Arthur the aardsnark!

[Murphnuge]

I'm going to stop fiddling with my computer regarding the images issue. I'm on the wife's laptop this morning and .....no pictures on Bladeforums. Weirdness indeed.

I've been having issues with images from bladeforums loading on my phone. Works good on my laptop though. Call Dbag?

 

[worldwood]

Get rid of Windows.

I have started to grow fond of windows 8 and chrome.

 

[Murphnuge]

Oh, in on 42!

 

[GSO1962]

Snow day for me today in Central Texas! Fort Hood is closed. I know you all from the North/Midwest would scoff at the maybe 2 inch drifts (with probably less than an inch of precip), but for the road crews here, it is a significant event. They don't have many plows, and don't use salt, just gravel/sand. So when it rains yesterday afternoon, followed by a hard freeze, then an inch or so of snow, the roads are bad. People here don't know how to drive in it, and the road crews are way under-equipped to get all the streets done in any reasonable period of time.



On the other hand, the wabbits have no issues getting around. I think the last time I saw wabbit twacks in the snow, I was stationed in Germany in the mid-90's...

 

[TMHunt]

All the talk of computer issues, I have not had any to my knowledge, knock on wood. However, Trade, did you get my last PM the other day?

 

[crimsonfalcon07]

Thanks for the info Todd.

I have been reading about it all morning and I think your right, i dont think i will be going that method.

I have honestly never really checked on the prices or minimums of water jetting and CAD. I just figured not many people would want to deal with cutting 1 blank at a time.

I just decided, kind of spur of the moment, to order a piece of steel. Really i have nothing in mind yet for the steel, just wanted to get it and have it for once i decided on another knife i wanted made.

I just liked the idea of having a hand in it. I like the idea of getting the steel myself this time, drawing my design on it, having someone cut it out and profile it, then send it to me and let me send it to peters for heat treating, and then i could send it to have a final edge put on it once i get it back from heat treating.... This will likely get a little more expensive then buying an already made knife from a maker, but i want to go through the steps myself this one time.... just to do it and learn what actually goes down.

Just a learning experience where i end up with a knife in the end

FWIW, I use an angle grinder with cutting disc to rough out a blank. It's a lot cheaper, although some of the knifemakers have horror stories about discs breaking and so forth. As long as you don't put a lot of pressure on it (especially not sideways), and let it do the cutting, it works well. Then you can clean up the profile on a belt grinder or dremel, or use files.

 

[TMHunt]

FWIW, I use an angle grinder with cutting disc to rough out a blank. It's a lot cheaper, although some of the knifemakers have horror stories about discs breaking and so forth. As long as you don't put a lot of pressure on it (especially not sideways), and let it do the cutting, it works well. Then you can clean up the profile on a belt grinder or dremel, or use files.

Thats why Ive always admired your work crimson.........you work to hard.

 

[LeeBower]

I've started with beer and moved on to wine. Hard liquor might be next! lol!

Oh man, I learned a long time ago.. Beer before Liquor, never sicker... lol. Hope all is well this morning..

I learned to true wheels on motorcycles.. when I got to doing bicycle wheels I had to learn some finesse.. I was used to cranking and cranking before I got any response.

 

[granitestateofmind]

I'm going to stop fiddling with my computer regarding the images issue. I'm on the wife's laptop this morning and .....no pictures on Bladeforums. Weirdness indeed.

Do any of your computing devices work elsewhere, like on a 4G network or a public WiFi? Sometimes my router just needs to be power cycled....and it's a pretty decent Netgear small biz VPN router....also there's a plug-in for FF called No-Script that might give you an idea of whether or not those pictures look like malware to some software you have installed. Other than that, I got nothing.....nothing that doesn't involve chickens and blood sacrifices, anyway

Get rid of Windows.

I need to build myself a new machine, and I think I will end up finally giving windows the boot. I've got linux running on a few of them (including this one, dual boot), but it takes a little more effort to get everything working together nicely -I'm thinking specifically of the whole HTPC/FreeNAS/server thing. Last time I tried I gave up in frustration, but I think I've calmed down enough to try again.

