KME and Grizzly Heads

[Pete McMiller]

boog21,

The plate glass is used because it's a flat surface.  I stopped at a local glass place and asked for a 12x12 square and they looked around for a scrap piece - no charge.  

I started using this system to get my Grizzly bevel correct.  I start with 100 grit and progress to 180, 320 and finish with 600.  I know I could get a better mirror finish with finer but 600 is good enough for me.  Works good.

[Sharpster]

Boog,

Yea me too. I just found out that my brother in law has done some youtube videos so I'm gonna see if he can do the shoot and help me download/edit/publish it. I haven't forgot about it, I just don't know how to do the techie stuff. It's driving me nuts too!

We use a piece of plate glass under the sandpaper because you need a perfectly flat surface to work on and if you soak a piece of wet/dry sandpaper in the sink for a couple minutes, the water makes the paper stick to the glass without needing to use glue. As for grits, start very coarse like 80 grit. Stay with the coarsest paper till you raise a burr. Then you can quickly progress though as many more grits as you like or need. I'll typicaly use 80, 120, 220, 320, 600, 1000, 1500. Then make sure the broadhead and sharpener are completely dry and strop both sides of the blade a piece of cardboard, about 15 passes per side or till you the burr is totally gone.

These pics were sent to me by Bill Howland of Brackenbury Custom Bows. Bill uses the sandpaper/glass technique exclusivly and goes to at least 2000 grit and sometimes 3000.

   

Ron

[Sharpster]

Oh yea,  If you're even decent with a file, using a good radius tooth body file is still a much faster way to get the bevels set. Then go to the stones or wet/dry sandpaper to finish up.

Ron

[Old York]

Originally posted by JimB:
The bevel is close to 25 degrees but it isn't ground all the way to the fine edge.You have to take the entire surface of the bevel in a little more till the sharp edge is there....The bevel is a lot better than the old ones but the edge isn't there yet.

There it is, JimB's got it dead on.
Get the bevel, get the burr, work the burr 'just off', then strop.

I spoke with Ron just a few days back and he stated a file is needed
to remove the rest of the metal  to establish the burr, while maintaining
the bevel (or creating your own degree bevel).

That said, I just received some 200 grain El Grandes, they look
like they're  almost  there with an edge, not quite, but close.
Supposedly much better than the older ones, so that's good news.

[Bill Turner]

Those old Bear Razorheads and Wensel Woodsman heads look better everyday. Razorsharp in a couple of minutes and kill everything I have an opportunity to shoot. Love my KME and have no problem sharpening knives and broadheads to shave.

[Ric O'Shay]

Not trying to discourage the use of the KME system, as it is one fine piece of sharpening equipment. BUT, it seems to me that most folks here are making the proverbial "Grizzly" mountain out of a mole hill. It appears to me the folks that have trouble with the file is they simply cannot hold the file straight. They keep "resetting" the angle with every stroke of the file. Before long the only thing they have accomplished is taking 3/32" of metal off one one side and having NO edge.
I place my 13" coarse tooth (8 teeth per inch) file flat in a vice and stroke the Griz the full length of the file. Usually by the 5th or 6th stroke the angle is set. Then all it takes is a few more strokes with an 8" fine toothed Mill Bastard to achieve a fine wire edge (about the size of a hair). A couple of very light strokes and and the wire edge comes off. A few strops on a piece of leather and the edge is hair popping sharp. It's just that simple folks. I fail to see the reason for packing all that "stuff" when you go hunting.

[FlintRiverKen]

hey Sharpster Ron,

with the sandpaper and KME jig, are you push, push pulling or just dragging back like the cardboard stropping ?

[shortstroke 91]

http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=060487#000000

I built this jig but I use a file instead of the sander, takes about 2 minutes per head to set the bevel. After that I just use my wheels to get the burr off and I'm good to go.

[JimB]

boog21,sorry,I missed your question.I have large 220 and 325 grit diamond stones so I go from there to 400,600,1000,1500,2000.Any hard ,flat and true surface should work but I lay my paper on the 3"x8" diamond hone,which basically is a 3/8" thick steel bar.

I have used crocus cloth after the 2000 and also cardboard stropping.2000 grit is mighty fine.It sounds like a lot of steps but keep in mind that after the bevel is well established,it only takes several strokes with each successive grit and that goes very quickly.The KME,keeping that constant angle,takes all the fight out of it.

[dave19113]

I just picked up some sand paper and a piece of glass to give another try with the Grizzly El Grandes.....


Here's the results:


IT WORKS!!!!!!!!!

I started with 60 grit and the KME broadhead sharpener... I use a marker to make sure its even...

I dont count strokes i just go until all marker is worn off..

ill do this about 4 time with 60grit, no oil or water, pushing not pulling motion...

Then before i finish with 60grit I flip it over and pull lightly about 7-8 times to get the bevel off. Dont do it too much or you will round it off.... Trust me!!! When you touch the blade you are gonna feel it....

Then I go to 150 grit... same as above....

Then Course stone, Medium/Course, Fine, then cardboard....

On the stones Im using oil....

As you go finer and finer use less and less preasure...My test for sharpness is I run it across my nail if it shaves my nail im good.... And the best thing is when I look at the edge its even and factory looking...

One side from start to finish will take about 20m. Dont be too concerned about having a shaving edge with the 60grit, then just keep going, you will feel the difference with each progression.

[Doc Nock]

Ron has invested more time and patience with me than most parents would (and he's a kid compared to me)and the one thing that he's hammered into my thick, German head is that you don't quit on the most coarse grit you're using until you raise that wire on the opposing side...full length.

Then you start to polish and remove the wire edge.

If it's not pretty darned near super sharp on the coarsest grit, it won't get any sharper, just more finely polished.

Of course, I mentally questioned that and prolonged both my tutelage and learning curve!     :(    

          and thanks to mods for adding that GUE, cause it fits being hard headed perfectly!