I'm not dead yet!

[deker]

Seems like it's been an age since I got any real work done in the shop. Well, today I started my "new schedule". I was in this shop by 5am and had these forged and cleaned up by 7:30. All the scale on the big one will go away once I start to grind the bevels, I was just going for rough profiles this AM.

Now to get to that 40 hour a week hobby that funds the real work

-d

 

[Bruce Bump]

It looks like a great start on a pair of fine knives. You should show us some progress shots.

 

[deker]

It looks like a great start on a pair of fine knives. You should show us some progress shots.

I'll see if I can't get a few pictures every morning after I get some more done. My plan for these 2 this week is:

- Tomorrow - Grinding
- Wed - Heat Treat (I've got a few more to HT as well. Hopefully I can get them all done at one)
- Thurs - Guards (first with the new mini mill! I'll need to finish my blade holding jig so I can mill shoulders...oh crap...I need a set of parallels too...)
- Friday - Start Handles/rough shaping

I've got a budding knifemaker coming out to the shop Saturday so I may hold on any of these parts if there's something in particular he wants to see that I can demonstrate. Otherwise he's got some tempering to do and some final finish work on his knife from the blacksmith guild knifemaking class I helped with in March.

Wish me luck on the new schedule folks. I'm going to see if I can force myself out of bed every day at about 4:30AM so I can get at least a couple hours a day in the shop...working in the evening after work just never works out since I'm always too tired and I refuse to work with power toys if I'm not with it.

-d

 

[delbert ealy]

Rob,
Good luck at the morning shop shift, My wife seems to be slowly transforming me to the vampire shift. My daughters seem to be doing the same, the 2 carpet critters didn't go to bed until 1:30. Aaarrrrggggghhhh!
Del

 

[deker]

Rob,
Good luck at the morning shop shift, My wife seems to be slowly transforming me to the vampire shift. My daughters seem to be doing the same, the 2 carpet critters didn't go to bed until 1:30. Aaarrrrggggghhhh!

Well, my wife's schedule, and that of the dogs is VERY different, but when it's time for me to hit the sack, I'll hit the sack. We've got a DVR so I wo'nt miss primetime, I'll just time shift it. I used to be pure vampire shift, but the gov't contracting biz wants me available during "business hours"...don't they know I can get more done when all the idiots are asleep and can't bother me?!

We'll see how it goes...I just have to stick with it. I'll admit that it feels good to have accomplished something I care about before I go waste a day at work...

-d

 

[scottickes]

- Thurs - Guards (first with the new mini mill! I'll need to finish my blade holding jig so I can mill shoulders...oh crap...I need a set of parallels too...)
-d

I'm so envious of the mini mill. I hand file everything right now. It's a developing skill for me, since I made full tang knives almost exclusively for many years.

I'm also not a morning person. I used to be a "noon" person, but the wife is slowly converting me. I never sleep past 7 a.m. anymore, but my wife is up at 5 a.m. every day. She also won't let me read the paper in the morning. She is so talkative by the time I get out of bed, that I can't read.

Good luck with the new schedule!

Ickie

 

[deker]

I'm so envious of the mini mill. I hand file everything right now. It's a developing skill for me, since I made full tang knives almost exclusively for many years.

All it takes is money.....this one wasn't one of my "screaming good deals", but I didn't overpay either. Of course, that means I need to find a screaming good deal I need on a bigger welder....time to work some more overtime

Good luck with the new schedule!

Thanks! We'll see how it works out.

-d

 

[jdm61]

I'm so envious of the mini mill. I hand file everything right now. It's a developing skill for me, since I made full tang knives almost exclusively for many years.

I'm also not a morning person. I used to be a "noon" person, but the wife is slowly converting me. I never sleep past 7 a.m. anymore, but my wife is up at 5 a.m. every day. She also won't let me read the paper in the morning. She is so talkative by the time I get out of bed, that I can't read.

Good luck with the new schedule!

Ickie

I have a mini mill and I still have to hand file, just not nearly as much
With issues like tool chatter on certain types of guard material and the rough finish on the "uphill" side of the bit, plus my lack of skill, I don't trust the mill to get the slot the exact size. But it sure beat the hell out of the old "drill and file all day long" method

 

[scottickes]

I have a mini mill and I still have to hand file, just not nearly as much
With issues like tool chatter on certain types of guard material and the rough finish on the "uphill" side of the bit, plus my lack of skill, I don't trust the mill to get the slot the exact size. But it sure beat the hell out of the old "drill and file all day long" method

I'll be doing the old "drill and file all day long" method for the next two or three evenings. I have two knives at this stage right now.

Ickie

 

[deker]

I have a mini mill and I still have to hand file, just not nearly as much
With issues like tool chatter on certain types of guard material and the rough finish on the "uphill" side of the bit, plus my lack of skill, I don't trust the mill to get the slot the exact size. But it sure beat the hell out of the old "drill and file all day long" method

Sure, there's some finish filing, but the bulk of the work should take 5 minutes instead of hours.

-d

 

[jdm61]

Sure, there's some finish filing, but the bulk of the work should take 5 minutes instead of hours.

-d

More like 15-20 to burn through 3/8 1018 or 300 series stainless