 

[mrn8]

FWIW, I use an angle grinder with cutting disc to rough out a blank. It's a lot cheaper, although some of the knifemakers have horror stories about discs breaking and so forth. As long as you don't put a lot of pressure on it (especially not sideways), and let it do the cutting, it works well. Then you can clean up the profile on a belt grinder or dremel, or use files.

Harbor Freight sells a portable band saw that comes in sub-$100. That might be another option for WW, and you don't run the risk of shattering a disc. I've seen a few that have been secured to a bench or wall and a fitted with a little cutting table.

 

[iwouldhurtafly]

I love animals as much as the next guy, but what I hate is irresponsible animal owners, I'd never harm a animal out of spite. But I will shoot one while hunting or if one is being a neucence. (sp) For example, I live in a neighborhood, but it is out of city limits. Some old b!tch that lives down the street had a little white dog that she walked around and stops and let it sh!t in everyones yard during her walks. If that wasnt bad enough, she let it run loose in the evenings and it would get into everybodies trash on trash days. I confronted her one time when she was letting it do its business in my yard and the only thing she did was give me a dirty look, ignore me and leave the steaming pile there for me to clean up. After two other times of the little bastard getting in my trash, I confronted my nieghboor (who is the police chief) and he says as long as I had confronted her about the problem and it hadnt been taken care of. I was totally within my rights to shoot the dog on my property as long as its being a neucence. So,next time I saw her walk by I told her about catching her dog in my trash and polietly asked her to take care of it. Again, she was rude and said, "this dog is old and can do anything it wants. She (the dog) was in this nieghborhood way before you where" Two weeks later it had knocked over another trash barrel and ripped up one of the bags while it was getting ready to leave for work..............It went out with the trash. Im not bragging about that, hated to do it, but it was a result of a ignorant owner.

Its never fun having to put down an animal. My aunt had a dog that her son brought home and she could not take care of it. To boot, the dog was just off. Over a period of time the dogs temper and manner started deteriorating. When it was on a chain and saw you it would bark and snarl and growl like it wanted to rip out your throat if you came near, but the moment you got within biting range it would start peeing and crapping itself, and shaking real bad. I am pretty sure it had something wrong in the brain. My aunt asked me to get rid of it, she didnt care how, or want to know. The rest of the story I am sure yall can figure out, but I was only a teen and didnt know to dig a hole first. It doesnt feel good to harm an animal but in that dogs case it had something really wrong with it. Another time the neighbors had a big ugly black dog that loved to come into our yard and get into fights with our sheltie. My parents got the dog the same time I was born so me and Cody were very close. Anyways, after a few times with this, having to stitch up our dog, and no resolution from the neighbors, the next time it came into the yard I peppered it with hot loaded steel shot from my 12 gauge. Regretfully it didnt kill it but man were the neighbors mad. I got screamed at from across the creek and called all sorts of nice things, but that was the last time that dog ever came into the yard.

 

[crimsonfalcon07]

Thats why Ive always admired your work crimson.........you work to hard.

Heh. I got a 36" OAL jian design cut and rough ground in fewer than 4 hours yesterday. That's cut from the stock, profiled, and 4 bevels ground in. Felt like a pretty good amount of work.

 

[iwouldhurtafly]

On a happier note, look what the wife brought home for me last night.... Fire pit! Its an early valentines day present. We always seem to get each other presents early and never on the days we are classically supposed too. Either way, I would say it was a REALLY good gift. Its stainless steel, very large, and works purty well. Christened it last night with some wood prepped with my Beckers. It was in the teens last night but in front of the fire it was quite nice. I said she did very well!


And a crappy pic of the tools I used last night.


Fire!

 

[worldwood]

FWIW, I use an angle grinder with cutting disc to rough out a blank. It's a lot cheaper, although some of the knifemakers have horror stories about discs breaking and so forth. As long as you don't put a lot of pressure on it (especially not sideways), and let it do the cutting, it works well. Then you can clean up the profile on a belt grinder or dremel, or use files.

Man i need to take a trip to Colorado to do some learning Do you offer beginner classes? LOL. When you make a knife its really hand made!!

Plus its Colorado, Some good laws there for me....I might not ever want to leave LMAO

Harbor Freight sells a portable band saw that comes in sub-$100. That might be another option for WW, and you don't run the risk of shattering a disc. I've seen a few that have been secured to a bench or wall and a fitted with a little cutting table.

