How to wreck a knife in 3 seconds Flat

H

hellgap

Joined
Dec 17, 2008
Messages
1,189
I glued on my scales set my mosaic pins and mosaic lanyard started to sand with like 60 grit on slack belt mode and over sanded. So I then cut off the bad area and reattach some sycamore to the camphor burl 2 days later I was ready . I first started to hand sand with 150 grit and thought A WHAT THE H ___ L and in 3 second sanded down to my file work and ruined 4 hours work . I never worked with camphor Burl before and it will be my last.
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I'm confused! Are you saying the camphor burl caused you to over sand, not once, but twice? I guess I wouldn't use it either. Bad camphor, bad! You can't play with us anymore. Go home and don't come back!
 
You haven't wrecked the knife.Just the handles.Time to bust them off and start a new set.I've done it a time or two.Will really chap your backside.
Stan
 
I'm not a fan of file work anyway... unless maybe of the level of something like Bill Ruple... but this is a good reason why a newer maker shouldn't bother with it.

The skills needed to successfully execute a clean and precise knife are not there yet, but a "fancy filework" is added in an effort to make it a fancier knife. Then the inexperience makes the fancy stuff all be for not in the end anyway.

A SUPER CLEAN spine at 600X will look more sleek than filework anyway. :) IMHO!

Quit messing around with files (unless they're to shape your handles!!!!) and spend more hours at the grinder Kelly. :)
 
Mistakes can usually be fixed. I would just grind the spine down flush. You won't have the filework but, you'll have a clean looking knife. I don't think I've ever made a knife that I didn't have to modify because of a mistake.
 
NickWheeler said:
I'm not a fan of file work anyway... unless maybe of the level of something like Bill Ruple... but this is a good reason why a newer maker shouldn't bother with it.

The skills needed to successfully execute a clean and precise knife are not there yet, but a "fancy filework" is added in an effort to make it a fancier knife. Then the inexperience makes the fancy stuff all be for not in the end anyway.

A SUPER CLEAN spine at 600X will look more sleek than filework anyway. :) IMHO!

Quit messing around with files (unless they're to shape your handles!!!!) and spend more hours at the grinder Kelly. :)
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I fully agree. I have noticed some really bad file work literally ruin a knife. I tried messing around in the shop one day and embarassed myself!:eek: Enough of that file work for me!
 
I'd also just grind the handle to remove the file work. I filed a pattern into two knives when I first started out, and I haven't file-worked a knife since. I just love the clean look without it. Now there are makers who can pull it off, and I love the look on some of those blades. However, most of those makers are far more advanced than I am, and their work speaks for itself without the file-work.

--nathan
 
Ah, I dont like filework anyway. Ive ruined knives plenty of times, thats not ruined you just changed the design, having a blade crack in the quench or slipping with the grinder and taking a chunk off the riccasso is ruining it.

I used camphor burl once and found it horrible. It had the texture of MDF, it didnt take a good polish and reacted to sunlight like a ginger haired person in the desert. Ill never use it again.

Jamie

jamie
 
Nick you may be right and I respect your comments as well as all others but how can one get better if they dont try. You are most likely right in certain respects of filling . First off I am working on CPM154 which is harder than any other steel that ive ever worked on . It is a superior steel that needs no baby sitting with a oil can and thus being so hard to start with makes learning that much harder. I have noticed the guys that make file work look like art ,are working on damascus other soft tool steels.I am very aware of trying to keep my grind lines straight and equal . I will be making a new tool rest shortly this will improve my lines and symetre. Nick I am basically self taught and I do appreciate all your advise its the only way I can correct my misstakes is told what im doing wrong. Just to let you all know the camphor burl has soft spots and was not stabilized very deep and i hit hollow or unstabilized spots. The wood is full of oil so probably cant be stabilized . I finished the knife and will just give it away cuzz I dont like it, the blade is sharp as a razor blade . I could redo it but Ill chalk it up to learning.
 
Ya I know Phil . Im not afraid to get comments for somthing stupid I did . Thats why I post when I screw up so no one else will do the same ,well at least this week lmao. I looked at the file work too and most of that is the picture is taken on an angle and distorted . Hey I know im not close to getting any knives in a magazine but if I keep trying I might make last page some day. I do know now some woods just cant be stabilized its all a learning process.
 
I think what Nick was trying to say is , concentrate on nailing the basics first , that will be time well spent. Embellishments are just that , they should not be the focal point of the knife.
 
I know what you're saying about constantly striving for improvement. A good tip for file work would be to practice on scrap held in a vice to learn and polish your patterns and techniques. That way you can spend more time working on the knife without worrying about the file work.

I did the exact same thing as you did on my second knife I file worked. It's something you likely won't do again. There is a lot to be said about learning the hard way. :)

--Nathan
 
There is nothing wrong with champhor burl , nice figure . Hand sand , treat with teak oil and buff on a loose buff with white diamond compound .

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