorris,

 Here is a jig I hope to build someday. I have not tried it but it looks simple,but effective. There are tapped holes in the metal where the blade is clamped to adjust the angle. there are also tapped holes in the base for adjustment.

Tommy  

thanks I may try to build one like that one .

That is a great idea...wish I had the skills to do something like that. I also have a wish list with a jig to bolt around the shaft to make the initial plunge and avoid going further into the blade each time I try to adjust, and to get it the same on both sides....alas, beyond my abilities.

Here is my file jig.  I rough grind the bevel with a belt sanded and/or 4" angle grinder.  Then finish it with this jig.  I can adjust the bevel to any angle I want.  

The thread rod is mounted solid on the work bench (in my case the shelving that is my temporary work bench).  A piece of angle is the adjust pivot and has a hole thru it for the thread rod with nuts on top and bottom.  The other leg of the angle has a hole for the file guide rod.  The file guide rod is made from Beaman 500 arrow glued inside a 2020.  The guide rod is glued into the hardwood file clamping block.  The file is held by this piece.  I clamp the knife and stop block with clamps.

With the cheap 1 X 30" belt sander I have, it take way to long and way to many belts to get a good bevel.  With this jig I can get a nice flat bevel in no time.  The only thing I would recommend different then this setup, is to use a half round file instead of a flat file.  This is because it will be stiffer and you will get less deflection when appling pressure to the file.









Here is a full height flat grind I did last night.




Here is a fancier jig and where I got the idea from (along with my Lansky, same principal).
http://www.stoneandsteel.net/equip_antirock.html