I just looked at that portable saw, pretty cool!! Ill look some more into options like that but space is really an issue here. I do have a pretty open basement but id be worried about not having any type of exhaust down there. Thats what stopped me getting a sander and doing scales down there. I didnt want all the dust and fumes trapped where i was working.

 

[crimsonfalcon07]

Harbor Freight sells a portable band saw that comes in sub-$100. That might be another option for WW, and you don't run the risk of shattering a disc. I've seen a few that have been secured to a bench or wall and a fitted with a little cutting table.

Yep, that table is pretty cool, but it runs 120 bucks. Also, you gotta get bimetal blades for it. An angle grinder is like 30 bucks at HF, and discs are 4 bucks for a 10 pack pretty often. One disc would rough out most smaller blades. Usually takes me 2-3, but then, I make BIG things. You still run the risk of being a fool and having your fingers eaten by the saw too. All power tools are dangerous. Find me a power tool that's not dangerous, and I'll find you one that's not plugged in (and even then, you can still hurt yourself).

 

[crimsonfalcon07]

Man i need to take a trip to Colorado to do some learning Do you offer beginner classes? LOL. When you make a knife its really hand made!!

Plus its Colorado, Some good laws there for me....I might not ever want to leave LMAO



I just looked at that portable saw, pretty cool!! Ill look some more into options like that but space is really an issue here. I do have a pretty open basement but id be worried about not having any type of exhaust down there. Thats what stopped me getting a sander and doing scales down there. I didnt want all the dust and fumes trapped where i was working.

I'm still a hobbyist, but you're welcome to stop by and mess around in my shop with me. Only gonna be here for another year though. I gotta find some time to get back with BMauser so he can finish up his design too. Definitely venting is important. My shop is literally covered, every inch, with a ton of steel dust. Colorado's laws aren't perfect though. I can't get some of the handgun and rifle designs I want right now thanks to the stupidity of the magazine ban here

 

[TMHunt]

Heh. I got a 36" OAL jian design cut and rough ground in fewer than 4 hours yesterday. That's cut from the stock, profiled, and 4 bevels ground in. Felt like a pretty good amount of work.

That indeed is a great deal of work.....Who, or how do you heat treat something that long? when I bought my HT oven I purposely got the biggest/longest one they had at the time (they make one size deeper now) My oven will take a 22in. long piece max. I've turned down work before because I couldnt HT it.

 

[crimsonfalcon07]

That indeed is a great deal of work.....Who, or how do you heat treat something that long? when I bought my HT oven I purposely got the biggest/longest one they had at the time (they make one size deeper now) My oven will take a 22in. long piece max. I've turned down work before because I couldnt HT it.

Peters. They'll do air cooling steels up to 44" OAL.

 

[james terrio]

Changing the subject... James what do you think about plasma cutting?

Well, people do that... but it's not the best idea. See Todd's post above. If you're only doing one or two knives it really doesn't take long to profile it out, even with a hacksaw and files. Honestly, that's the easiest part. If you have access to a drill press (and you're going to want one), you can simply drill around the outline and "connect the dots". This was a Tracker/WSK style knife I did a few years ago... normally I'd just hack off the corners with an angle grinder and take it down to final profile on the 2x72, but this was an odd shape... anyway it just shows there's more than one way to skin a cat.

Now if you're going to do a dozen, or it's a big honkin beast with weird shapes like the M18, yeah it's totally worthwhile to have a waterjet place do it. With most places, once they have the file set up you can order more and it will get a little cheaper.

I love animals as much as the next guy, but what I hate is irresponsible animal owners, I'd never harm a animal out of spite. But I will shoot one while hunting or if one is being a nuisance...

I understand all that, and I agree.

 

[james terrio]

Incidentally, I agree with Crimson... an angle grinder is a perfectly good cut-off tool when used properly. That's what they're made for. I wear a full face shield and heavy coat when I use mine, and welding gloves. (it only takes once to realize that a shower of sparks straight up your sleeve is a pretty bad idea ) Don't aim the sparks at a pile of greasy rags or something, either.

Yes, you should do one of these, or neither...

Thanks for clearing that up