Why do cutting tools have the nub?

Joe Dupre'

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In low quality tools, the nub may not be in the exact right location, and it just can't do it's intended job. Then, yes it's just there for window dressing. I've been using the same pair of concave cutters for eight years now. They have a tiny, shiny contact point where the nub meets the handle. Unless you sharpen too aggressively or abuse the tool, I would guess the nub and the edge would wear at approx. the same rate and be kind of self-regulating. If you have the need to adjust the edge contact, CAREFUL, slight filing of the handle contact point would be my choice.
 

vancehanna

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Simple: that little projection is a stop to keep the two blades from hard contact.
The concave cutter has this feature.
When a mandible tool is sharpened one blade overlaps the other thus the name.
The stop or what this group is calling a nub is just that: a stop.
It keeps the blade from hard contact of the matching blade so as to reduce the contact.
It is a a skilled job in sharpening this type of tool being careful to keep the overbite blade from damaging the underbite.
For the record: there is no“mold”.
What is present are dies. The left side is the tool will hold the stop (nub).
The steel is from a billet and is the rough form of each side of the tool.
Each one (red hot) is separately placed into the die and under tons of pressure the forging process takes place. Think of it like a giant hammer slamming into the work. The metal is expressed, that is forced into shape.
There are what we call prog dies: progressive dies are where the part travels from station to station taking shape slowly into the nearly finished side of the tool.
The pieces are trimmed, surface ground and ready to receive the stop (nub).

The left side that has the stop will be drilled and the hole will be forged (slammed)
with that thing you’re calling a nub. It will be set in place via the shear force of the die as the metal is heated to near red hot.

Final trimming via next die station and heat treating the cutting jaws.

Next coloration a controlled ferrous oxide treatment and final sharpening.

Hope this helps!

So take care of your tools!!
 

Paradox

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Yea "mold" wasn't the correct term.
Couldn't think of the correct one at the time.
"Die" is definitely correct and more accurate.
And stamping from soft metal makes more sense.
 

penumbra

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Simple: that little projection is a stop to keep the two blades from hard contact.
The concave cutter has this feature.
When a mandible tool is sharpened one blade overlaps the other thus the name.
The stop or what this group is calling a nub is just that: a stop.
It keeps the blade from hard contact of the matching blade so as to reduce the contact.
It is a a skilled job in sharpening this type of tool being careful to keep the overbite blade from damaging the underbite.
For the record: there is no“mold”.
What is present are dies. The left side is the tool will hold the stop (nub).
The steel is from a billet and is the rough form of each side of the tool.
Each one (red hot) is separately placed into the die and under tons of pressure the forging process takes place. Think of it like a giant hammer slamming into the work. The metal is expressed, that is forced into shape.
There are what we call prog dies: progressive dies are where the part travels from station to station taking shape slowly into the nearly finished side of the tool.
The pieces are trimmed, surface ground and ready to receive the stop (nub).

The left side that has the stop will be drilled and the hole will be forged (slammed)
with that thing you’re calling a nub. It will be set in place via the shear force of the die as the metal is heated to near red hot.

Final trimming via next die station and heat treating the cutting jaws.

Next coloration a controlled ferrous oxide treatment and final sharpening.

Hope this helps!

So take care of your tools!!
Thank you for giving the full explanation in clear and precise words.
You explained it all much better than I ever could have.
 

vancehanna

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Sorry that stop is a rod of steel drawn through a die from another supplier as “wire”.
The die for the left side handle might produce the hole for it but it is certainly Not built into the side as a projection of that caliber.
Sorry to rebuff your statement but I spent a career in design engineering-product design and tooling.
 

DrTolhur

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So this got more interesting. I've discerned 4 answers to the question about why tools have the nub:
1) It hopefully won't serve any purpose in regular use, but could act as an emergency stopper if the tool fails and would otherwise slam together.
2) It acts as a regular stop, making contact at just the same time as the tool edges to help absorb the force of closing.
3) It "should" do #2, but cheap tools aren't precise enough, so they effectively do nothing.
4) It's not intended to have a real function, but it's just viewed as traditionally part of the tool, so they keep it on.

Certainly these aren't all mutually exclusive, and it seems like a definitive answer is unlikely, except possibly in the case of a specific tool.
 

arreaux

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Simple: that little projection is a stop to keep the two blades from hard contact.
The concave cutter has this feature.
When a mandible tool is sharpened one blade overlaps the other thus the name.
The stop or what this group is calling a nub is just that: a stop.
It keeps the blade from hard contact of the matching blade so as to reduce the contact.
It is a a skilled job in sharpening this type of tool being careful to keep the overbite blade from damaging the underbite.
For the record: there is no“mold”.
What is present are dies. The left side is the tool will hold the stop (nub).
The steel is from a billet and is the rough form of each side of the tool.
Each one (red hot) is separately placed into the die and under tons of pressure the forging process takes place. Think of it like a giant hammer slamming into the work. The metal is expressed, that is forced into shape.
There are what we call prog dies: progressive dies are where the part travels from station to station taking shape slowly into the nearly finished side of the tool.
The pieces are trimmed, surface ground and ready to receive the stop (nub).

The left side that has the stop will be drilled and the hole will be forged (slammed)
with that thing you’re calling a nub. It will be set in place via the shear force of the die as the metal is heated to near red hot.

Final trimming via next die station and heat treating the cutting jaws.

Next coloration a controlled ferrous oxide treatment and final sharpening.

Hope this helps!

So take care of your tools!!
Beat me to it! It keeps the cutting surfaces on my concave cutter from contacting each other with a slight overlap.
 

penumbra

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So this got more interesting. I've discerned 4 answers to the question about why tools have the nub:
1) It hopefully won't serve any purpose in regular use, but could act as an emergency stopper if the tool fails and would otherwise slam together.
2) It acts as a regular stop, making contact at just the same time as the tool edges to help absorb the force of closing.
3) It "should" do #2, but cheap tools aren't precise enough, so they effectively do nothing.
4) It's not intended to have a real function, but it's just viewed as traditionally part of the tool, so they keep it on.

Certainly these aren't all mutually exclusive, and it seems like a definitive answer is unlikely, except possibly in the case of a specific tool.
Well hell! I didn't know you were looking for the definitive answer. I am satisfied with all of them. ;)
 
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