Hi all...first post for me....here we go, I am making my first knife and was wondering how important it is to heat treat the blade....should I worry more about shape and looks before i get in to heat treating or should I always take it through all the steps so I learn everything equally. The steel is just a piece of scrap from work and the only thing I could tell you about it is that it is hot rolled.....Any info/links is greatly appreciated....Thank you.....Mike
-
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how important
- Thread starter cityhick
- Start date
If you actually want a finished product that you can use to cut something you might as well spend the 15 or so bucks + shipping and buy some 1084 and read up on how to heat treat it(stickies). It will come annealed and make your life a whole lot easier - especially if your looking to make with hand tools.
But to answer your initial question - Very Important: using proper steel and heat treating it properly are pretty much the most important part of ending up with a workable blade.
(sorry stacy)
But to answer your initial question - Very Important: using proper steel and heat treating it properly are pretty much the most important part of ending up with a workable blade.
(sorry stacy)
- Joined
- Dec 24, 2005
- Messages
- 1,254
The best advice is to use known steel. It is not expensive. The problem with using the scrap from work is that if the knife comes out great it will still be useless as a knife. The thing that makes a knife usefull is the ability to keep a keen edge. This is why it is best to start with known steel and go thru the entire process. Read the stickies at the top of this forum, they contain all of the info that you need to get started. If you don't know where to get some blade steel E-Mail me and I will send you a piece of 1084 with instructions for heat treating it. Good luck and have fun.
If you have the steel, go ahead and make a knife out of it. If you don't heat treat it, it will be soft and will not hold an edge for very long, but it will still cut soft things like food and such. These just require a sharp edge and put essentially zero force on the edge of the knife. Lettuce knives are made from plastic now, so steel should be a huge improvement, even if it's not hardened. What the guys above said is true with respect to starting with known steel etc., but we all start somewhere. I find handle making to be the most frustrating part of making a knife, and a soft piece of steel might be a good place to practice. Just remember that hardened steel is MUCH more difficult to work if you need to cut, drill, or file it. Grinding it is harder too, but filing a piece of hardened steel is extremely difficult, if not impossible, depending on how hard.
From everything that I have read the heat treating process can take a good piece of steel and make it into a great knife, a good knife, or a poor knife. So it is extremely important. Different steels require different parameters. Different end use for the knife require different parameters. Forging the same steel versus stock removal of annealed bar stock requires different parameters. Different makers can establish different heat treat parameters that will give similar attributes to their final products.
That being said, I have made up patterns using a hot rolled mill (low carbon) steel to test the feel of the knife and practice filing and grinding. And there is a good chance that your scrap is hot rolled mill steel. Low carbon mill steel will not make a good or great knife. If you don't mind spending the extra time working on your scrap it is good practice. If you want to make the best knife that you can from the beginning read the sticky on making a knife at the top of the forum and take advantage of getting a free piece of 1084.
That being said, I have made up patterns using a hot rolled mill (low carbon) steel to test the feel of the knife and practice filing and grinding. And there is a good chance that your scrap is hot rolled mill steel. Low carbon mill steel will not make a good or great knife. If you don't mind spending the extra time working on your scrap it is good practice. If you want to make the best knife that you can from the beginning read the sticky on making a knife at the top of the forum and take advantage of getting a free piece of 1084.
- Joined
- Dec 6, 2010
- Messages
- 1,154
In all honesty:
If you want to make something that looks like a crappy knife use Hot rolled steel or Mystery steel.
If you want to make the best looking knife shaped object you can with your current steel working skills use known steel, so that you can heat treat it when finished.
The thinking being that it will take a lot of time (Time = Money), sweat, and most likely blood, to get it to a level that you will be proud of. At that point the cost of the steel, and heat treat even if sent out will be minimal in comparison.
Either way you choose good luck!
If you want to make something that looks like a crappy knife use Hot rolled steel or Mystery steel.
If you want to make the best looking knife shaped object you can with your current steel working skills use known steel, so that you can heat treat it when finished.
The thinking being that it will take a lot of time (Time = Money), sweat, and most likely blood, to get it to a level that you will be proud of. At that point the cost of the steel, and heat treat even if sent out will be minimal in comparison.
Either way you choose good luck!
tattooedfreak
Steel mutilater is more like it.
