Getting Started

G

gmwilkes

Joined
Jul 13, 2011
Messages
42
So im new to the world of knife making, and im wondering where to start? i was thinking of buying a blade blank and fabricating the scales for the handle and adding my own littlle touch. also, what are the tools needed to work the steel itself as far as cutting, shaping, etc. i was thinking a few files, sandpaper, grinder, vise, and drill. any other advise would be greatly appreciated
 
First of all, fill out your profile with a somewhat major city near you. you never know, you might live next door to one of the knifemakers on here.

to address your question, it all depends on how much you can afford. you can get by with a hacksaw, some sandpaper, and a file from home depot. you can go much faster with 100 dollars of sandpaper, a 3000 dollar grinder, a waterjet cutter, A top-of-the-line drill press, and a kiln for exact heat treat. a good solution in the middle is the craftsman 2x42, a bandsaw, assorted grits of sandpaper, a harbor freight drill press, and a couple files. choose what you can afford and make due with a lower grade of what you can't.
 
iv got a drill press, and i can get files at a good price, as for grinder, would a belt grinder be the only way to go or would a wheel grinder work?
 
A belt grinder is best.

A hard wheel grinder will only frustrate you


I've put this together to answer most of a new maker’s questions. I'm sure it will help you too.

The Standard Reply to New Knifemakers V15

The answer to a 13 year old student is different than to a 40 year old engineer.
We may recommend a local supplier, you may have a helpful neighbour, or local Hammerin; but that depends on where you are. We have members worldwide.
Please fill out your profile with your location (Country, State, City), age, education, employment, hobbies.

Look at the threads stickied at the top; many are expired, but not all.

The basic process in the simplest terms
Absolute Cheapskate Way to Start Making Knives-Printable PDF-Right Click and Save
Absolute Cheapskate Way to Start Making Knives-Website


Web Tutorials
Detailed instructions by Stacy E. Apelt

The Things I Advise New Knife Makers Against-Printable PDF

Handle Tutorial - Nick Wheeler-Website

http://www.engnath.com/manframe.htm

Books
A list of books and videos

BladeForums - E-books or Google books


I like:
David Boye-Step by Step Knifemaking
Tim McCreight-Custom Knifemaking: 10 Projects from a Master Craftsman
These are clear, well organized, widely available and inexpensive too.

Knife Design:
See the Google books thread for Lloyd Harding drawings & the Loveless book. Google books thread


Forging Books:
Lorelei Sims-The Backyard Blacksmith
An excellent modern book with colour photos for forging in general - no knifemaking.

Jim Hrisoulas- has 3 books on forging knives. Check for the cheaper paperback editions.
The Complete Bladesmith: Forging Your Way to Perfection
The Pattern-Welded Blade: Artistry in Iron
The Master Bladesmith: Advanced Studies in Steel

Machine Shop Basics -Books:
Elementary Machine Shop Practice-Printable PDF

The Complete Practical Machinist-Printable -1885-PDF
It’s being reprinted now; you can get it for $20 ish

The $50 knife Shop
It confused me for a long time.
Forging is NOT necessary; you can just file and grind to create a knife (stock removal)

The goop quench is total Bull.
Use commercial quench oil & match oil speed to the steel type; even grocery store canola oil works much better.

Junkyard steels require skill and experience to identify the steel and heat treat it properly.
You can buy proper steel like 1084FG from Aldo very cheaply.

I like cable damascus, but that advanced project has no place in a beginner’s book.

The grinders are the best thing about this book, but there is a huge amount of info for 2x72” belt grinders on the web, including free plans.

Forget about Lawnmower blades and start with a new known steel type.
Good heat treating needs accurate temperature control and full quench.

Videos

Heat Treating Basics Video-downloadable
Right click and save this. Watch it once a day for 10 days.

Safety-video
Right click and save this. Watch it once a day for 10 days.

Many specific how to knifemaking videos are available, some are better than others.

The best overall Knifemaking video I have seen is
“Steve Johnson-Making a Sub-Hilt Fighter”

Basic Bladesmithing
"Ed Caffrey - Basic Bladesmithing-Full DVD-ISO"

The best video on leather sheath making for beginners that I have seen is
“Custom Knife Sheaths -Chuck Burrows - Wild Rose”
-(Paul Long has 2 videos, his sheath work & videos are fantastic, but more advanced-with machine stitchers..)

Green Pete's Free Video
Making a Mora bushcraft knife, stock removal, hand tools, neo tribal / unplugged heat treat.
"Green Pete" posted it free using torrent files.
Be sure to look at the other titles too-The account index has disappeared, but search for LOTS of info. Use the keywords “LurkerLurker torrent” “knifemakerC torrent” and others
Greenpete Knifemaking Basics-on TPB

How to download that video
http://www.utorrent.com/help/guides/beginners-guide

You can see a list of videos and reviews at this rental company; some are worth buying, some renting…
http://smartflix.com/store/category/9/Knifemaking

Draw Filing Demonstration
YouTube video -Draw Filing-for a flat finish

Steel
The “welding steel” at Home Depot / Lowes… is useless for knives.

