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John White Old Glory D Guard WIP
- Thread starter Kevin Jones
- Start date
- Joined
- Oct 28, 2006
- Messages
- 13,363
I'm glad you are enjoying this thread Stuart and thanks for following it.
Like a member was posting over on the CKCA forum, these threads not only educate both makers and collectors but help us appreciate how meticulous and the tremendous time makers put into creating these beautiful custom knives.
Thanks everyone for following along and to John for taking the photos and walking us threw the various procedures.
Like a member was posting over on the CKCA forum, these threads not only educate both makers and collectors but help us appreciate how meticulous and the tremendous time makers put into creating these beautiful custom knives.
Thanks everyone for following along and to John for taking the photos and walking us threw the various procedures.
VERY impressive indeed! Diverse skills and tools being shown and i'm loving it!
That is not just ANY "jewelers" saw! I remember it being shown on a forum a while back when it was new to the market. It was HIGHLY regarded by some of the best craftsman.
The guard itself is a work of art on this knife!
Peter
That is not just ANY "jewelers" saw! I remember it being shown on a forum a while back when it was new to the market. It was HIGHLY regarded by some of the best craftsman.
The guard itself is a work of art on this knife!
Peter
- Joined
- Oct 28, 2006
- Messages
- 13,363
Making parts and fitting the stag.
With the D-Guard bow sanded to 1000 grit, it's time to make the remaining parts.
The twist I had planned to use for the collar wound up too narrow and thin for
what I want here.
I need some visual presence at the front end of this beautiful stag handle, so
I went to my stash of damascus pieces and selected a piece of multi-bar twist.
This will carry on the " stars" theme.
I cut it to size and slotted it to fit the tang in the same manner as I fitted
the guard.
I want to grind this collar into an oval. Here's an old boatbuilder's trick, to
mark out an elliptical oval, the height and width of the collar billet, without
needing a hundred oval templates.
Note that the drawing is two squares, with sides the height and widths of the
collar. The center of each square is found by the diagonals, and the
half-diagonal length is swung up to the side of the squares.
Those lengths are marked on the respective sides of the collar:
And the corners ground off.
Knock the points off, grind to a perfect oval with 50 grit, then with 120 and
220 grit,
And, of course, hand sand to 1000.
Here's your collar.
With the D-Guard bow sanded to 1000 grit, it's time to make the remaining parts.
The twist I had planned to use for the collar wound up too narrow and thin for
what I want here.
I need some visual presence at the front end of this beautiful stag handle, so
I went to my stash of damascus pieces and selected a piece of multi-bar twist.
This will carry on the " stars" theme.
I cut it to size and slotted it to fit the tang in the same manner as I fitted
the guard.
I want to grind this collar into an oval. Here's an old boatbuilder's trick, to
mark out an elliptical oval, the height and width of the collar billet, without
needing a hundred oval templates.
Note that the drawing is two squares, with sides the height and widths of the
collar. The center of each square is found by the diagonals, and the
half-diagonal length is swung up to the side of the squares.
Those lengths are marked on the respective sides of the collar:
And the corners ground off.
Knock the points off, grind to a perfect oval with 50 grit, then with 120 and
220 grit,
And, of course, hand sand to 1000.
Here's your collar.
- Joined
- Oct 28, 2006
- Messages
- 13,363
With the collar fitted, and two 1/16th inch holes drilled for assembly pins, the
collar can be used to mark for the tang fit to the stag.
The soft pith in the center of the stag must all be removed, and the tang cast
in epoxy, to support the stresses of use. The tang is wide enough, though, to be
mortised into the hard part, using another of my favorite tools, one of John
Perry's beautiful handle broaches.
With the tang broached to a fit in the stag, I can adjust the threaded tang end
to a 90 degree exit.
The ease of handle fitting depends on the accuracy of the initial knife drawing,
and forging and grinding to the patterns made from the drawing.
Two more pieces need to be made before the whole thing can begin to come
together.
In this pic, you can see the roughed-in butt-cap made from the stacked and
welded pieces of the first, failed blade. You do remember that first, failed
blade? I do.