- Joined
- Mar 12, 2010
- Messages
- 1,014
Heat treating is important, plain and simple. If you don't heat treat, it is just a knife shaped object only capable of cutting soft things. At your stage, it is not strictly necessary for to learn how to heat treat (although it wouldn't hurt) as long as you can get the knife to someone who knows and can do it properly. A lot of knife makers send out their knives for HT as it is more feasible both in cost and space for them to do so. My advice would be to find somewhere close to you (yes, fill out your profile) that can HT. it doesn't have to be knives as long as they know what type of steel it is and what hardness you would like to get. Then grind out 1 or more knives using whatever method you have decided on (files, wheel grinder, sander, etc.) and when you are finished to your liking, send it/them off for HT. When they return you can continue to refine and handle. Once you get a number of knives complete from start to finish, (or during) you can look up Heat treating information and when you feel comfortable, start to implement it on a couple of your knives and compare them to the ones you have sent out. Again, refer to the stickies and you will get a ton of info that at first will not make much sense to you, but as you progress, will start to be comprehensible.
As Bo said, there is a good chance that you have low carbon steel, we don't know what your work is so we don't know the type of steel you have. There are many different kinds of steel and many different states for them to be sold to a shop or steel seller; Hot rolled, hot rolled annealed, cold rolled, precision ground, and various combinations. As always, the first piece of advice is to use a piece of known steel. Don't take that to mean don't make a knife until you have knife steel, many people on these and other forums have made kso's just to get started and to help refine their grind work. Just know that practicing on unknown steel does not always lead to good grinds on known steel. Be patient, practice and have fun. (be safe) Ok, I have rambled enough and Im sure that others have posted while I have been typing. Have fun and welcome to the addiction.
As Bo said, there is a good chance that you have low carbon steel, we don't know what your work is so we don't know the type of steel you have. There are many different kinds of steel and many different states for them to be sold to a shop or steel seller; Hot rolled, hot rolled annealed, cold rolled, precision ground, and various combinations. As always, the first piece of advice is to use a piece of known steel. Don't take that to mean don't make a knife until you have knife steel, many people on these and other forums have made kso's just to get started and to help refine their grind work. Just know that practicing on unknown steel does not always lead to good grinds on known steel. Be patient, practice and have fun. (be safe) Ok, I have rambled enough and Im sure that others have posted while I have been typing. Have fun and welcome to the addiction.
thanks everyone....I am going to get some..."known steel" and continue on with this new hobby. I am also gonna continue to shape and grind the current knife that I have started and not worry about the HT. I figure it cant hurt to be grinding and shaping the knife and making a handle even if its just for experience and not gonna be an excellent final product. I appreciate everyones feedback.....I will keep you posted as my skills come around.....Thanks everyone...Mike
- Joined
- Jan 28, 2005
- Messages
- 2,154
Get some Aldo's 1084.. great stuff and files like butter with a good file. It's almost like working with wood how easy it works. The heat treat is super simple too (again see stickies). Basically build a simple forge. Get a pipe (not galvanized) and drill some holes. Dig a hole and put the pipe in the bottom. Get some coal or natural charcoal, fill the hole and cover the pipe. Light and attach a hair dryer to the other end of the pipe to force air into the coal. Stick in blade and test every few mins to see if magnetic (you need a magnet and tongs). Once non-magnetic, immediately put in a jar of canola oil. Let cool. Temper 2-3 times at 400 degress in oven. Let cool completely between cycles. Done.. basically./
I do appreciate the help and offers evryone. Its nice to see there is still a lot of good people out there. When I get further along Buzek I will probably get with you on the Heat treat. Rocketman, thanks also for the offer. I have seen websites that sell blade steel so I will go ahead and order some... Thanks again everyone.....Mike
- Joined
- Jul 13, 2009
- Messages
- 21,855
Try Aldos 1084
I've put this together to answer most of a new makers questions on how to make a knife. I'm sure it will help you too. How to Instructions for making a Knife.
The Count's Standard Reply to New Knifemakers V22
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-PDF
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:
Think thin. A paring knife slices, an axe doesn't.
Forget swords, Saw-tooth spines, guthooks, crazy grinds and folders for your first knife.
Start with a drawing.
Show it to us, we love to see and comment on photos.
Then make a cardboard cutout template & draw in handles, pins and such
Then make it in wood, paint sticks are free & close to the right size.
Play with that and see if it feels right. If it feels right it usually looks right
See the Google books thread for Lloyd Harding drawings, the Loveless book & Bob Engnath Patterns. Google books thread
Bob Engnath Patterns compiled into a PDF
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
Right Click and save link as.
Its 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)
Forget the Goop Quench.
Use commercial quench oil & match oil speed to the steel type; even grocery store canola oil works much better for some steels.
Junkyard steels require skill and experience to identify the steel and heat treat it properly.
Forget about Lawnmower blades and start with a new known steel type.
Good heat treating needs accurate temperature control and full quench.
You can buy proper steel like 1084FG from Aldo very cheaply.
