Help getting set up for knife making

Bow Commander

Bow Commander

Joined
Feb 24, 2011
Messages
85
Hey all,

Long time lurker here. I'm finally making my desire to make knives, a reality. I'm going to be buying some equipment to get set up for it. I'd like to make fixed blade knives cut from metal blanks. I have a drill press, and a vice. I think I'm going to get the Grizzly 2x72 belt sander. What else do you recommend as being a useful tool to start with? I think I'll still need something to cut out the blanks. Would a vertical metal cutting bandsaw be best for that? Angle grinder if going for next cheapest? Feel free to suggest very specific brands and items. I'd like to start adding items to my work bench soon. I know I'll need good files. Are there specific shape files you guys use? Are some made for wood, some made for metal? I have the David Boye step by step to knife making book, and will start reading through it, but wanted to get opinions here. Thanks for suggestions, I'll be reading them very intentionally.
 
I forget the name, but I've seen someone who makes a vertical mount and stabilizer for a metal cutting band saw. The chop variety. So you're looking a few hundred dollars rather than a few thousand. I'm sure it's not ideal, but might be a more cost effective way to get up and running. A horizontal toggle clamp is also a nice inexpensive investment. Makes sanding or stoning the sides of a blade a lot more pleasant, not having to chase it all over the bench. Then of course there's the abrasives and dust management...
 
Bow Commander said:
Hey all,

Long time lurker here. I'm finally making my desire to make knives, a reality. I'm going to be buying some equipment to get set up for it. I'd like to make fixed blade knives cut from metal blanks. I have a drill press, and a vice. I think I'm going to get the Grizzly 2x72 belt sander. What else do you recommend as being a useful tool to start with? I think I'll still need something to cut out the blanks. Would a vertical metal cutting bandsaw be best for that? Angle grinder if going for next cheapest? Feel free to suggest very specific brands and items. I'd like to start adding items to my work bench soon. I know I'll need good files. Are there specific shape files you guys use? Are some made for wood, some made for metal? I have the David Boye step by step to knife making book, and will start reading through it, but wanted to get opinions here. Thanks for suggestions, I'll be reading them very intentionally.
Click to expand...

I don't know what your skill level is so bear with me.

If I was going to go in to knife making, I think I'd attend one or two knife making schools. I've seen them and it might cost you a few bucks but I'd think it worthwhile. I do not have a list for you, but some have all of the tools that you need and then some so that you can test them out and see exactly how to set up a shop.
 
Three things that are a bear in knifeaking without decent tools are 1) cutting stock 2) drill straight accurate holes, and 3 ) grinding well.
To address 1), I went the Harbor Freight Bauer porta band on sale with coupon combined with after market SWAG off road table and aftermarket startett bands saw blades.
pv6C8Oe.jpg
 
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How are you going to heat treat your knives? If you send them out to be heat treated by somebody else then you won't need that equipment. But if you're going to do it yourself, then you'll need to think about that.
 
Lots of guys use portabands. I have the harbour freight horizontal vertical bandsaw. Once you dick around with it you can shave very thin very squares off stock. It works well enought for cutting blanks. It also works on wood with a 14 tpi blade but is slow and gums up on some wood. I'd suggest it for a hobbies not a professional. If you don't have the room I'd suggest the portaband. Get good blades. I use a plasma for cutting blanks.

For your grinder spend the extra and get a variable speed. That's the most important in my mind. Also, you'll spend way more in belts and handle material (if you want stabilized or fancy) then on tools. You'll also want some way to do clean choil and finger grooves like a small wheel attachment or drum sander.
 
I too recommend the portaband saw on a Swag table. Make sure that the saw brand you choose has variable speed. Slow for steel and faster for handle materials, pins, bolster material etc. I use a Dewalt. These tools have tremendous versatility. I recently gave away a full size free standing wood bandsaw cause I simply did not use it anymore. I have the shop space and could afford a full size metal cutting bandsaw but simply don't see the need. The versatility of the portaband has it for me and I work at a very high volume. I use it throughout making a knife. From cutting a blank, cutting and prepping handle material, cutting pins and trimming off excess handle material before heading to the grinder.

MiArqNX.jpg


kfwOvRi.jpg


As mentioned a good variable speed grinder, (VFD). There are tons of threads here about which one to get. Definitely a small wheel attachment.
 
I got rid of my regular bandsaw as well. One because I couldn't get the darn thing to track really straight. Second was that I just used the portaband for everything anyway.
 
Tommy-Chi said:
I don't know what your skill level is so bear with me.

If I was going to go in to knife making, I think I'd attend one or two knife making schools. I've seen them and it might cost you a few bucks but I'd think it worthwhile. I do not have a list for you, but some have all of the tools that you need and then some so that you can test them out and see exactly how to set up a shop.
Click to expand...

That seems like great advice. I haven't seen any available schools in my town, but I'll do more research! There's a great, active knife making club in my city, called the 5160 club, I think they are a part of the Oregon Knife Collectors Association, I'll look more into them.

12345678910 said:
Go to the stickies, find the count's standard reply to new knifemakers.

six inch dial caliper

decimal equivalents chart
Click to expand...

