First attempt grinding up a GD and I have a few questions

Here she is, I call her the Gold-n-Butchered



Goofed up the heel some, but it sits evenly on the hone, and has an even bevel. For those of you mod these, what do you use to grind them? I used a diamond knife hone and it took forever.

It depends on what I'm doing with it at the time... I'll use a combination of Dremel, Belt sander, sanding drum or grinding wheel chucked in the drill press... =)

jlindy said:

It depends on what I'm doing with it at the time... I'll use a combination of Dremel, Belt sander, sanding drum or grinding wheel chucked in the drill press... =)

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I thought about going that route, but figured that'd be way too dangerous, and since I managed to mess it up by hand I'm glad I didn't. My other concern with power tools was taking the temper out of the steel. How do you prevent that?

Slow and easy rules the day. Let the tool do the work, no need to 'lean into it'. That'll just build heat faster! A finger will tell you when it's warmed up enough to let it cool off. Some will use a glass of ice water, but I like to let mine just air cool... =)

jlindy said:

Slow and easy rules the day. Let the tool do the work, no need to 'lean into it'. That'll just build heat faster! A finger will tell you when it's warmed up enough to let it cool off. Some will use a glass of ice water, but I like to let mine just air cool... =)

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Makes sense. I'll have to dig my dremel out

I do keep a glass of water handy in case things get to warm/hot but I have other ways to keep cool too. If I have the blade held in a vice I will often pack a few ice cubes in the tang so heat can dissipate more quickly. I also have a thick glass plate I put in the freezer I'll press the blade flat against if I'm buffing (buffing with a Dremel gets hot fast).
Aside from heat you need to be aware of how fast the abrasive tool can/will remove steel. And alway be aware of where the edge is, keep the rotation if the tool from spine to edge and you will reduce chips and heat build up at the edge.

When you first start out I recommend checking the temp (carefully) after 10-20 seconds and check often.

The one thing I didn't mention and should have because it can't be stressed enough is.... SAFETY!! First last and always!!
No sense in being injured over a $5 Chinese razor! Eye protection is particularly important! =)

jlindy said:

The one thing I didn't mention and should have because it can't be stressed enough is.... SAFETY!! First last and always!!
No sense in being injured over a $5 Chinese razor! Eye protection is particularly important! =)

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For sure. Now I gotta find a few more GDs and decide how to destroy em

Gott543 said:

For sure. Now I gotta find a few more GDs and decide how to destroy em

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Destroying them is the easy part! the 'Bay' is the best place to dig them up...

jlindy said:

Destroying them is the easy part! the 'Bay' is the best place to dig them up...

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Thanks for the tip

Well, I just took her out for the first shave and all I can say is that you fellas were right. A thinner spine and improved geometry make all the difference. The shave was excellent. Not sure if it's because the razor was thinner, or if it was because I was able to hone it properly

Gott543 said:

Not sure if it's because the razor was thinner, or if it was because I was able to hone it properly

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Yes...

Stock GD66 has a bevel angle of about 19°. The sweet spot is around 16.5° to 17°. Thinning the spine way down is key to making the razor perform more like a Maserati and less like an International Harvester. A heavier bevel angle does make for a more gentle razor, though, and it might be a good thing for a newbie's first razor. Just sayin.

I start the process with a belt sander. The handheld kind, like you would refinish a floor with. My favorite is the Black and Decker "Dragster" type, with the nose roller smaller than the tail roller. That small roller is great for thumb notching, hollowgrinding, etc. I use my dremel less and less for shaping. I break it out for fairing away all vestiges of the shoulder, is all. 60 grit sandpaper, in hand, can do a lot. Or 60 grit glued to a piece of glass or tile. With patience, you can do the whole thing with hand sanding. Just sayin.

Best way to manage power tool induced heat is to do a dozen at once. Do one a few seconds, put it down, do the next one. And so forth. By the time you get around to the first one again, it is fully cooled. Heavy parts can handle 20 seconds or so, typically. Thin areas like near the edge can toast in just 3 seconds or less. I suggest you grind near the edge purposely on at least one razor so you can see just how quickly you can get the Blue Stain Of Death, which means the razor is now unsalvageable trash. It will surprise you. I don't like messing with water and stuff. I would rather jsut do a bunch of razors in a batch.