Asso here , just below the guard strip, is a piece of "stripes" 1/2x 1/2x
7/8ths. That's going to be the finial.
collar can be used to mark for the tang fit to the stag.
The soft pith in the center of the stag must all be removed, and the tang cast
in epoxy, to support the stresses of use. The tang is wide enough, though, to be
mortised into the hard part, using another of my favorite tools, one of John
Perry's beautiful handle broaches.
With the tang broached to a fit in the stag, I can adjust the threaded tang end
to a 90 degree exit.
The ease of handle fitting depends on the accuracy of the initial knife drawing,
and forging and grinding to the patterns made from the drawing.
Two more pieces need to be made before the whole thing can begin to come
together.
In this pic, you can see the roughed-in butt-cap made from the stacked and
welded pieces of the first, failed blade. You do remember that first, failed
blade? I do.
Asso here , just below the guard strip, is a piece of "stripes" 1/2x 1/2x
7/8ths. That's going to be the finial.
- Joined
- Oct 28, 2006
- Messages
- 13,363
I'm going to make the finial that will pull all these pieces together into a
sturdy fighting knife.
Any of you folks with a machining background better close your eyes, or take
some anti-acid. This is gonna make you shudder!
I drill and tap the block of "stripes" damascus for a 10-32 machine screw.
Then I'll screw a length of 10-32 into the block, and quickly grind the block
into a cylinder using the 45 degree/ corner trick again.
Look-out, see that battery drill?
I'll grab the drill in the big red vise, tie off the trigger, and with the 10-32
stem chucked up in the drill, use flat, mill, and round files to turn the
cylinder into a finial.
I'm not kidding, this goes fast.
And sand that baby to 1000 grit right in the drill.
The butt-cap is the only piece not at it's final shape and grit.
I'll fit it tomorrow, and then it's time to bend the bow and assemble this
knife.
More tomorrow.
sturdy fighting knife.
Any of you folks with a machining background better close your eyes, or take
some anti-acid. This is gonna make you shudder!
I drill and tap the block of "stripes" damascus for a 10-32 machine screw.
Then I'll screw a length of 10-32 into the block, and quickly grind the block
into a cylinder using the 45 degree/ corner trick again.
Look-out, see that battery drill?
I'll grab the drill in the big red vise, tie off the trigger, and with the 10-32
stem chucked up in the drill, use flat, mill, and round files to turn the
cylinder into a finial.
I'm not kidding, this goes fast.
And sand that baby to 1000 grit right in the drill.
The butt-cap is the only piece not at it's final shape and grit.
I'll fit it tomorrow, and then it's time to bend the bow and assemble this
knife.
More tomorrow.
- Joined
- Feb 17, 2008
- Messages
- 8,287
This is truly a treasure to makers and collectors alike.
The tip about making the perfect oval collars and the simple methods for the finial nut are worth the price of admission a hundred times over.
John you are a true craftsman in the finest sense. Kevin thanks for sharing this with us.
The tip about making the perfect oval collars and the simple methods for the finial nut are worth the price of admission a hundred times over.
John you are a true craftsman in the finest sense. Kevin thanks for sharing this with us.
- Joined
- Nov 21, 2005
- Messages
- 3,972
This has been a tremendous ride! Looking forward to the final assembly. :thumbup:
- Joe
- Joe
- Joined
- Feb 28, 2006
- Messages
- 3,494
You mean there's a different way to shape stuff like that? I thought that's how everyone does it.
Absolutely mind-boggling awesome craftsmanship! Thanks for a remarkable WIP cyber-experience!
- Joined
- Oct 13, 2011
- Messages
- 377
Sir, I am completely floored. I've said it numerous times, but the amount of talent in this one single venue is truly staggering!!!
- Joined
- Oct 28, 2006
- Messages
- 13,363
Thanks guys, we appreciate all the comments!
Here's more, sorry for my tardiness tonight!
Here's more, sorry for my tardiness tonight!
