Here is knife #2.

Thanks! It's funny. The steel only took a little over an hour to shape and drill, etc. The handle took about 8 hours to make. Is that normal? Or was I just doing it wrong?

How long should it take to make a complete knife like the one I made?

Thanks,
-=chuck=-
 
Also, I ruined a couple of 1/8" drill bits drilling the steel. I used a pretty fast drill speed and I drilled it dry. It seemed like the steel hardened as I was drilling. Too much heat?

Thanks,
-=chuck=-
 
ChuckTilbury said:
Also, I ruined a couple of 1/8" drill bits drilling the steel. I used a pretty fast drill speed and I drilled it dry. It seemed like the steel hardened as I was drilling. Too much heat?

Thanks,
-=chuck=-
Click to expand...
I had the same problem when using fast running hand drill. My understanding is that drill bit slips on the surface and heats up the steel, which than hardens. Now I use drill press set to a minimal speed and cutting oil - work fine.
 
The next to last shot shows uneven edges where the wood/brass/steel join. Also, the handle still looks blocky/chunky. It would probably feel better in the hand if it was knocked down to a more contoured shape.

- Greg
 
ChuckTilbury said:
Also, I ruined a couple of 1/8" drill bits drilling the steel. I used a pretty fast drill speed and I drilled it dry. It seemed like the steel hardened as I was drilling. Too much heat?
Click to expand...

You should run the drill press as slow as possible, and use some sort of lubricant.

I usually lose my 1/8 drill bits before I wear them out.
 
tryppyr said:
The next to last shot shows uneven edges where the wood/brass/steel join. Also, the handle still looks blocky/chunky. It would probably feel better in the hand if it was knocked down to a more contoured shape.
Click to expand...

Not sure what you mean by uneven. It's pretty smooth and the fit, if not perfect, is pretty good. There are lots and lots of flaws to spot, but I am interested in which particular one(s) jump out at you.

Next time, I will make the handle a bit thinner and also slope it more at the front. I would like a nice palm swell, but for now, I don't really have a good enough grinder to make that reliably.

-=chuck=-
 
This is the uneven edge I was referring to.

Uneven.jpg
 
tryppyr said:
This is the uneven edge I was referring to.

Uneven.jpg
Click to expand...

YuP! :) The reason that one is there is that I was a little over ambitious by putting non-parallel ends on the scales. It made them harder to fit. Next knife will have a front bolster, but not a back one. Or, solid aluminum scales with no bolsters.

-=chuck=-
 
Nice job. If that is knife two you have a future. So just as an off the cuff comment if you have not already learnt, learn how to sharpen drill bits. It has saved me a heap of money over the years. I found the smaller the drill diamiter the harder it is for me to sharpen them but 1/8th is a snap. If you notice the drill bit slipping stop drilling straight away and re sharpen.

Also if you have a set of masonary bits. That is the ones for drilling bricks with a flat tungstan tip touch up the leading edge and they will drill through hardened steel in most situation. Again at fairly low speed.

I hope this is of some help.
Reg
 
Reg ELLERY said:
Nice job. If that is knife two you have a future. So just as an off the cuff comment if you have not already learnt, learn how to sharpen drill bits. It has saved me a heap of money over the years. I found the smaller the drill diamiter the harder it is for me to sharpen them but 1/8th is a snap. If you notice the drill bit slipping stop drilling straight away and re sharpen.

Also if you have a set of masonary bits. That is the ones for drilling bricks with a flat tungstan tip touch up the leading edge and they will drill through hardened steel in most situation. Again at fairly low speed.

I hope this is of some help.
Reg
Click to expand...

I am thinking of buying a drill doctor. Ever used one?
 
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