New Splitting Blade

[olandrea]

Hi,

if got a old 8" German leather splitter, some think similar like the old Osborne ones, but it came with out the splitting blade.

I found a knife maker who is willing to make me one but I need the geometry of a good splitting blade.

Could some one give me a idea how thick a good blade should be, the slant of the cutting edge, hollow ground yes or not?

Thanks Olaf

[Trox]

Hi Olaf,

could you post a picture of your splitter, Osborn made different models. The blade has to work well for the particular construction. A man who knows a lot about splitters is Bruce Johnson, he is a moderator here. I have a couple of old Osborn # 86 models, with 8 and 10 inch blades. My Eight inch needs a new blade too. There is a German Osborn dealer that sells 8 inch blades for the # 86. However, he is very expensive, about the same price as a new six inch Osborne #86 model.(400 to 500 $). Can I ask you what you have to pay for a handmade blade?

I think the Keystone (Osb. # 84) is the best of the pull true splitter models. Because you can do a lap skive on it, here it is: http://www.campbell-randall.com/shop/index.php?route=product/product&path=1_143&product_id=13842

Tor

[olandrea]

Hi Tor, it is not a Osborn splitter it is a pull true splitter model, made around 1910 in Germany. The blade must be special made because the blade from Osborn would not fit this splitter. For me it is important to know what would be the best cutting angel on the blade? 20°?

Olaf

[Trox]

Hi Tor, it is not a Osborn splitter it is a pull true splitter model, made around 1910 in Germany. The blade must be special made because the blade from Osborn would not fit this splitter. For me it is important to know what would be the best cutting angel on the blade? 20°?

Olaf

Yes I know it is a German splitter. It then has a different bolt measurement than the two Osborn blade types? I do not know what the blade angel the Osborn has, I know we have talked about this before in this forum. The info is here somewhere. We also talked about hollow ground or not. The new style of Osborne splitters use hollow ground blades, and the old not (some of them was). Bruce said he could not see any difference in performance between the two. My blades are old so I cannot get the right angle measurement for you, I am sorry.

Tor

[J Hayes]

Hope this helps, my old Osborne 86 , it has a very slight hollow grind. Looks to be 14 degrees if I'm useing and reading my gauge properly.

Jeremy

Edited March 16, 2013 by J Hayes

[bruce johnson]

I just checked four pretty good blades off #86s and here'e what they measure - These are all 1-3/4" measured on the bottom front to back so pretty close to or are original.

The thickness of the stock at the back measures between 0.380 and 0.40. The blade angles are all 16-17 degrees. Two are slightly hollow ground - less than 1/16" at the belly against a straight edge on one. the other is a gnats whisker off flat, two are flat ground. One of the flat grinds is a Disston.

[Trox]

Hi Bruce and Jeremy, 14 to 16 degrees is more like it, 20 degrees sounded a bit to much. Jeremy, It is a nice measuring tool, the angle calculation with two unknown angles is hard to do without a scientific calculator. You need sinus and cosines anyway.

Bruce, I eventually found a supplier for the 8 inch Osb # 86 blade I needed. Zack White leather will get it in their next shipment from Osborne in about three to four weeks times. 245 $ is a fair price, not like the German Osb supplier who wanted nearly 500 $ for the same blade. That eight inch splitter I bought from you have a very good frame, nice and tight in all joints. It would be a shame to trow it away because of a missing blade. The next splitter blade who needs a shape up I will do it myself. (A Norwegian grinding company messed up my splitter blade) I am going to straighten up that 10 inch blade a bit and change a bolt in a joint on it, and the ten inch will be perfect. I have not had the time to do it yet, to much projects. I do have a small Heritage # 84 copy that works well, a 5 in 1 and a bell knife machine too. So there is no problem.

Tor

[J Hayes]

Hi Bruce and Jeremy, 14 to 16 degrees is more like it, 20 degrees sounded a bit to much. Jeremy, It is a nice measuring tool, the angle calculation with two unknown angles is hard to do without a scientific calculator. You need sinus and cosines anyway.