If you send out for heat treating, you can use O1, A2, D2, CM154, ATS34, s30v, 440C, plus many others.

If you want to heat treat yourself with minimal equipment, find some Eutectoid steel, 1070, 1080, 1084.
1084FG sold by Aldo Bruno is formulated for knifemaking.
http://njsteelbaron.com/
Phone # 862-203-8160

1095 is a good carbon steel with great results, but is a bad choice for a beginner with limited equipment.
1095 needs very good temperature control and proper fast quench oil Kevin Cashen - 1095 - hypereutectoid steel


You can find a list of suppliers here

Heat Treating
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showpost.php?p=9143684&postcount=7

You can send blades out for heat treating at $10 or $15 per blade for perfect results, and avoid buying the equipment.

This PDF brochure gives a good overview
http://www.buckknives.com/resources/pdf/Paul_Bos_Brochure.pdf

http://www.petersheattreat.com/cutlery.html
http://www.texasknife.com/vcom/privacy.php#services
http://www.knifemaker.ca/ (Canadian)


Grinder / Tools

Hand Tools
You can do it all by hand with files and abrasive cloth like the Green Pete video.
Photo of a nice bevel filing jig

Entry Level Grinders
Many makers start with the Sears Craftsman 2x42 belt grinder

Low Speed Modification Craftsman 2x42 belt grinder


Commercial Production 2 x 72” Belt Grinder Reviews
http://www.prometheanknives.com/shop-techniques-3/grinders
http://www.cnccookbook.com/CCKnifeMakingGrinders.htm

Mapp arm – Grinder Toolrest


DIY 2 x 72” Belt Grinders

KMG Clone Free Plans
http://www.dfoggknives.com/PDF/GrinderPlans.pdf

NWG No Weld Grinder
http://www.usaknifemaker.com/plans-for-the-no-weld-grinder-sander-nearly-50-pages-p-723.html

EERF Grinder (EERF =“Free” backwards)
http://wilmontgrinders.com/EERFGrinder.aspx
http://blindhogg.com/blueprints.html

Buy the kit
http://polarbearforge.com/grinder_kit.html

What Belts to buy?
http://www.usaknifemaker.com/abrasive-belt-basics-what-kind-should-i-buy-p-1393.html


Safety Equipment
Protect your -Eyes, Ears, Fingers, and Lungs – remove jewellery and put on safety gear.

Respirators
Chronic lung disease and cancer really suck the joy out of life.
The minimum I would consider are the 3M 7500 and North 7700 silicone half masks with a P100 Filter.
Use a VOC & P100 combo cartridge for protection against acetone and solvents.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=788837
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=726309



Searching
Search works for ALL users, even unpaid users.
Try it, I’ll bet you’re not the first to ask the question here


V15 Added Craftsman speed modification link
 
I got by for the first year of making knives with minimal tooling, just a bunch of files, a hacksaw and plenty of sandpaper. I started adding tools as I could afford them, a portable band saw was first, then I tried a cheap 30X1 grinder, but that was a waste of money for me. Next I got a drill press at a yard sale, and finally I started building a GIB that I just finished building in February.

I made a jig that would keep my "grinds" flat and even while I was using just files to shape my steel and feel I learned a lot from the experience, but I got a ton of good advise here too that helped make the transition to a full on grinder that much easier. Due to a sudden move I am just making my first batch of knives on the GIB, but if you can afford it a true belt grinder is worth every penny.

So a big financial layout isn't needed to get into making knives, I think my cost with tools, making the jig and materials for my first 3 knives was under $100. Add in the medical supplies because of the blisters I got from all that filing and it would be $150, guess I should have bought some gloves at the start too:p
 
would a belt "sander" be the same thing if i changed the belt? harbor freight has a few in my price range
 
You're better of buying a Crasftsman 2"x42" from Sears... They're a little too fast, but serviceable and go onsale for around 140 occasionally. Better belt selection.
Belt grinder/Sander.... same......
 
What kind of steel as far as cold rolled or hot rolled? im just curious because the steel suppliers here are showing cold rolled or hot rolled? the obvious difference is in the name, but which do i need?
 
You can use either... What you want is annealed steel.. CRA Cold Rolled Annealed. Hot rolled and cold rolled both work. Hot rolled has forge scale, cold rolled is clean and shiny....

I bought both from Kelly Cupples...

Also, someone will always be happy to answer questions, but, if you put in " hot cold rolled steel" in the search, it come up with 5 pages of posts to pick through where this question has been asked many times before. You'll get a better understanding by reading several of those posts as well, and, instant answers.

Brian
 
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