Thanks guys! Pat, who knows. We are on the same continent, at any rate...
Chapter 5.
With the scales milled, I turn to drilling the handle. On this knife I am using a 5/16" stainless corby in the center, flanked by a solid 5/16" ss pin on either side. The corby, in tandem with the rigidity of the G10, gives some added mechanical security, while the heavy pins speed the assembly a bit and add a little more weight to the handle, shifting the balance back a little more. In this case, the customer likes a European style handle with some solidity to it.
One of the holes work hardens on me while drilling the last step, so I have to go back and triple draw the tang to a low red, cooling each time as soon as the heat fades. The heat does not bleed into the bolster, and as a result the tang is easier to drill afterwards. Dang cheap bits.
I tack the tang into one of the scales with cyanoacrylate, (making sure the spacer is in front) then drill the fastener holes. I flip the scale, and counterbore the center hole for the corby. I spend 20 minutes looking for my 5/16 corby c-bore, then get fed up and make another one by grinding the center of a 5/16” twist bit down to 7/32”.
I ream the hole and square the bottom up nice with a 5/16” 4 flute end mill, held in a hand chuck. I find this makes fitting them easier and cleaner.
I want it to sit down with the screw slot almost flush with the surface; these are long corbys but still grinding into the center would SUCK. Ask me how I know.
I do the other scale, drilling back through the tang. Here is another, and better way of clamping for drilling- the corian drilling pad has a slot cut in it, to clear a small c-clamp. This is what I do when the super glue fails me, it’s just a bit slower but more solid.
I mock the handle up dry- all is well.
I rough the scale profiles out on the metal bandsaw.
I hand flatten and rough the inside surfaces of the scales on granite with 220 paper.
I go back to sanding the blade, moving up to a 400 grit diagonal pattern.
When I’m done there, I go to 600 grit lengthwise, first with the steel bar, then with the soft bar- an old file with a leather pad glued on. This blends nicely; hard rubber works well too.
The resulting finish.
With the mark side done, I first wipe the blade down with PB Blaster, then wipe it dry and tape it up. The light oil helps keep tape schmutz from sticking to the blade; even though I use painter’s tape it can leave some bits behind when pulled off. Also, it keeps water from creeping under the tape when sanding the other side. I usually do one side up to my finish grit, then the other side; that way I don’t have to keep taping it and flipping it.
The other side all sanded up to 600.
I glued the handle up- didn’t have anyone to run the camera, which I can’t do with epoxy all over my gloves. Here is the handle clamped up in my hidden tang glue clamp.
I like to use an old phone book as a series of disposable epoxy trays. Lasts forever, I got this trick from a good fella right here in Shoptalk.
The next day, while my apprentice Zack shows his brother Ethan how to forge a fillet knife...
And his son Gabriel cuts out a handle pattern for his bolo blade...
I rough out the handle on the Pheer grinder with a 60 grit Al-ox belt, using the platen and top wheel, and cooling the pins and blowing the belt out as I go with compressed air.
I move to the 1-1/4” wheel on the Square Wheel for the underside of the handle by the bolster, then back to the platen with 220 grit. I consider it quite difficult not to remove too much material near the bolster on the underside. A slack belt can do more harm than good- if you haven’t tried this before, be careful here and go slow. G10 just grinds away SO fast. Same thing applies in hand finishing next to metal surfaces.
I support the handle at the bench on a bit of leather, and hand sand it from 220 grit on up to 600, being careful to use a micarta backer for the pins. I use an eraser glued to a wood handle for the rest. I finish sand the spine and heel to a smoothly rounded 600 grit at this point, too.
Here are a couple shots of the glue joints at 600. Not bad.
With the handle sanded, I tape it up in paper towels to protect the surface, and take the tape off the blade. I take the blade in the house to wash it super clean until water will “sheet” on it. I find this gives me clean etch results. I tape my stencil on.
I do my etch sequence...
Here’s how it looked when the stencil came off...
I go inside, windex the blade, soap and water and dry it off. Coming back out, I clamp the blade back up and sand over the etched mark with 600 on the soft bar until it looks clean. I apply more Blaster and wipe dry.
I’m ready to sharpen, so I go to the Viel-S5 1x42 grinder and use 60, then 400, then a leather belt with green cutting compound to quickly establish a burr-free yet aggressive shaving edge. The edge was about .007” before sharpening, so this did not take long.
It’s done! Here it is...
Here’s its little buddy, the matching paring knife I’ve been making along with it...
And here they are together. Later I’ll be taking better pics with good lighting and all for my portfolio.
That’s all for now, folks- thanks again for staying tuned!
Love that handle treatment Salem! :thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:
