I have a few stones and a bunch of unmolested GDs sitting in a box (was purchased a decade ago). I want to practice honing (mainly for muscle memory and edge analysis via a loupe). I also have a dremel and not averse to taking a grinding attachment to the GD. Should I bother grinding down the bolster?
New Honer Question - Gold Dollar - Bolster grind or ...
- Thread starter pravula
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I think it would be a good idea to grind that shoulder down. Just want to make sure not to kill the heat treat. If you have a few gds I would maybe just see which one has usable geometry and roll with it.
I check blade thickness at the heel vs toe. If it is off then I grind until I have a geometry that allows parallel bevel faces.
Are the logos on the tangs stamped or etched?
Are the logos on the tangs stamped or etched?
- Thread starter
- #4
I would suggest a coarse Atoma like 400-600 grit or other diamond based stone to bring the bevel around to a nice even apex heel to toe before moving up to around the 1k level be it diamond or other fast stone then whatever is your preference for the rest of the honing.
A GD 66 will definitely benefit from grinding down the stabilizer and the corner of the spine above it. Otherwise it's far to easy to "hook" the spine and stabilizer on the stone and lift the heel, even at a fairly high angle on the stone (you have to stay above 45 degrees heel leading).
It will take a while to get a clean apex, and some of those 66s will be warped enough to cause trouble, but they do shave when properly honed and are as cheap as chips. Not much loss if you mess one up. Be prepared to spend quite a bit of time on a 1k stone to set the bevel, you will need to remove some steel and cannot use high pressure.
I'd not use an Atoma on one, but a fairly coarse stone is in order. I use a King Deluxe 300 to cut down the time required to set the bevel, but avoid actually creating an apex on coarse stones. You will have to do a lot of work on a 1k to get rid if the deep scratches and micro-cracks created by a coarse stone. Diamond stones are by far the worst at deep scratches, which is why I advise avoiding them for razors.
Clamp the razor in a vise after taping the edge (even the factory grind will cut you) and carefully grind with the Dremel rotating so that if it catches it will pull toward the spine, not the edge. They are fairly hard, and a "whoops" into the edge could ruin the razor while gouges on the spine are just ugly.
It will take a while to get a clean apex, and some of those 66s will be warped enough to cause trouble, but they do shave when properly honed and are as cheap as chips. Not much loss if you mess one up. Be prepared to spend quite a bit of time on a 1k stone to set the bevel, you will need to remove some steel and cannot use high pressure.
I'd not use an Atoma on one, but a fairly coarse stone is in order. I use a King Deluxe 300 to cut down the time required to set the bevel, but avoid actually creating an apex on coarse stones. You will have to do a lot of work on a 1k to get rid if the deep scratches and micro-cracks created by a coarse stone. Diamond stones are by far the worst at deep scratches, which is why I advise avoiding them for razors.
Clamp the razor in a vise after taping the edge (even the factory grind will cut you) and carefully grind with the Dremel rotating so that if it catches it will pull toward the spine, not the edge. They are fairly hard, and a "whoops" into the edge could ruin the razor while gouges on the spine are just ugly.
Post a pic.
You can grind down the stabilizer or you can reshape the heel and move the corner well away from the stabilizer a 5 minute repair. The Gold Dollar would be a good candidate to practice heel correction on.
On some Gold Dollars as said, the spine curves towards the edge dramatically, if you hone on that part of the spine it will alter the bevel angle, so you may need to reshape the heel even after grinding the stabilizer down.
Moving the heel corner forward eliminates both issues.
HEEL CORRECTION – REPROFILING Made easy.
If you decide to grind down the stabilizer use a coarse grit on a Dremel sanding drum. A course grit will create less heat than a fine grit drum or stone.
You can easily refine the cut with a diamond plate or diamond file.
You can grind down the stabilizer or you can reshape the heel and move the corner well away from the stabilizer a 5 minute repair. The Gold Dollar would be a good candidate to practice heel correction on.
On some Gold Dollars as said, the spine curves towards the edge dramatically, if you hone on that part of the spine it will alter the bevel angle, so you may need to reshape the heel even after grinding the stabilizer down.
Moving the heel corner forward eliminates both issues.
HEEL CORRECTION – REPROFILING Made easy.
If you decide to grind down the stabilizer use a coarse grit on a Dremel sanding drum. A course grit will create less heat than a fine grit drum or stone.
You can easily refine the cut with a diamond plate or diamond file.
