I'm making my first friction folder! WIP

S

Spinerazor

Joined
Mar 30, 2012
Messages
510
Hey Guys, yesterday i got a shipment of goodies from the knife supply shop so i decided i'm going to try and make a friction folder, as well as a bunch of other knives, i started them today by first drawing the general shape out on paper and cutting it out, then traced it onto my steel and took the angle grinder to it, i'm surprised it turned out so well, i didn't measure a thing! here are some pics of yesterday and today, i'll post more as things progress.

Thanks for looking!

 
Ok, i just drilled the g10 to take the hidden stop pin, seems to all be lining up perfect and works nice and smooth!

 
OzarkMatt said:
Very cool, I'm about to start on a fricky of my own soon! How hard is it to work with the G-10?
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Really simple, its my first time working with it, its the same as any plastic maybe a bit harder but its quite easy to work with i'm finding.
 
And after a little bit of handle shaping, kind of going to figure the design out as i go... i'm open to handle suggestions if you have any, lets hear em'!

 
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Alright i started at it again early this morning. Today i drilled the back holes for the standoff and made a standoff, then did a bit more shaping on the blade and handle cause the blade was hitting the standoff but its fine now, its all back together and works flawlessly, so i guess now i need to start grinding out the blade!

 
Great so far. I still don't measure anything.
 
Not much for an update today!, i started on another little knife so i was sidetracked with it, i changed the pivot bolt out tho to a chain ring type, it looks much better i think, i'm going to try and grind it out tonight or tomorrow... as for the other knife, i started experimenting with different grinds, this is the first interesting grind ive done, a few more passes to straighten it out and a bit more shaping and it should be ready for HT.

Photo0295.jpg
 
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Another really small update, i sanded the edges down to round them off all around the scale, I've only got one side complete but i'm about to do the other side, never done this before either and i was wondering if a router wouldn't be better for doing this sort of thing?

 
Looking good! I guess you couldn't wait for Daniel to make some could you :p

About the handle, a router might work but i seems like overkill to me. A half round wood file should get you started and then sandpaper will do the finishing work. I think even if you used a router you would be hand sanding to clean up tool marks, etc.

Cheers
 
I don't have much of an update today, I've been really sick with some sort of chest cold, and i haven't been feeling up to doing much work. However i did manage to shape the edges of the second scale for the friction folder this afternoon and i did a little bit more on this other knife i started, the grind is almost there and i'm almost happy with it, i think i can straighten it out with a file and some sandpaper.

I'm also noticing that using a 1x30" belt sander isn't the best thing for working metal, the metal platen part the belt skims across behind the belt gets way to hot and it causes the connection on the belts to melt!!! tried everything even keeping ice cubes beside me and cooling it down but it still happens way to much its getting expensive, i went through 5 belts today and got hardly anything done!, that's going to add up fast!, found a 2x72 from sears in the USA for $190, Canada doesn't carry them! guess i need to find me some cash and fast!

OK, i'm going back to bed.

 
i cant believe i'm still feeling like crap! so once again i haven't been able to do very much on this project, but i did manage to put a better standoff and smaller screws in the handle, i also started to grind out the blade, i still have to clean it up and bring it up a bit and put a big swedge then do the same to the other side but its coming along well. Lots more to do but the heat today is killing me so i'll try again tomorrow.

 
Finally today i started feeling a little better, better enough to go in the garage for half an hour and grind on some metal again!, didn't get a lot accomplished but i wanted to try out some 80grit belts i got today so i put a little swedge on the friction folder and ground and ground until there wasn't much left to grind on the other little, now to be neck knife i started haha! so now its a neck scalpel knife looking thing, still cool for something i guess. i guess tomorrow i'll be back full swing and hope to finish the grinds on the folder and start another one, i'm already not happy with how its turning out so the faster its done the better. The little necker thing ill just drill out for a cord wrap cause its not worth handle scales, sand it to finish and i think that's it for that one.

 
Work In Progress..... and taken from jp custom knives "Friction Folders are non locking knives. They do not have a locking mechanism nor do they have a detent to hold the blade in the closed position. What keeps them closed is the friction created between the washers and the handle material on the blade. The friction is strong and they will not open in your pocket. While it is strong, the action on the knives are still very smooth."

sqchram said:
Educate a noob. Friction folder and WIP?
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