First Knife Project...

Balin

Balin

Joined
Sep 1, 2008
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62
Well, for better or worse, I decided to document my first knife project. ATS 34, stabilized Koa or Claro Walnut scales, 416 bolsters and SST pins. Nothing much started but the template and starting to profile the blade. If nothing else, it may serve for amusement or even as an example of what not to do when making a knife. :p On the sketch, the choil is shown as either a hollow grind stopping 1/2 the way up the blade, or as a flat grind up to the spine... The bolsters will probably be parallel front and back, and not be curved in front. The pommel will not have a bolster after all. Just wood.

Pics below:

balin1.jpg


balin1b.jpg
 
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Nice! I posted my first pics up too yesterday. I now know how tough profiling a blade is especially if you don't have alot of equipment.

Nice shape!
 
Balin,
If you are looking for critique...
Extend the ricasso out a bit, and PLEASE center your middle pin between your front two and your rear pin.
Keep the pics comin
Matt Doyle
 
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mdoyle said:
Balin,
If you are looking for critique...
Extend the ricasso out a bit, and PLEASE center your middle pin between your front two and your rear pin.
Keep the pics comin
Matt Doyle
Click to expand...

Critique is always welcome! I know that I am a newbie, and will listen to whomever has input. I am wondering if I move the front scale pin that far back on the hilt, if I need then a 3rd. pin near the front of the scales. At the present time, I have each pin about 1" in from each end of the scales. Moving it to center between the bolster pins and the rear pin leaves 2.5" from the scale/bolster interface to the first scale pin. A bit long, no?

Balin
 
Balin
I see what you're saying, I didn't picture your pins in the bottom drawing as being for your bolsters. I make a lot of knives,(like the one in the picture) that have two small pins up front, in the wooden handle, so I guess that is what I saw when I looked at it. It is also a pretty easy way to go if you aren't set on bolsters.
I stand corrected, your pin placement should be fine then. I would still extend the ricasso out a bit though.
CIMG0502.jpg
 
Got a picture of the whole knife? That is beautiful from what I see of it!
 
Balin, love the flow of the blade, couple of things:

I'd make the finger notch right before the ricasso more pronounced to prevent slippage.

If I'm right in assuming the bottom, profiled piece is a template? If so, don't drill holes until you get the knife ground out, you never know when you may have to change things up :D

I prefer a flat grind to the spine... just me though :)

Maybe a thong tube at the butt instead of a pin?

Looks much better than my first attempts.
 
Progress report and a question:

I got my grinder set up. Took over an old 'junk' router table I built out of backyard scraps 15 years ago. It actually seems at the right height for someone 6'5". :D

So, I band sawed out the profile, and then went to work smoothing the profile. I dropped on 2 brand new AO 60 2" x 72" grit belts on my Grizzly sander, and only got the tip to pommel done on the top side of the knife. The spine side. Doesn't this seem excessive? 2 new belts for half a knife profile? :confused: I'm using .160 thick ATS 34, about 8.5" OAL. Not like I'm working on a big piece. The piece did not have any real serious divits from the band saw. Just had to remove around 1/32" max. More like 1/64" saw marks on the edges. Just curious. Does this belt use seem excessive?

Also, learned a lesson about eye protection. :eek: Need to get some. Took a few in the eye today, and I'm none too happy about that. :grumpy:

Balin
 
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What size belt sander? 1x30? You may be pushing to hard, or they may just be bad belts.
 
Munky88 said:
What size belt sander? 1x30? You may be pushing to hard, or they may just be bad belts.
Click to expand...

2 x 72 Grizzly. Got my belts from USA Knifemaker Supply Tracy Mickley's supply store.
 
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Use some Klingspor belts. If they're no name AO's they'll wear quick depending on the steel. ATS is a tough steel especially if it's not annealed fully.
 
Good looking design. Hope to see the finished knife when you get it all done. Thanks for showing it and have a blessed day in what-ever to you in life. --------:thumbup:
 
These first knife projects are a blast, and you couldn't have a better bunch of folks chiming in with guidance than this.

I keep wondering about the belt usage; that seems very extreme to me. What grit were you using? I'd recommend 60 grit for profiling and initial grinding. Tracy has some very good ceramic belts. They are always worth the money; the more expensive belts you buy the cheaper they will be to use. Just my observation.

Keep us posted! Nice looking profile.
 
I use a 40 grit zirconium (blue j-flex) belt just to profile. It takes ages to become dull, I suppose 3 - 4 knives easily profiled with one belt. I quit to use AlO belts because they become dull very fast while profiling. Interestingly they last longer on working bevels and flattening but when thin sections of steel contact to belt AlO grits flies off from the belt. Try some ceramic or j-flex belts, you'll see the difference, also the cost per blade drops down significantly using a quality belt...
 
About the belt wear... is your grinder variable speed? I find that some belts ran too slow will start shearing grit.... even higher end belts. For hogging out the profile, I usually run as fast as I can with a 3 speed step pulley set up. Also, GET EYE AND RESPIRATORY PROTECTION! I know you realize this now, but it needs to be emphasized. Good luck with you project and keep the pics coming!:thumbup:

-Mark
 
Just thought I'd chime in on the belts. I've worked in a chrome plating and polishing shop for close to 20 years and we've always used VSM abrasive belts and discs. I've no affillation with them other than the fact that we've tried several other brands like Klingspor and none of them match the quality or longevity of VSM.
 
I buy the expensive ceramic, zirconium and silicon carbide belts and they seem to last forever. I started out with the cheap A/O belts and found out that it is throwing money away.
 
Balin,
Do you have an angle grinder? I do my profiling with an angle grinder down ALMOST to finish, then switch to the 12" disc sander for perfectly square edges. The angle grinder saves a TON of work with belts and is pretty fast. Just pinch your blank between 2 pieces of heavy cardboard in the vise (to protect your blade from the vise teeth) and have at it, stopping just shy of your scribed lines.
Matt Doyle
 
Back at my knife this weekend. So I learned that you don't grind in very dim light. I managed to get grind marks all over my ricasso, and the choil is nowhere near defined. I really don't know when I moved the entire ricasso area on one side over the sander, but the knife sure does. My next project is to get some suitable lights, so I am not grinding in a shadow. The best light I had was the sunset shining in my garage door, with my knife between the sunset and the grinder... :foot: I'd attach pics, but what's the point? If I can fix this dude, that would be great. Chances are, I'll end using it as an intro to hollow grinding :rolleyes:. Anything worth having is worth working for. I'll chock this grinding effort to reality meeting unrealistic hope.
 
So I learned that you don't grind in very dim light.
Click to expand...

I learned that as well. If you can't see your scribed lines etc. then you end up taking off too much on one side then you have to take some off the other side and then your knife doesn't end up looking like you designed. Now I at least have lights in boxes in my garage.

Allen
 
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