Fighter Step by Step

[Charles Vestal]

Awesome pics!!:thumbup:

just wondering why not tape up the blade before the Guard attaching/fitting?

There's alot of taking the guard off and putting it back on up to this point.

After the guard is soldered I will cover the blade with tape.

Charles

 

[Charles Vestal]

Now it's time to solder the guard.

For best results it is important to clean the guard blade juncture well.

I use acetone and Fast Orange Hand Cleaner.

Brushing on the flux.

Heating up the joint with a heatgun.

After a little work we have a good flow of solder around the tang.

Cooling the knife in water with TSP added, to start neutralizing the flux.

Boiling the knife in water, baking soda and dishwashing liquid. This step will also help neutralize the flux.

The last step in flux neutralization knives are placed in an ultrasonic cleaner with the water from the boiling step.

 

[Charles Vestal]

First step in cleaning up the solder joint is to use a graver made from a 1/4" nickel silver rod.

Cleaning up the front of the guard with 1000 grit paper.

Using a Cratex wheel held in a small pair of Vise-Grips to smooth up the solder joint.

Blade taped up and ready for the handle scales.

 

[jjtjr]

Charles,

This ia a great thread, very informative, What solder do you use?

Jim Treacy

 

[Charles Vestal]

Thanks Jim,

I forgot to include the type of solder:foot:

I use Eutectic 157 Flux and Pop's silver solder http://popsupply.bizhosting.com/silver_solder.html

 

[Kevin Jones]

Never seen that done before. Easy to see now why some look better than others. A pretty precision process.
What's the average total time for completing a good solder joint?

 

[Charles Vestal]

Time for the Interior Mamouth Scales.

First step is to make sure the side that goes against the tang is flat.

A 60 grit disk work well for this step.

Cutting an angle on the guard end of the scale.

Sanding the cut end of the scale. The table of the sander is set to about 92degrees so the scale will fit on the tapered tang.

With the sander off, I place the end of the scale against the disk and drag it across the table left to right. This gives a nice flat end.

This photo shows where I drug the scale across the disk.

The fit against the guard.

 

[Charles Vestal]

Never seen that done before. Easy to see now why some look better than others. A pretty precision process.
What's the average total time for completing a good solder joint?

I would say from soldering to end of clean up averages 2 hours.

I left a little to much solder on this guard, but when it sticks all the way around I try not to bother it.

 

[Keith Montgomery]

Once again I have to say that people that wonder why custom knives cost what they do, should check out threads like this one.

 

[GerardSamija]

Even relatively simple knives, without guards or compound grinds, are completed to a satisfying level by many, many hours of careful work. Anyone who wants to save money on a knife needs to seriously consider mass produced stuff. And of course there is a kind of quality to be had there, sometimes. Gerber and Buck and Spyderco and Wenger et al have long been supplying very satisfactory utility knives for millions of users. My own Swiss Army knife stayed active in all sorts of duties for over 20 years and hardly showed it except for considerable 'patina' on the scales. I passed it along to a friend, who is no doubt still using it. But when one starts getting into 'high craft' or 'art' (it's a whole conversation, getting into feeling comfortable with one or the other of those terms) everything changes. Knives like this benefit when finished from a deceptive simplicity. But everything inside works, all the steps have been taken, nothing sacrificed. The result is a tool which may provide generations of happy users with a fine thing to use, besides just something pretty to admire.

 

[Lorien]

yeah man. This kind of thing is on a whole other level than anything the automatons can produce.

And this thread, I have to say again, is just awesome and the posting of it is very much appreciated.

 

[peterinct]

Great thread Charles. I'm anxious to see the finished knife as i'm sure it will be exceptional.

Peter

 

[Charles Vestal]

Thanks again guys.

Liners cut and holes punched, the holes will let the glue flow around and fill all areas.

I would like to thank Steve Johnson for showing this method of attaching scales in his Making a Subhilt video. This method allows for precise fit of the liners and scales.

Everything lined up and ready.

Take off the front three clamp and apply thin super glue through the front handle bolt hole. Then replace the front clamps and remove the rear clamps and apply glue through the rear bolt hole and thong tube hole and then replace clamps.

After all the clamps are replaced fill the holes with super glue.

Clamp and drill holes for the handle bolts and thong tube.