- Joined
- Oct 28, 2006
- Messages
- 13,363
Only a couple hours of work on the knife today, but kinda critical.
Now that I'm able to test assemble the parts, and tweak the angles on the front
and rear of the stag,I can bring the butt-end of the D-guard bow
and the butt-cap almost to their final shape, and drill the finial hole in the
proper place.
And drill a #47 hole in the finial for the take-down tool rod.
I've ground a piece of scrap to the exact thickness of the butt-end of the
d-guard bow, and drilled it, and can now put it in place where the guard bow
will hit the butt end of the handle.
Now I can put the butt-cap piece in place and use the finial to suck everything
into position, and tight, the way it'll fit when the bow is bent.
This allows me to spend a pleasant quarter-hour tweaking the front and rear
angles with file and pencil rubbings, until the assembly is light tight at
guard/collar/ stag, and stag/bow/butt-cap/finial.
Well, it's time to epoxy cast the tang in place. I want to do it before the bow
is bent, while I have access to the butt end of the stag. I need to clean out
around that threaded tang, don't want that epoxied in place.
I've scraped out the soft pith, wiped the inside of the stag with acetone, and
waxed everything in sight with Johnson's paste wax.
I'll mix up some West System epoxy, and fill it with colloidal silica. This will
make a stiff, non-runny, peanut butter like mix that'll cast to the tang and
give the handle the strength to chop.
I'll use a Zip-lock bag with a corner cut as an applicator.
And fill the front 3/4's of the handle, cleaning out around the threaded end of
the tang before screwing on the butt pieces with the finial.
Late tonight, after the epoxy's set up, I'll knock the handle off, and fill the
remaining space at the butt end solid with epoxy. Then tomorrow morning i can
back drill for the threaded tang and finial shank.
With the stag handle part a solid, tight fitting unit, I can bend the bow and do
the final tune-up and carving.
Not too long now, thank goodness.
Now that I'm able to test assemble the parts, and tweak the angles on the front
and rear of the stag,I can bring the butt-end of the D-guard bow
and the butt-cap almost to their final shape, and drill the finial hole in the
proper place.
And drill a #47 hole in the finial for the take-down tool rod.
I've ground a piece of scrap to the exact thickness of the butt-end of the
d-guard bow, and drilled it, and can now put it in place where the guard bow
will hit the butt end of the handle.
Now I can put the butt-cap piece in place and use the finial to suck everything
into position, and tight, the way it'll fit when the bow is bent.
This allows me to spend a pleasant quarter-hour tweaking the front and rear
angles with file and pencil rubbings, until the assembly is light tight at
guard/collar/ stag, and stag/bow/butt-cap/finial.
Well, it's time to epoxy cast the tang in place. I want to do it before the bow
is bent, while I have access to the butt end of the stag. I need to clean out
around that threaded tang, don't want that epoxied in place.
I've scraped out the soft pith, wiped the inside of the stag with acetone, and
waxed everything in sight with Johnson's paste wax.
I'll mix up some West System epoxy, and fill it with colloidal silica. This will
make a stiff, non-runny, peanut butter like mix that'll cast to the tang and
give the handle the strength to chop.
I'll use a Zip-lock bag with a corner cut as an applicator.
And fill the front 3/4's of the handle, cleaning out around the threaded end of
the tang before screwing on the butt pieces with the finial.
Late tonight, after the epoxy's set up, I'll knock the handle off, and fill the
remaining space at the butt end solid with epoxy. Then tomorrow morning i can
back drill for the threaded tang and finial shank.
With the stag handle part a solid, tight fitting unit, I can bend the bow and do
the final tune-up and carving.
Not too long now, thank goodness.
- Joined
- Sep 27, 2007
- Messages
- 7,680
Holy cow!! I'm sure that making that finial was not as easy as you made it look, but what a cool resourceful way to do it!! That was one of the coolest parts of this thread. I would love to try that.
Thank you sir!
Thank you sir!
- Joined
- Mar 22, 2008
- Messages
- 64
Thank you for sharing.