Dremel Tool for Becker mods...

T

TwinStick

Joined
Jan 21, 2011
Messages
4,083
Since i joined this forum, i always wondered how all the cool mods were done to peoples knives. It seems the Dremel Tool is popular beyond belief. So i thought i would start a thread for tips, so some of us newer members could learn some things BEFORE making a big mistake on a prized knife. So, feel free to tell us what works & what don't, tips, tricks, techniques, do's & don'ts, what accessories work or are "must haves", & which ones are a waste of money. Thanks.
 
Biggest tip, plan plan plan. mark your blade with what you wish to remove or add that way there is less chance of screwing up. also get a vice, i personally dont have one and i have to freehand everything and the tool "walks" alot. below is my dremel tool, the 200, it only has 2 speeds but fits my needs well for $19. also pictured are the most use bits, cut off wheel, coarse and medium sanding drums, and the diffferent grinding wheels.

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When making a choil, would you use a course sanding drum, or would you use a grinding wheel ? Why ?
 
I use the grinder initially since it removes so much steel fast, but once i get close to where i want the choil to be/look like i switch to the sanding drums, coarse to get the shape down, medium to smooth it out
 
I agree, plan plan plan. mark your spots before you cut. I have drawn out what I want the knife to look like before I start just so I can have an image of what my imagination has come up with. That has saved me from making mistakes and future regrets. I tend to use the Dremel sparingly because it can walk on you.

I would start the cut with a file and then finish up with the Dremel. This will cut down on walking!

Also, when you are grinding, make sure you cool the knife down. If you let it heat up beyond what you can touch, you can alter the heat-treat.

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Beckerhead #32
 
Good idea on this thread. I want to do some things and these tips will help out.
 
Hmmm you really get what you pay for at Harbor Freight, I would expect it to work, just don't expect it to be a workhorse.
 
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Go slow and keep it cool. Also a wise man once told me to make a plan B to remind yourself plan A wasn't perfect. You can spend too much time and effort just trying to make something work, that wont.
 
I too was at Harbor Freight today looking a bits for my Dremel. I am wanting to put a choil on my 2. I cut my finger today at the gun and knife show because a choil was tool small for my fingers and it got me thinking that I am going to just have to do it myself. Mountain Man fingers need a lot of room.

Good idea on the thread.
 
I agree about keeping it cool, especially if you're adding a choil or doing any mods around the cutting edge to a knife that's already been heat treated..

If you see 'color tracing' on the steel while you're grinding chances are you've tampered with the HT..

go slow, keep it wet and cool, this sounds crazy but its important you feel the temperature of the knife with your bare skin. I never wear gloves when altering or making a blade so I can feel the heat that's coming from it, whether its HT'd or not..

being safe first is probably the best advise one could give.. tape the edge!!!!
 
WORK SLOW! Dont get impatient and hurry by turning up the speed faster than what you need.
I've been cutting jigging into my BK2 and start with a shallow grind using my dremel, then finish it up with a small jewelers triangle file.
So far its been coming out nice and clean, just takes a while.
Pics will be posted when finished.
 
Here's the only thing I will say about modding knives with power tools.

Practice first on something your don't care about. Keep it cool enough to touch it to your lips. Take a sharpie, and black out the areas your want to remove, and hold it up to a black background, so you can see what it will look like.

You can take more metal away, but you can't put any back on.

Moose
 
Flexxx said:
My Machining teacher used to tell me the same thing......
Click to expand...

My high school Metals teacher told me to "Stop welding that "GD" freshman's backpack to the bench". :D


As others have said, keep it cool and go a little at a time. Don't rush it, that is when mistakes happen.
 
Just another quick tip: It never hurts to get close with a power tool, but put the finishing touches on by hand with something like a file to get that added precision. Just because you have the dremel, don't discount a good file.
 
I have a generic dremel that I bought off ebay for $19.99 over 10 years ago when dremel's first came out and were $100+. I've used the hell out of it and till this day it's still running strong. My favorite bit is the large triangular stone bit for grinding work, but on the Bk2 I actually used a small long cylindrical carbide bit to do my jimping.
 
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