Trim the handle material close to the tang.

Now we glue the other handle the same way as the first.

Drill through the holes in the first scale and into the second.

Scales installed and ready for shaping.

 

[Lorien]

wow, that procedure is awesome!

 

[Charles Vestal]

Grinding the scales down to the tang with a 120 grit belt.

Rough shaping the handle.

Using a step drill to countersink for the 5/16" Corby bolts.

A little glue in the bolt hole, the other side of the handle already has one part of the bolt installed. then you insert the second piece and screw them together.

After the bolts and thong tube are trimmed with a hacksaw they are ground down with a new 60 grit belt.

Cleaning up the inside of the thong tube with sandpaper wraped around a 1/4" pin and chucked in a cordless drill. I progress from 120-800 grit paper. Then the 800 grit is loaded with buffing compound to polish.

 

[dpimpc]

Forgive my ignorance, Mr. Vestal, but I am curious as to how the super glue holds up under use. I am an architecture grad student and use the exact same glue for constructing far too many tiny models than I would ever care to. The glue is strong, of that there is no doubt, but at least in my experience has a tendancy to get brittle when fully cured (models breaking makes me sad ).

How does it hold up when applied to a knife handle that may very well be subjected to repeated shock-impacts/vibrations? Have you found it better suited than a more flexible adhesive?

I am in no way questioning the quality, durability, or skill associated with building this gorgeous knife, I am just very admittedly under-informed in the construction of custom knives and my curiosity has gotten the best of me. I appreciate the thread very much it is most fascinating. :thumbup:

 

[Charles Vestal]

Forgive my ignorance, Mr. Vestal, but I am curious as to how the super glue holds up under use. I am an architecture grad student and use the exact same glue for constructing far too many tiny models than I would ever care to. The glue is strong, of that there is no doubt, but at least in my experience has a tendancy to get brittle when fully cured (models breaking makes me sad ).

How does it hold up when applied to a knife handle that may very well be subjected to repeated shock-impacts/vibrations? Have you found it better suited than a more flexible adhesive?

I am in no way questioning the quality, durability, or skill associated with building this gorgeous knife, I am just very admittedly under-informed in the construction of custom knives and my curiosity has gotten the best of me. I appreciate the thread very much it is most fascinating. :thumbup:

I had the same questions as you ask when I first watched Steve Johnson's video. I talked to Steve about how the super glue would hold up and he said that he has had to replace the handles on some of his knives , the cusomer wanted them changed, and they were very hard to get off.

So i tested the super glue method by gluing a set of scales with liners on a knife. After the glue cured I beat the handles with a hammer and the liners split and the glue held.

Since then I have had to replace a few sets of handle material because of flaws in the material and every time the glue has not failed. Usually pieces the handle material will stay on the liner or the liner will split.

With the addition of the Corby bolts which are doing most of the holding, I have found this to be a very durable method of attaching scales.

I thank you for your question, and I hope you will ask some more if you have anymore concerns.

 

[Charles Vestal]

Using the disk sander to clean up the guard and front part of the handles
Start with 120 grit and work through to 800 grit.

Rounding the inside of the guard.

Alot of hand sanding.

A little belt grease on used 800 grit paper.

one more time on the disk.

Cleaning up the tang.

More hand sanding

 

[Charles Vestal]

Now its time to buff. I start with Green chrome compound and the switch to White compound, all on the 3500 RPM buffer.

Time to put the logo on

 

[Charles Vestal]

Putting on the edge.

Here is what we end up with.

The knife has been to Paul Long for a very nice sheath and should be at Coops place for a photo shoot.

I thank you for taking the time to look at all of these photos. It was alot of work putting it together but I enjoyed it.

I would like to thank Bob Loveless for the great design and for giving me premission to make knives based on his designs.

Thanks go out to Steve Johnson and Mike Lovett for answering many questions over the years, and all the other knifemakers that have openly shared their knowledge here and on other forums.

All of this would not have taken place without Keith Montgomery ordering this knife and asking me to do this work in progress thread, Thanks Keith.

I'll let Keith post the photos of the sheath and I'll post Coops photo when he gets it ready.

I almost forgot to thank my wife Sheila for taking some of these photos and for putting up with all the hours I spend in the shop, Thanks Dear.

Take care

Charles