I like cable damascus, but that advanced project has no place in a beginners 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.
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 inlays, machine stitchers..)
Green Pete's Free Video
Making a Mora bushcraft knife, stock removal, hand tools, neo tribal / unplugged heat treat.
Use a piece of known steel, not a file. I just post this as an example of doing it by hand with few tools.
"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.
Forget about lawnmower blades ,files and other unknown junkyard steels.
For all the work involved, it is very cheap to buy and use a known good steel.
If you send out for heat treating, you can use
Oil quenched O1, 1095, 1084
Or air quenched A2, CM154, ATS34, CPM154, 440C, plus many others.
For heat treating yourself with minimal equipment, find some Eutectoid steel.
1084FG sold by Aldo Bruno is formulated for Knifemaking, Cheapest & made for DIY heat-treat.
http://njsteelbaron.com/
Phone # 862-203-8160
1095 is a good carbon steel, but a bad choice for a beginner with limited equipment.
1095 is "Hypereutectioid" and needs very precise temperature control and proper fast quench oil Like Parks 50 or Houghton K Kevin Cashen - 1095 - hypereutectoid steel
If you are sending one or 2 knives out for heat treatment, use 154-CM or CPM-154 and ship it out to TKS -Texas Knifemaker Supply
It's the cheapest way to do 1 or 2 because of HT minimum charges.
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.
Air Hardening Stainless Steel Only
Buck Pau Bos -Be sure to check the Shipping and Price tabs.
http://www.buckknives.com/index.cfm?event=bio.paulBos#
http://www.texasknife.com/vcom/privacy.php#services
Oil Hardening Carbon Steels and Air Hardening Stainless Steel
http://www.petersheattreat.com/cutlery.html
http://www.knifemaker.ca/ (Canadian)
Quenchants for Oil hardening steel
Forget the Goop Quench.
Forget used motor oil, it's toxic and doesn't work that well.
Use commercial quench oil & match oil speed to the steel type;
Even grocery store canola oil works well enough for your first knife-if you use the right steel.
Brine and water are almost free, and technically correct for W1 and "water hardening" steels but a fast oil like Parks 50 and Houghton Houghto Quench K are less likely to give you broken blades.
If you use water or brine, expect to have a cracked or broken blade.
Search the work "tink" for more info
Glue Epoxy
Use a Fresh package of slow setting, high strength epoxy to attach blades to handles and well as seal out moisture.
Surface Prep is vital, drill tang holes/ grind a hollow, roughen the surfaces with abrasive, blasting is best.
Ensure the surface is clean & no oil including fingerprints. Soap, Acetone & Alcohol, Blasting.
Clamp with moderate pressure= avoid a glue starved joint when all the adhesive is squeezed out.
These are well proven.
Brownell's Acraglas
West Systems G Flex
Grinder / Tools
In my opinion, variable speed and a small wheel attachment are essential on a good grinder.
You can almost always improve tracking with more belt tension. It needs to be way tighter than you first think.
Hand Tools
You can do it all by hand with files and abrasive cloth like the Green Pete video.
Files can be made from unhardenable steel, or steel similar to 1095 that needs a difficult HT
Just use 1084 instead of a file.
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.
Don't believe me? google "Ed Caffrey lung cancer" and see what he has to say about it.
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.
There are also prefilters that snap over the main filter for longer life.
For beards, pick one of these
3M PAPR
Resp-O-Rator
3m Breathe Easy
Trend Airshield Pro
Air Cap II
Searching
Search works for ALL users, even unpaid users.
Try it, Ill bet youre not the first to ask the question here
This is a special Google page that searches BF only & works better than the forum search.
http://www.google.com/cse/home?cx=011197018607028182644:qfobr3dlcra
V22 Dec 1, 2011.
I've put this together to answer most of a new makers questions on how to make a knife. I'm sure it will help you too. How to Instructions for making a Knife.
The Count's Standard Reply to New Knifemakers V22
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-PDF
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:
Think thin. A paring knife slices, an axe doesn't.
Forget swords, Saw-tooth spines, guthooks, crazy grinds and folders for your first knife.
Start with a drawing.
Show it to us, we love to see and comment on photos.
Then make a cardboard cutout template & draw in handles, pins and such
Then make it in wood, paint sticks are free & close to the right size.
Play with that and see if it feels right. If it feels right it usually looks right
See the Google books thread for Lloyd Harding drawings, the Loveless book & Bob Engnath Patterns. Google books thread
Bob Engnath Patterns compiled into a PDF
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
Right Click and save link as.
Its 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)
Forget the Goop Quench.
Use commercial quench oil & match oil speed to the steel type; even grocery store canola oil works much better for some steels.