I'll check out the sticky, thank you!

ashwinearl said:
Three things that are a bear in knifeaking without decent tools are 1) cutting stock 2) drill straight accurate holes, and 3 ) grinding well.
To address 1), I went the Harbor Freight Bauer porta band on sale with coupon combined with after market SWAG off road table and aftermarket startett bands saw blades.
pv6C8Oe.jpg
Click to expand...
Thank you for the tip, and the visual! It's hard sometimes, to picture some of the things I read about tools and knife making. Visuals help tremendously. I will look into a setup like that.

milkbaby said:
How are you going to heat treat your knives? If you send them out to be heat treated by somebody else then you won't need that equipment. But if you're going to do it yourself, then you'll need to think about that.
Click to expand...

My thought was, to send it out to be heat treated. Until I get a little more familiar with the process, at least.

scott kozub said:
Lots of guys use portabands. I have the harbour freight horizontal vertical bandsaw. Once you dick around with it you can shave very thin very squares off stock. It works well enought for cutting blanks. It also works on wood with a 14 tpi blade but is slow and gums up on some wood. I'd suggest it for a hobbies not a professional. If you don't have the room I'd suggest the portaband. Get good blades. I use a plasma for cutting blanks.

For your grinder spend the extra and get a variable speed. That's the most important in my mind. Also, you'll spend way more in belts and handle material (if you want stabilized or fancy) then on tools. You'll also want some way to do clean choil and finger grooves like a small wheel attachment or drum sander.
Click to expand...

Yea the portaband method seems very useful. I keep reading about how important variable speed is on a grinder. I see the Grizzly doesn't have it. I'll look into what the next step up would be without breaking the bank.

Horsewright said:
I too recommend the portaband saw on a Swag table. Make sure that the saw brand you choose has variable speed. Slow for steel and faster for handle materials, pins, bolster material etc. I use a Dewalt. These tools have tremendous versatility. I recently gave away a full size free standing wood bandsaw cause I simply did not use it anymore. I have the shop space and could afford a full size metal cutting bandsaw but simply don't see the need. The versatility of the portaband has it for me and I work at a very high volume. I use it throughout making a knife. From cutting a blank, cutting and prepping handle material, cutting pins and trimming off excess handle material before heading to the grinder.

MiArqNX.jpg


kfwOvRi.jpg


As mentioned a good variable speed grinder, (VFD). There are tons of threads here about which one to get. Definitely a small wheel attachment.
Click to expand...

Thank you for the pictures. Really helps me visualize some of the things I read. The portaband seems very useful.

I'll look into which grinder to get that has variable speed. I was hoping the Grizzly would at least get me into the hobby, but sounds like it's worth spending a bit more for that option.
 
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Porta band and a good drill press are a must.
Look up what size drill bits to use for holes, 1/8 hole wont fit an 1/8 pin etc
A dust mask
dykem
and invest in some g10 handle scales. They're cheap, easy to work with and are insanely durable.
For your first few blades I'd send out for HT. If your gonna send out for ht might as well use stainless.
If your just starting and your gonna use stainless, I'd suggest aebl it's cheaper than most carbon steels, easy to work, and tough as hell.
Invest in corby bolts and corresponding counterbores.
Buy some gflex epoxy.
And understand you will NOT make a perfect knife your first time. This is a craft and like most crafts you must develop skills neccessary to be proficient.
If you want to use a jig for grinding bevels to start then do it! If that's what it takes to keep you happy and keep this an enjoyable experience theres nothing wrong with them.
Have fun
 
No waste in that panel of blades - you got them laid out nicely. I see it's AEB-L (my favorite steel), and it looks like you ground teh bevels in before HT'ing? Oh wait, is that .138" thick? If so, then I fully understand grinding in bevels before HT. Most of my stuff is kitchen stuff using <.100", with lots in the .040" and .060" range. I bevel those after HT to help prevent warp.

Ken H>
 
valknut said:
Porta band and a good drill press are a must.
Look up what size drill bits to use for holes, 1/8 hole wont fit an 1/8 pin etc
A dust mask
dykem
and invest in some g10 handle scales. They're cheap, easy to work with and are insanely durable.
For your first few blades I'd send out for HT. If your gonna send out for ht might as well use stainless.
If your just starting and your gonna use stainless, I'd suggest aebl it's cheaper than most carbon steels, easy to work, and tough as hell.
Invest in corby bolts and corresponding counterbores.
Buy some gflex epoxy.
And understand you will NOT make a perfect knife your first time. This is a craft and like most crafts you must develop skills neccessary to be proficient.
If you want to use a jig for grinding bevels to start then do it! If that's what it takes to keep you happy and keep this an enjoyable experience theres nothing wrong with them.
Have fun
Click to expand...

Thank you for the detail. I appreciate it. What brand of bits do you prefer? I was trying to research good bits for metal drilling.

Horsewright said:
Ya bet! Here's a couple more:

gDqnpgl.jpg


umdAJ5e.jpg


Back from heat treat:

RUUhAlP.jpg
Click to expand...

Ahh love it! All those shapes and size blanks get me excited. I can't wait to make my wife a santoku or chef knife, and my son a hunting knife. The main plan for my hobby is get good enough to where I can sell my knives and support my newly planted church with the money from the sale. Kind of like my own ministry.

So you cut all those blanks out with the portaband, then use the belt grinder for detail shaping?
 
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