Beckerhead Knife Making and Modification Thread

You're working with O1, right? Good steel for both fine cutting and rough work, but I swear it rusts worse than anything else I've tried.

Mineral oil gets talked about a lot, but I've found it's not really all it's cracked up to be for pretty much anything (but it's certainly better than nothing). There are several good protectants out there... somewhere in MT&E there's a thread with testing results. I use Mobil 1 in the shop because I have it on hand anyway and it doesn't stink.

I want to try Frog Lube for shipping knives out... it consistently ranks in the top 2 or 3 among common rust-protectors and it's supposed to be food-safe as I recall.
 
Yea im working with O1 and 52100. The O1 does start to oxidize faster but even the 52100 starts to oxidize in less than a week down there.

And im starting to think you are right about the mineral oil. I tried a thin coat, a thick layer.. No matter what it doesnt last very long in real humid environments. But the Eezox has never failed me yet and i been using it here and there for MONTHS, maybe even a year. But that smell... Damn that smell just goes and goes. Dont accidentally get any on carpet, your clothing, or even your hands.. It takes a couple washing to remove it. I just ran out of the spray can of it i ordered forever ago and planned on trying something else next just because of the smell of it. It works great but stinks to high heaven.

Which Mobil 1 do you suggest using for rust preventative? Hell a quart of that stuff would probably last forever.
 
Dropping this here...still working on straight swedges. My new setup; gives me more jig on the table and seems to work well enough, but I'll be figuring out a way to set it up for each side that doesn't involve a tape measure and eyeballing. Luckily I was able to index off the bolt holes when I flipped the knife around to grind the other side.

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Might even get to the Scotchbrite belt in a bit....

Link to new pics:Taking the 7 towards tactical p=14063723#post14063723
 
Great work Mike! What is that thingamabob you're using as a jig? You dont have any issues with the grooves in the rest? I hate that thing, i wish someone sold a a tool rest add on that was just a flat solid piece of steel. That would be the first thing i ordered. Im also surprised you havent cut that dang tool rest yet. Thats the first thing i had to do. I hate having to take it off and on every time i swap belts. Really i just dont like that tool rest at all LMAO, mine isnt even perfectly flat. It warps up to one end. Ill stop complaining... For the price i guess i shouldnt be.
 
Woohoo... tomorrow is Friday!!

Im excited to go get me an angle grinder, scroll saw, and tumbler!!

Im also taking the wife and kids out to eat as well. Good stuff.

Think i may go ahead this weekend and finish of the 14 i modded. Strip the rest of the coating, then give it an acid bath and try out the new tumbler and try and put a heavy stonewash on it!

I did just put a new edge on it though... So ill have to redo that completely after its tumbled but ah... What the hell right? :D
 
worldwood said:
Great work Mike! What is that thingamabob you're using as a jig? You dont have any issues with the grooves in the rest? I hate that thing, i wish someone sold a a tool rest add on that was just a flat solid piece of steel. That would be the first thing i ordered. Im also surprised you havent cut that dang tool rest yet. Thats the first thing i had to do. I hate having to take it off and on every time i swap belts. Really i just dont like that tool rest at all LMAO, mine isnt even perfectly flat. It warps up to one end. Ill stop complaining... For the price i guess i shouldnt be.
Click to expand...

That is a piece of 80/20 aluminum.....I had some but not that size (I have the square stuff, half that size) and picked that up at an electronics surplus place I go by sometimes. You can google 80/20 hardware and find components to build just about anything you could possibly imagine. The slots accept bolts like t-bolts, so you can rig up clamps and all kinds of stuff.

As far as the rest/table goes....mine isn't warped, and it sure could be smoother (easy to remedy, I guess - 600 grit W/D and some wax), but it works OK. Hard to get angles set up, doesn't sit square and perpendicular to the belt....all stuff I can work with, for the price. I can actually get belt on and off without removing/moving the table, though I have considered cutting it off. I'll probably do that when I re-engineer the dust collector hood. All that takes shop time, tho, and I'd rather spend that time grinding steel or sanding scales when I get it.

FWIW, you could probably build a tool rest out of sheet stock aluminum and a heavy duty alu angle bracket (like...80/20!)...but that takes time. If I did even a ¼ the tool mods I've dreamed up I'd never actually build/mod anything.....except for the tools.
 
Great googly-moogly, I have no idea why anyone would choose to sand off the coating of their Becker. It's pretty damn difficult...It seems as if the grind on my 7 is not flat but a VERY large radius hollow. The sanding block is taking steel off at the top and bottom, but I can now see all the ridges left by the factory grind.

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You can also see where the steel is depressed (poor steel :() all around the roll stamping. I might not get this as flat as I thought I would. I'm thinking I might switch to a sanding block that's a little more flexible (than ceramic tile!). I'd love to flatten it on the grinder, but I am positive to screw it up royally that way. I know a lot of makers use surface grinders; does anyone know a little quicker way to do this besides W/D paper?

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Maybe I should switch to 100 grit instead of the 180 I'm using....but then it'll be even more time trying to get the scratches out.
Quite possibly this will be my koan. Ah, well.
 