Junkyard steels require skill and experience to identify the steel and heat treat it properly.
Forget about Lawnmower blades and start with a new known steel type.
Good heat treating needs accurate temperature control and full quench.
You can buy proper steel like 1084FG from Aldo very cheaply.
I like cable damascus, but that advanced project has no place in a beginners 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.
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 inlays, machine stitchers..)
Green Pete's Free Video
Making a Mora bushcraft knife, stock removal, hand tools, neo tribal / unplugged heat treat.
Use a piece of known steel, not a file. I just post this as an example of doing it by hand with few tools.
"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.
Forget about lawnmower blades ,files and other unknown junkyard steels.
For all the work involved, it is very cheap to buy and use a known good steel.
If you send out for heat treating, you can use
Oil quenched O1, 1095, 1084
Or air quenched A2, CM154, ATS34, CPM154, 440C, plus many others.
For heat treating yourself with minimal equipment, find some Eutectoid steel.
1084FG sold by Aldo Bruno is formulated for Knifemaking, Cheapest & made for DIY heat-treat.
http://njsteelbaron.com/
Phone # 862-203-8160
1095 is a good carbon steel, but a bad choice for a beginner with limited equipment.
1095 is "Hypereutectioid" and needs very precise temperature control and proper fast quench oil Like Parks 50 or Houghton K Kevin Cashen - 1095 - hypereutectoid steel
If you are sending one or 2 knives out for heat treatment, use 154-CM or CPM-154 and ship it out to TKS -Texas Knifemaker Supply
It's the cheapest way to do 1 or 2 because of HT minimum charges.
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.
Air Hardening Stainless Steel Only
Buck Pau Bos -Be sure to check the Shipping and Price tabs.
http://www.buckknives.com/index.cfm?event=bio.paulBos#
http://www.texasknife.com/vcom/privacy.php#services
Oil Hardening Carbon Steels and Air Hardening Stainless Steel
http://www.petersheattreat.com/cutlery.html
http://www.knifemaker.ca/ (Canadian)
Quenchants for Oil hardening steel
Forget the Goop Quench.
Forget used motor oil, it's toxic and doesn't work that well.
Use commercial quench oil & match oil speed to the steel type;
Even grocery store canola oil works well enough for your first knife-if you use the right steel.
Brine and water are almost free, and technically correct for W1 and "water hardening" steels but a fast oil like Parks 50 and Houghton Houghto Quench K are less likely to give you broken blades.
If you use water or brine, expect to have a cracked or broken blade.
Search the work "tink" for more info
Glue Epoxy
Use a Fresh package of slow setting, high strength epoxy to attach blades to handles and well as seal out moisture.
Surface Prep is vital, drill tang holes/ grind a hollow, roughen the surfaces with abrasive, blasting is best.
Ensure the surface is clean & no oil including fingerprints. Soap, Acetone & Alcohol, Blasting.
Clamp with moderate pressure= avoid a glue starved joint when all the adhesive is squeezed out.
These are well proven.
Brownell's Acraglas
West Systems G Flex
Grinder / Tools
In my opinion, variable speed and a small wheel attachment are essential on a good grinder.
You can almost always improve tracking with more belt tension. It needs to be way tighter than you first think.
Hand Tools
You can do it all by hand with files and abrasive cloth like the Green Pete video.
Files can be made from unhardenable steel, or steel similar to 1095 that needs a difficult HT
Just use 1084 instead of a file.
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.
Don't believe me? google "Ed Caffrey lung cancer" and see what he has to say about it.
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.
There are also prefilters that snap over the main filter for longer life.
For beards, pick one of these
3M PAPR
Resp-O-Rator
3m Breathe Easy
Trend Airshield Pro
Air Cap II
Searching
Search works for ALL users, even unpaid users.
Try it, Ill bet youre not the first to ask the question here
This is a special Google page that searches BF only & works better than the forum search.
http://www.google.com/cse/home?cx=011197018607028182644:qfobr3dlcra
V22 Dec 1, 2011.
cityhick, if you are up to a roadtrip and want to come down i'll be glad to teach you how to make a knife. you're only a few hours away. send me an email rje196021@gmail.com
- Joined
- Aug 13, 2002
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That's exactly what I was gonna suggest Mike. My first two knives were like that. I still have them. Are they great cutting knives, no, did I learn a lot doing them, oh yes. And the most important thing you'll learn is if this is a hobby for you.
Welcome and looking forward to seeing your work. :thumbup:
Thanks for the offer. Maybe when the weather gets better in the spring ill jump on the bike and head down that way. But then again I might just have to make it sooner.....Im really diggin all the stuff I have been reading and looking at here on this forum