Bruce, I eventually found a supplier for the 8 inch Osb # 86 blade I needed. Zack White leather will get it in their next shipment from Osborne in about three to four weeks times. 245 $ is a fair price, not like the German Osb supplier who wanted nearly 500 $ for the same blade. That eight inch splitter I bought from you have a very good frame, nice and tight in all joints. It would be a shame to trow it away because of a missing blade. The next splitter blade who needs a shape up I will do it myself. (A Norwegian grinding company messed up my splitter blade) I am going to straighten up that 10 inch blade a bit and change a bolt in a joint on it, and the ten inch will be perfect. I have not had the time to do it yet, to much projects. I do have a small Heritage # 84 copy that works well, a 5 in 1 and a bell knife machine too. So there is no problem.

Tor

Thanks, my late step father left me most of his machining tools and also some leatherworker stuff too, a beautiful Newark marked Osborne Draw gauge is the prize one. Its so good to be using tools with age and history. I'm glad you found a blade for your 86, I saw what they did to the original, hope they pay for the replacement for you. My blade needs a serious overhaul but I'm really hesitant to let anybody touch it after seeing what was done to yours. I've a friend with a few surface grinders, I may call out a favor and see if I can get some shop time in with him.

[dirtclod]

Why don't you sharpen it yourself ?

[Trox]

Why don't you sharpen it yourself ?

Hi,

I had just bought the old splitter and the blade needed some work to be straight again. I wanted a professional result so I sent it away to a company who sharpens saw blades and stuff (they was recommended to me). First I got it in return and they had done the underside only, on a very expensive big machine. The result was very good. I sent it back and told them to do both sided ( I am used to people who can think on their own). They told me they could not fit it in their big machine because of the blades screw-hole tabs. But they could do it on the band grinder. They told me it did not have the same precision as the big machine. Looking at the underside I thought they was talking about 0.001 mm tolerances. When I got the blade in return we was talking about 10 mm tolerances (1/2 inches), look at the picture and see for yourself. I was sure these people was better than me on the band grinder, I have 50$ machine but still get good results. I cried when I got it in return.

Now when I have found a blade I can tell them to pay for it.

(You see the pictures from before and after, with grinding directions)

Tor

[TwinOaks]

That first picture is absolutly horrifying!

I hope you will adress that the with the head of that company, as the rusults are far below "acceptable".

[dirtclod]

They screwed that one up for sure !! I sharpen mine on the skiver. I turn the blade around sharp side facing me and sharpen with a whetstone top and bottom. Then strop or buff.

[Trox]

Thanks you both for the replies. I have a new small six inch Heritage splitter, I only have to strop the blade with a aggressive polishing paste when needed. I am going to address the head of the company. Zack White did not have the 8 inch blade after all. They thought I needed a 6 inch (like all others) I am back to where I was before with this splitter.

Tor

[J Hayes]

Trox

Will the company that ruined you blade purchase the new one from the German dealer you mentioned having a blade? Maybe you can get in touch with the OP Olaf and see if his blade maker can duplicate your blade as well.

Is there any saving your original blade or did they shorten it to much front to back? I would think a competent machinist with a surface grinder could do wonders.

[Trox]

Trox

Will the company that ruined you blade purchase the new one from the German dealer you mentioned having a blade? Maybe you can get in touch with the OP Olaf and see if his blade maker can duplicate your blade as well.

Is there any saving your original blade or did they shorten it to much front to back? I would think a competent machinist with a surface grinder could do wonders.

I have not been in contact with the company management yet, only the person in the grinding department who did the damage. He ignores my emails of course. I wanted to find a replacement before I contacted the boss, that way I could tell him the price of a new one.

I wanted to ask Olaf about this question when Zack White told me they had a blade for me. I later found out he only had six inch blades, so I am back where I was before. It seems that Olaf have left this thread, it was his thread not mine. Olaf if you read this could you possible get me in contact with your blade maker? In advance thanks.

The blade still measures 31 mm from the edge to it back (the shortest measurement), and it is 8 mm thick. I guess it is possible to fix it, it want be pretty anymore. However, it should be possible to get the right angle if you have a machine that could do it. If you know of somebody who can fix it, please let me know. I still want the company to pay for a new one, I think they should. If not I will give them bad publicity, it can be more expensive to them.

Tor

[lucycandy]

You say it! I very much agree with your point of view!I hope to be able to see your published posts.

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[olandrea]

If got a copy of the original technical drawings from the Krebs splitting blade and the angle is exact 20 degrees.