Couple new projects for Jess coming up

STR

STR

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These D4 folders are always a challenge to redo but I took this one because part of the payment for the job came in the way of a couple knives both of which my wife helped herself to. So since she scratched them up in the garden dirt already I'm getting them in line to knock out.

Just kidding Jess. I'd have done them anyway but she really did say thanks, and run out the door with both knives.

April was quite happy getting another FlatByrd from you as a back up but your idea of one dirty and one nice was nixed in about ten minutes :D They's both dirty now!

I must admit I followed her out the back door to her garden to get my carbon fiber CalyIII back though. :mad: She ain't gettin' that one!

Anyway, here a first pic of the bubinga and lignum that will be used for this.

Originally as you recall there were two of these. One in bubinga and one in lignum. Jess is taking back that D4 for the lignum and going to send me another model he would rather have done up that way after thinking it over.

Due to the way these liners are inlayed into the D4 folders this bubinga model will have to be relined with titanium. I have a snag though because the rear barrels on these knives are some weird size, probably metric. I ordered what I hope is the right size drill bit today so I can reuse the originals rather than bump up to something like a 5/32. The hole in the liners is bigger than a 1/8 and smaller than a 9/64 so hopefully one of the two I ordered today will be one that fits. I will know in a few days. In the mean time I'll start on something else until the supplies arrive. Once I get those we'll be on our way.

Stay tuned you can watch it in progress.

Thanks for looking

STR
 
Hi Steve,
I have a question about the wood you are using, are they stablized?
thanks,
chris
 
These woods are ones that are so stable they don't need it. Lignum is said to be natures own stabalized wood. The rosewoods don't usually need it. So no.

Both these woods pictured were supplied by the customer also. I stock lignum vitae most of the time and some micarta and I do have a tiny bit of some orange g10 and teal g10 left from past jobs but other than some scraps of walnut thats about all I keep.

I've worked with the stabalized woods and off shoots of it. Smells at times like you are sanding acrylic or plastic if you use a belt sander. I've rarely had trouble with these two woods here when I've used it. I used some stabalized SW Black Ash a few years ago that warped though. Go figure. Even stabalized can give you a problem in rare instances.


STR
 
Thanks for the reply.

Interesting stuff...
going to have to read some more about it!

Thank You!
chris
 
Got underway on the Delica project I have on the bench. These smaller barrels for the body of the Delica 4 have me puzzled a bit. They sure are an odd size. I ordered a 3.5mm metric drill, a # 29 and #30 drill and while they are all close none of them are the right one. I have found that the closest one is the #29 but its still a bit small. I've managed though and with some polishing of the insides I was able to get the barrels in and get a test fire of the lock with the new liners today. Its like a rock and lookin' good.

Still rough and a ways from the finish line but progress in the right direction! :)

This is going to be some pretty handles I think. First time working with African Bubinga for me.

Thanks for looking.

STR:
 
Yep. I was right. They are going to look pretty darn good when finished.

STR
 
Thanks my friend.

I knocked out the bubinga wood one ordered with no pocket clip today.

It will be added when I get to it.

Tomorrow I'll take some good digital pictures of this one in the sun that will do more justice to it. Tonight all I can do is scan it since its sundown in Oklahoma.

STR
 
STR said:
Thanks my friend.

I knocked out the bubinga wood one ordered with no pocket clip today. Going to need new drills and a break before tackling the other though.

It will be added when I get to it.

Tomorrow I'll take some good digitals of this one in the sun that will do more justice to it. Tonight all I can do is scan it since its sundown in Oklahoma.

STR
Click to expand...

Steve,

All I can say is...."INCREDIBLE"!! My Dad is going to love his clipless bubinga Delica for Father's Day!! What a beauty! Many Thanks. :thumbup:
 
Thanks Jess. But you ain't seen it yet. Not really I mean.

Its been thunderstormin' again here in tornado alley America so it was a bit of a challenge to get any sun. I did catch a window for one or two shots and now its raining again.

Sorry for the one that is a cut off. I'm still gettin' to know my camera guys.
:o It shows the grain and the beauty of the wood though and that is what I was hoping to do justice to.

It was clouding up a bit more by the time I got the other shots in so they come across slightly darker but they are still much better than a scanner.

It dawned on me last night that the real beauty of this modification here is that nothing is permanently changed. The owner of this knife could theoretically go back and forth to the original factory liners and FRN scales if he wanted. All the hardware, hole sizes and all are still there.

Ok on to other things.

Again thanks for looking.

STR
 
Wow, you were right that bubinga wood really looks great. You did a fantastic job!

The natural light definitely helps bring out the depth in the wood vs. the scans.
 
That bubinga does look great. Incredible work! I really love what you are doing with the Spydies.

Regarding lignum vitae, I can't imagine that it is a wood that would ever need to be stabalized. It was routinely used for bearings on WW I ships and even today can be found in use in old hydroturbine engines. Lignum vitae bearings have been known to las 50 years or more. Most sources I've heard of say that it is the densest wood in the world and is a superb choice, in my opinion, for a using knife.
 
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