I modded a 9 and made it "MINE" :D

zzyzzogeton

zzyzzogeton

Joined
Feb 17, 2013
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Many folks have said that when you "mod" a knife, you make it "yours". Well, I really made this 9 "Mine". :D:D

First, I made a jig for the blade to sit in so it I could run multiple passes with the laser etcher to get through the coating "sharply".
BK9 Laser Jig.jpg

After I laser etched both sides, I did a little DC etching to deepen the etchings.
DC Etching.jpg

On the first side, it took something on the order of 65 passes with the laser. I started with 80% power at 100% speed (fastest setting). After 30+ passes, I started monkeying with the settings - upped the power by 5% and slowed the speed by 10% for several passes, until I was at 100% power and 30% speed (really slow). Finally got through the coating.
BK9 Texas and Address.jpg

On the second side, I started with 100% power and 30% speed - got through after 37 passes.
BK9 Ash Duf Side.jpg

Then I striped the coating from the blade and added stainless steel fasteners. Still working on custom handles to be added later.
I used Jasco brand paint stripper from Lowe's. I did it outside, in the sun, with the air temp about 70degF. Let it set for 30 minutes and scraped most of the coating off. A second, 20 minute session removes the stubborn bits.
BK9 Strip Session.jpg

As you can see in the second picture, I really made the knife "mine". There's no way anyone else can claim it's "their" knife. :D:D:D
 
Here's the final product. I could only post 5 pics directly in the initial post.
BK9 Modded SS Screws.jpg

The blade is kinda dark because of the poor lighting but the "natural patina" of the blade is fairly dark on its own. I don't know if the JASCO stripper caused it to be that dark or if the blade was not polished at all after heat treatment, just the rough scale being knocked off.
 
That looks pretty good, zzyzz....I'm curious where you have access to a laser etcher, though. Are you involved in some sort of "skunk works" secret lab or something? Please don't tell if you'll have to kill me afterward ;).
 
Hey zzyzz do you mind sharing what the etching says? Again,as granite said,don t tell us if you have to kill us....
 
On the BK9 (pile) side of the knife I have my name, address phone number, bladeforums user name and beckerhead number. I also have my "leatherworking/future metalworking" service mark on the knife (crossed Z in Texas - similar to my livestock brand, which is "circle crossed Z").

On the Mark Side, I Have

Ash duf durbatulûk, Ash duf gimbatul,
Ash duf thrakatulûk agh burzum-ishi krimpatul.

Extra points to whoever can figure that out. :D:D:D

I signed up for a membership with a company called "Techshop". They're based in Cali. See techshop.com for their locations. For the membership, I get access to about $1M worth of shop tools that I could never afford without winning the lottery. You have to take their safety courses before you can use the equipment but most are fairly reasonable. I paid a year in advance and got 5 "free" classes for any course listed as under $100. The most expensive course is the waterjet. That course is $200. Use of the waterjet costs $3/ minute. I think that's the only machine that has usage fees. It's possible the shopbot has fees, but I haven't taken that class yet. I have several knife designs I want to make, but all my metal cutting skills draw heavy vacuum, but I can figure out SW. :D

So far, I've worked my way through the Lasers, the milling machines, the woodshop (less shopbot - separate course) and this Thursday, the waterjet. Next week will be the generic metal shop (metal bandsaw, grinders, etc). Essentially the classes are just "How to use this equipment safely and not #$#$ it or you up".

Let's see, there's 3 laser etcher/cutters, a large shopbot in the wood shop along with wood lathe, table saw, band saw, etc, a small shopbot in the electronics area, half a dozen soldering stations and multiple electronics equipment, 2 "regular" milling machines and 2 metal lathes and a TorMach mill in the metal cutting shop, powder coating facilities, MIG and TIG welding, "other" metal shop tools in the "metal shop, 8 4'x8' and 2 8'x8' work tables paint booth, 3d printer, injection molding stations, training class room with 16 computer stations and 8 "floor" computer stations (each w/ about $15K software - incl CorelDraw, Vcarve, Inventor, Autocad3d,......, a quilting machine, a vinyl cutting station, 3 industrial embroidery sewing machines (thought about trying to make my own Beckerhead patches), lots of hand tools.

