Couple of WIP knives just done, new surface grinder clamps

[Pittknife]

Hi Guys,

If you are interested in some good hold down clamps for surface grinding try the perma-grips. They can hold down non magnetic materials pretty easy.

Here are my latest knives during WIP using the new mill I got and surface grinder. Huge difference in the quality now.

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[drew1972]

Did you surface grind your scales and bolster together? It looks like you did. Very nice by the way. I'm new to knife making and want to try a folder. I have a mill but no surface grinder.

 

[Josh Rider]

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That thing is sick!

 

[Pittknife]

Did you surface grind your scales and bolster together? It looks like you did. Very nice by the way. I'm new to knife making and want to try a folder. I have a mill but no surface grinder.

I surface grind the scales and handles before individually so I have perfectly flat surfaces to mate. Then I surface grind them attached, only a thou at a time using windex.

You don't need a surface grinder, it just makes things infinitely more easy and fast. There are a lot of little tricks and what not I've learned using the surface grinder, it's not automatic like I thought.

 

[Pittknife]

MG]

That thing is sick!

Thanks Josh!

 

[drew1972]

Thanks for the response. I would like to have a surface grinder. But I'll wait a see if this turns into a serious hobby first...lol. I just ordered a pheer 454 grinder and in the process of building a forge.

 

[Patrice Lemée]

Looking good. :thumbup:

I'd love a couple of those clamps. Expensive a bit I believe. Can I ask where you bought yours?

 

[Drew Riley]

Looking good. :thumbup:

I'd love a couple of those clamps. Expensive a bit I believe. Can I ask where you bought yours?

You're not lying! I looked a couple sets up on fleabay and one was going for several hundred dollars!
I'm really not sure what exactly you're getting for that money. I imagine you could make a set that's just as effective for a couple dollars worth of spring tempered carbon steel. I may see about making a set myself. Looks like just a basic featherboard concept like you'd use on a saw or a planer. If I made a set, I'd probably think about making them 4 "half" pieces instead of 2 wholes. That way the opposing teeth can be adjusted a little more precisely against irregular shapes.

 

[Drew Riley]

Oh, and BTW, those are some fine looking knives!!

 

[Pittknife]

Looking good. :thumbup:

I'd love a couple of those clamps. Expensive a bit I believe. Can I ask where you bought yours?

I bought them off ebay. They are new from Magna-vise for about $450 I think, but brown & sharpe have been making these for a while and if you are lucky you can get them for around $200. Just have to make sure they are thinner than your thinnest material. These are .100' which is thinner than the scales I usually do.

 

[Pittknife]

Looking good. :thumbup:

I'd love a couple of those clamps. Expensive a bit I believe. Can I ask where you bought yours?

Oh, and BTW, those are some fine looking knives!!

Thanks bro!

I was thinking about making them too, it's just that I'm spending 90% of my time making fixtures, jigs and building my shop instead of actually making a knife. I wasn't going to drop the $450 new, but got lucky on a deal on Ebay. Some machine shop was closing up and listed a bunch and I jumped on them. They are really worth it for quick change. I was doing the super glue and hated the mess and scraping. Plus I couldn't super glue a finished handle made of non metal. Now I can resurface anytime I want and quickly.

 

[Drew Riley]

Thanks bro!

I was thinking about making them too, it's just that I'm spending 90% of my time making fixtures, jigs and building my shop instead of actually making a knife. I wasn't going to drop the $450 new, but got lucky on a deal on Ebay. Some machine shop was closing up and listed a bunch and I jumped on them. They are really worth it for quick change. I was doing the super glue and hated the mess and scraping. Plus I couldn't super glue a finished handle made of non metal. Now I can resurface anytime I want and quickly.

Believe me, I know what you mean. Shop time has been at a bit of a premium lately, and right now I'm torn between doing some maintenance on my lathe, making a set of perma clamps, cleaning up the shop, or actually making some knives! Maybe I'll do a little of each!