Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrgggggggghhhhhh!!!!

J

jmar595

Joined
Apr 1, 2007
Messages
84
Aaarrrgghh!!!! I was cutting a blade, my first knife also, with a cheap dremel tool that I had. I had to cut a little one night, stop, let it cool. Then cut some more the next night, and so on. I cut on this for 6 or 7 nights. When I was about to get it cut out. The tool died. I sucked it up and went and bought a dremel. Lot more power. WELL, tonight I was working on it and I was going to cut the guard out, almost had it cut out. IT DIED!! I bought it 2 nights ago. Aaarrgghh!!! I'm starting to think I am not meant to make knives. I am very anxious to work on it, but my tools won't cooperate. I think I am off to a descent start. My handle looks pretty good, and the blade will too, put the two together and I bet it will make a pretty good knife. Just wanted to vent a little.
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Let me know what you think. Also, should I put the tang in a small pipe? The handle is black african wood and teflon, and the blade is a lawnmower blade. I worry about the blade working loose from the teflon.
 
Sounds like you burned out the brushes in the dremel. You can replace them.
There are 2 slots on the dremel (on opposing sides of each other) that a flathead screwdriver fit into. Just turn them and the brush which is attached to a spring will come out. The new ones come with the springs attached.
 
You are NOT destined to make knives. You are NOT destined to even use the term. You ARE destined to continue buying Dremel tools, so as to make them rich. You are nothing, you are, in fact, destined to be piled on the top of the Soylent Green Heap! (look it up).

Your tools are underpowered, and you probably know it. If not, then I can't help you.

Me thinks, however, that you know it, and don't yet know what to do about it.

Just ask.
 
What do you mean Bodfish? What do you suggest for a tool? I have a Dremel 400 XPR; I sanded the brushes and it still does not work. Do you think replacing them with brand new ones will make a difference? If it overheated, is it toast? I like using the dremel because of the versatility of using different attachments.
What do you all think of my knife so far?
 
Is your blade already hardened? If not, you don't have to worry about dramatically overheating the steel when cutting it out. Furthermore, if heat worries you, just keep a bucket of water handy to dip the blade in between cuts. If you're looking for a cheap solution, grab yourself an angle grinder and go to town!
-Mark
 
Everywhere. Wal-mart, Sears, Harbor Freight, Tru-Value hardware, Home Depot. By the way, return the Dremel and ask for your money back. I've had mine for over 10 years without so much as a hiccup.
-Mark
 
I just picked up an angle grinder at a harbor freight sale for $10. They usually have a model for about $15 on a daily baisis.
 
It pays to buy name brand tools. I like the variable speed dremel. If you can afford it look into a foredom tool also.

BTW I like that handle shape
 
jmar595 said:
What do you mean Bodfish? What do you suggest for a tool? I have a Dremel 400 XPR; I sanded the brushes and it still does not work. Do you think replacing them with brand new ones will make a difference? If it overheated, is it toast? I like using the dremel because of the versatility of using different attachments.
What do you all think of my knife so far?
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You think me stoopid? You think I know NOTHING? And yet you unsult us all with your alias....he, he. Me laughing, not many others, me thinks.......

Sure, you sand Dremel tool, nicely, I might add. Sure, you ACT like this your first knife, he he! ME know better. You pulling chain, chop, chop! You MEAN SOB. me think. but funny:p

Me think you need better Dremel tool, make many mini knifes, like in cartoon, yes? maybe make for doll house or something. Maybe you use for finger nails. Make good for that.

No good you pull chain of long time makers here. You be SORRY!
 
I'm not sure about the newest ones but there used to be a big difference in Dremels .Some had bushings and they got very hot if used too long . The 'professional ' ones had ball bearings. In any case the Foredom tools are the way to go for serious use.
 
jmar595

Unless you are sure your going to make knives on a regular bases, just go get a 4 1/2 inch Black and Decker or a B&D Fire Storm right angle grinder. They will last forever with occasional use. Make sure to get one that the arbor will accept GRINDING and cutting wheels that are easy for you to find at Lowes or your local hardware store. Dremel and other electric rotary tools are for doing the finer detail work. Just as an example...If one of my basic blades requires 10 hours of course grinding, the dremel will account for about 1-2 hours of that time. Don't spend a ton of cash until your sure you like doing this.

By the way, love the look and shape of the handle. The glue is realy not going to like to stick to that teflon or steel, so I'd suggest drilling a few small holes in the tang so that the glue you use can get a grip.

As to the steel, lawn mower blades are not very hard to start with. Think about it, if it were really hard the first rock you hit would snap it. The water suggestion is the best ideal. When you notice the steel starting to blue off (300 or 400 degrees), just take it out of the vise and give 'er a dunkin'. And PLEASE clamp it when you use a right angle grinder. Those Dang things Will bite!

Your dad will love it.

Chiger
 
Thank you all for you help. You confuse me Bodfish. Thank you Chiger for your suggestions. I will do that with the tang, I had nor thought of that. My first blade I made, still haven't put a handle on it, so this is technically my first knife, I practiced a little file work on the tang, figured it would help hold it. Holes will do much better. Probabally practice file work on this tang too. Gonna do some on the spine. I am going to pin it together also, don't know if I can get any through the tang. I thought on the tang I would take a small pipe and smash it where it fits around the tang, then chain drill a hole in the handle. Clean it out to a rectangle the same as the tang and epoxy the pipe in the handle and the blade in the pipe. Do you think this will work? Oh, and I will put a guard over the front handle end to hide all that.
 
If you have to buy cheap tools, consider Walmart. If it craters after a few days, they will replace / refund.

The angle grinder is a good idea for hogging off material. After that, files and a mountain of sandpaper are probably better than a dremel.

The dremel definitely has it's place - but that place is in detail - not in major stock removal.

Rob!
 
jmar,

Yep, that will work, but is seems a heck of a lot of work when epoxy will do. Especially if you plan on pinning the handle. To tell the truth, your blade is really a hidden tang style and they are usually not pinned unless you are just trying to decorate the handle with the pin work. I've done dozens and dozens of hidden tang designs and never done more than roughing the tang before gluing it together and they are all still going strong. My first knife was done that way 30 years ago and I still use it all the time.

hope that helps.

chiger,
 
When working on steel with the dremel I've fried mine a couple times. One time I had a bunch of sparks, the longest of which was about 8", fly out of the vents. :eek: I ended up taking it back 3 times and Home Depot gave me new ones. Since then I've been simply blowing it out with an air compressor every 5 minutes or so, I think the steel dust gets inside and fries it.
 
Jared Stenoien said:
When working on steel with the dremel I've fried mine a couple times. One time I had a bunch of sparks, the longest of which was about 8", fly out of the vents. :eek: I ended up taking it back 3 times and Home Depot gave me new ones. Since then I've been simply blowing it out with an air compressor every 5 minutes or so, I think the steel dust gets inside and fries it.
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If you guys already have compressors then why not get a air driven high speed grinder with a few collets, you can use the dremmel bits in it and get 3" X 1/16" thick cutting disc`s for them . The collets range from 3/32" to 1/4".
I use one most days at work and the one I have now is about 5 years old and still going strong .
 
The air compressor is a much more recent acquisition and since I already have all the tooling for the dremel it wouldn't make much sense to buy new stuff.
 
Right tool + right material + right job = easier work, enjoyment, good finished product
wrong tool + wrong material + wrong job = frustration , broken tools and material

Dremel's weren't made to cut out knife blades.

Stacy
 
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