The one here in Austin/Round Rock is co-located with (in the building adjacent to) a Lowe's. If you need something for a project, you pop over and get it.

I'm gonna start on jigs for the various Beckers I own so I can etch any one I want when I want. Just gotta come up with ideas.
 
Hey zzyzz...if this is turkish wich i think it is,is something about brainchild but i m not quite sure about the rest....?
 
I have no idea what it means, but I did guess correctly that it was Tolkien. That place sounds very cool, zzyzz. I have a maker space within walking distance of my house, but they don't have anything close to the heavy artillery you're talking about.
 
Well, its the same inscription Sauron put on the ring, obviously. "One ring to bring them all, and in the darkness bind them." Why didn't you use Tolkien's script for the Black Speech?

1311271036584938.gif
 
Actually, it says "One KNIFE ..." duf means knife in "Black Speech", the fore runner to Orcish.

Tolkien used "old English Runes" for the HOBBIT, Cirth/Angerthas Moria Dwarvish Runes for "The Lord of the Rings" and Feanorian (Gandalf/Third Age writings). There is also the Tolkien's Tengwar/Tehtar Elvish, Sindarin (Grey Elvish), Quenya (High Elvish), Feanorin Sindarin. What was inscribed on the ring was supposed to be the more archaic script, the Quenya.

All the sources I could dig up on the Quenya were not very user friendly for generating them in a size that would look good when lasered into the BK coatings on the flat part of the blade. It was too busy with too many curlicues and swirls.

Since the incantation was in Sauron's Black Speech and the inscription in Quenya because it was a dark spell aimed at the Elves, I chose to go with a readily laserable font that resembled the Black Speech that Sauron used when creating the ring. Besides, to badly paraphase that "oldy" song "It's my knife and I could lase what I wanted to." :D
 
I just feel bad for you if you decide to move... feel even worse if the Nazgul decide they want their blade back.
 
Thats one fine nine and will be no mistaking who it belongs to.


;)
This is my Becker. There are many like it, but this one is mine. My Becker is my best friend. It is my life. I must master it as I must master my life. My Becker, without me, is useless. Without my Becker, I am useless. I must sharpen my Becker true. I must cut deeper than my enemy who is trying to kill me. I must cut him before he cuts me. I will... My Becker and I know that what counts in this war is not the cuts we cause, the noise of our batoning, nor the smoke our fires make. We know that it is the hits that count. We will hit... My Becker is human, even as I, because it is my life. Thus, I will learn it as a brother. I will learn its weaknesses, its strength, its parts, its accessories, its handle and its blade. I will keep my Becker clean and ready, even as I am clean and ready. We will become part of each other. We will... Before God, I swear this creed. My Becker and I are the defenders of my country. We are the masters of our enemy. We are the saviors of my life. So be it, until victory is America's and there is no enemy.
Click to expand...
 
Careful posting your full address here. Murph likes to mail steamers to people. That's just how he rolls.
Otherwise, durn nice work! Very cool. :thumbup:
 
Arkanian said:
I just feel bad for you if you decide to move... feel even worse if the Nazgul decide they want their blade back.
Click to expand...

My next move will be to "Plot 384", 1.3 miles away on a bearing of 213T, in the cemetary behind my church. I have no intentions of EVER moving again. :D
 
That's awesome Zz. Came out perfect!

Only downside I see is You can't leave the 9 at the scene of the crime if you ever have to off someone with it! haha JK. But really, I'd choose another knife in that situation. :D

And man I lived in Austin for 7 years and never knew a place like that existed. I might have to look into that.
 
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