The MagChuck

I built the first MagChuck because I was in need a better, faster way to hold onto the folding knife blades I was making. Trying to clamp the blades to a board or holding them in a conventional vise was always awkward and never allowed full access to the blade. The MagChuck is a better blade holding system because there are no clamps and it can adapt to any situation. This is a very simple tool. The MagChuck works by using solid steel, 1/8 diameter dowel pins to support the work piece and prevent it from moving. A switchable magnet keeps the blade positioned against the dowels and down tight against the face of the tool. Therefore, the jig can be positioned however is needed and even held in the users hand while grinding or hand sanding the flats of the blade. Typically 3 dowel pins are used in conjunction to create 3 points of contact. These 3 points will support the blade when it is pushed against them. Since a magnet is used to hold the blade to the jig this means there are no clamps or bolts protruding out and getting in the way. The dowels are easily mirrored from one side to the other when the blade needs to be flipped. This helps tremendously when trying to make both sides of the blade a perfect match. When used with the bevel grinding jig this is especially valuable. No other blade holding method allows for the mirroring and positioning accuracy that the MagChuck is capable of. With just a 180 degree turn of the magnets knob the blade can be removed. Push the blade back up against the dowel pins as it was before and turn the magnet back on and you are ready to continue working. The MagChuck easily maintains under .001 inches of positional accuracy when used properly. The MagChuck is currently available in two sizes. The MC76 measures 4 inches long and 1 1/2 inches wide and features 76 precision holes for the dowel pins. It is perfect for folder blades and smaller fixed blades. The MC152 measures 6 inches long and 2 inches wide with 152 positioning holes. It is better suited for mid range fixed blades up to larger kitchen knives and Bowies. Every MagChuck is fully CNC milled from billet 6061 Aluminum insuring a perfectly flat and square tool. The aluminum is professionally hard coat anodized for a long service life. If you are a blade maker then you will benefit from having one of these tools. The speed and precision consistent with the MagChuck makes it a truly remarkable tool.

This bevel grinding jig is the fastest and most repeatable jig available to knife makers. Since it utilizes a MagChuck to hold the blade in position that means it has repeatability under .001 inches. The blade can also be mirrored to the opposite side and still maintain the exact same angle and position in relation to the handles where the maker controls it. The entire jig is precision built using CNC machines to generate a consistent and precision fit. The jig locks up solid and holds its angle.  The grinding angle is easily adjusted by loosening the stainless steel thumb nut and turning the tilt screw with the included wrench. Lightly snug the thumb nut back down and the angle will be locked in with absolutely no slop. Utilizing a wrench means fine adjustments can be made by turning the tilt screw with the wrench while the nut is snugged up. This makes tweaking the angle easy. A pair of solid handles allows the user to get a firm grip on the tool with the ability to apply heavy down pressure to keep the jig flat to the work rest. The jig slides on 4 steel feet that make minimal contact with the work table. This allows the jig to freely slide with little friction and limits the interference that built up grinding dust can cause. These feet are also easily adjusted to get rid of any rock the jig may have on your grinding table. The jig can be used in wet grinding and will last a very long time. The same jig body will except both the MC76 and MC152 MagChucks with only a change of the pivoting bracket. Also, the MagChuck can be removed by simply taking out the two mount screws, detach the MagChuck and then reinstall the screws into the MagChuck. This means that when you purchase this bevel grinding jig you are actually purchasing two tools. The base of the tool measures 6 inches long by 3 inches wide. This bevel grinding jig is a must for any knife maker doing production grinding or just wanting more consistency in there blades. 

Contender Machine Works manufacturer’s water cooled, ceramic lined flat platens. These platens are CNC machined from aluminum and have high temperature ceramic glass glued on. When water is pumped though these platens they stay cool to the touch even under heavy grinding. The ceramic makes for a very smooth surface to grind against and reduces belt bump. The integrated spray nozzle allows the knife maker to spray a steam of water onto the belt or directly onto the blade while grinding. This can be very useful when grinding post heat treat to keep the blade from over heating. We have several styles of these platens to fit different makes of grinders and are always willing to custom make a platen for any grinder. You will need to provide your own pump and water tank. Since these platens are non-magnetic they can be used with the MagChuck. Try one of these platens out and watch your flat grinds and belt life improve immediately. Contact us for more information.