Got me some toys!!

I made out like a bandit :D I went through the line more than once so i could use more than 1 20% off coupon. Then grabbed a few clamps that were on sale for 2 bucks each. I know these cutoff disc arent the best but they were on sale for a couple bucks for a 5 pack so i grabbed a pack just to have something while i wait on the good cutoff disc ill be ordering.

They didnt have any more of the ceramic polishing media triangular stone thingies for the tumbler so i stopped by the pet store and got lucky there too!! They had all types of river rocks and stones in a clearance bin so i stocked up!!

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Im a happy camper!!
 
granitestateofmind said:
Great googly-moogly, I have no idea why anyone would choose to sand off the coating of their Becker. It's pretty damn difficult...It seems as if the grind on my 7 is not flat but a VERY large radius hollow. The sanding block is taking steel off at the top and bottom, but I can now see all the ridges left by the factory grind.

You can also see where the steel is depressed (poor steel :() all around the roll stamping. I might not get this as flat as I thought I would. I'm thinking I might switch to a sanding block that's a little more flexible (than ceramic tile!). I'd love to flatten it on the grinder, but I am positive to screw it up royally that way. I know a lot of makers use surface grinders; does anyone know a little quicker way to do this besides W/D paper?



Maybe I should switch to 100 grit instead of the 180 I'm using....but then it'll be even more time trying to get the scratches out.
Quite possibly this will be my koan. Ah, well.
Click to expand...

An orbital sander.
 
granitestateofmind said:
Nice! Someone had a little toolgasm. I can just see you handing stuff to your wife and going back into a different line....
Click to expand...

LMAO!!! Thats exactly what happened too :D We used 3 different 20% off coupons!! Got a case of black and tans with the extra money we saved!!

Threw on some loose clothes, unpacked the tools and let Friday night begin!!

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granitestateofmind said:
Great googly-moogly, I have no idea why anyone would choose to sand off the coating of their Becker. It's pretty damn difficult...It seems as if the grind on my 7 is not flat but a VERY large radius hollow. The sanding block is taking steel off at the top and bottom, but I can now see all the ridges left by the factory grind.

You can also see where the steel is depressed (poor steel :() all around the roll stamping. I might not get this as flat as I thought I would. I'm thinking I might switch to a sanding block that's a little more flexible (than ceramic tile!). I'd love to flatten it on the grinder, but I am positive to screw it up royally that way. I know a lot of makers use surface grinders; does anyone know a little quicker way to do this besides W/D paper?
.
Click to expand...

I used a drywall sanding sponge to do take the coating off this one.... It took a few hours though, and this picture is after polishing with flitz as well.

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tradewater said:
An orbital sander.
Click to expand...

Will it stay flat enough? Plus, hardened steel and only 100's of discs for wood and finishes. The 120 and an aluminum block seem to be working, though not as fast as a power tool would.

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I've just resigned myself to the fact that it'll be a little time consuming - which gives me a little more time for consuming....malt beverages.
 
Yes it will stay flat enough and you can get just about any kind of paper you want. However, I vote for beer and sanding blocks since it's dark outside. And it's Friday.
 
WW, you got some cool tools brother. Getting a nice set up you can do some damage with and you have good taste in beer. GSOM has a potential "Mod of the Year" going on there. I need to get my ass in gear. :D
 
tradewater said:
WW, you got some cool tools brother. Getting a nice set up you can do some damage with and you have good taste in beer. GSOM has a potential "Mod of the Year" going on there. I need to get my ass in gear. :D
Click to expand...

Don't forget to depress the clutch first. Or maybe you can get somebody to bump start it.
 
granitestateofmind said:
Will it stay flat enough? Plus, hardened steel and only 100's of discs for wood and finishes. The 120 and an aluminum block seem to be working, though not as fast as a power tool would.

I've just resigned myself to the fact that it'll be a little time consuming - which gives me a little more time for consuming....malt beverages.
Click to expand...

You know I'm laughing at you, right? :D
An orbital will remove the paint, but also convex the whole thing and wreck the tacticool lines. Maybe next gathering I'll give a hand-sanding clinic... That will take some planning. Truck tailgate needs a vise anyway, right?
 
daizee said:
You know I'm laughing at you, right? :D
An orbital will remove the paint, but also convex the whole thing and wreck the tacticool lines. Maybe next gathering I'll give a hand-sanding clinic... That will take some planning. Truck tailgate needs a vise anyway, right?
Click to expand...
I wasn't going to use the orbital anyway. Tools for the evening: sandpaper, aluminum block & lubricant.

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Had to go for the hard foam block for the stamp area. I can see why Ka-Bar doesn't do that any more. There had to have been a few metric tons of pressure on the steel in that area.

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Also, firm in knowing I did the right thing NOT trying to get this done for the Gathering. Plus, there was a shit ton of other fun stuff to play with. And since my "tactical beverage opener" is clamped to the bench, I'm using my birudashi to keep the lubricant flowing.
 
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