- Joined
- Jun 2, 2009
- Messages
- 1,564
Amazing, simply amazing. Mr. White, you sir are my hero
. Can't wait to try some of these great tips and tricks.
. Can't wait to try some of these great tips and tricks.
-
The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is available! Price is $250 ea (shipped within CONUS).
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/
John White Old Glory D Guard WIP
- Thread starter Kevin Jones
- Start date
- Joined
- Dec 6, 2006
- Messages
- 1,109
Congrats a really awesome knife Kevin! You're doin' a great job on this one John! I'm really looking forward to seeing the finished knife. It's going to be really cool.
- Joined
- Oct 28, 2006
- Messages
- 13,363
Tapped the handle off this morning, cleaned all the wax off everything, and then
re-sanded the tang, from 220 to 600 grit.
Between the thickness of the wax, and what is removed by the re-sanding, we'll
get a tight fit, but not one that will have to be tapped off.
The initial "cast" fit requires setting a block of wood against the front of the
guard and really hitting it hard with my bronze mallet, to break it loose, and
drive it off.
(The way it goes is, I hold the blade in my left hand, hold the block in place
with the little finger of my left hand, and hit my little finger really hard
with the mallet. No photo of this cool step.)
Now I'm ready to bend the bow. First comes bending the thumb rest. I have a
couple pieces of half inch steel, polished so they don't mark the guard, and
with a curve ground on one end.
I super-glue the larger to the front of the guard,with the curved top facing
away. I'm careful to have that flat polished area completely covering the part
of the guard that needs to stay flat. Then I super glue the other piece to the
back of the guard. By gluing the pieces on, I can get the alignment exactly
square, and not have it shift when I put the assembly in the vise. Any
mis-alignment will make the bend twisted.
Set this assembly in the vise,
Heat it with the acetylene torch, and tap it into a curve with a wooden mallet.
No hammer marks!
re-sanded the tang, from 220 to 600 grit.
Between the thickness of the wax, and what is removed by the re-sanding, we'll
get a tight fit, but not one that will have to be tapped off.
The initial "cast" fit requires setting a block of wood against the front of the
guard and really hitting it hard with my bronze mallet, to break it loose, and
drive it off.
(The way it goes is, I hold the blade in my left hand, hold the block in place
with the little finger of my left hand, and hit my little finger really hard
with the mallet. No photo of this cool step.)
Now I'm ready to bend the bow. First comes bending the thumb rest. I have a
couple pieces of half inch steel, polished so they don't mark the guard, and
with a curve ground on one end.
I super-glue the larger to the front of the guard,with the curved top facing
away. I'm careful to have that flat polished area completely covering the part
of the guard that needs to stay flat. Then I super glue the other piece to the
back of the guard. By gluing the pieces on, I can get the alignment exactly
square, and not have it shift when I put the assembly in the vise. Any
mis-alignment will make the bend twisted.
Set this assembly in the vise,
Heat it with the acetylene torch, and tap it into a curve with a wooden mallet.
No hammer marks!
- Joined
- Oct 29, 2006
- Messages
- 2,912
- Joined
- Oct 28, 2006
- Messages
- 13,363
Next comes bending the "D."
I bolt the guard in place at the front, using a 1/4-20 bolt that has the sides
of the threads flattened to fit through the guard slot. I'll use the polished
steel piece again to keep the front of the guard flat.
I've carefully measured the length of the guard by "rolling" it around the form
before I drilled that hole in the butt. This has to be very close, although
there is more adjustment possible after the bow is bent.
It is also important to align the strap carefully, so as not to bend a twist
into it.
The form is clamped securely in the vise, with the bow sticking up, ready to be
heated and bent. Here's where this one goes a bit south, due to a decision I
made earlier.
The form is clamped securely in the vise, with the bow sticking up, ready to be
heated and bent. Here's where this one goes a bit south, due to a decision I
made earlier.
On the first two D-guards I made, by heating the bow from the front " corner"
and coming back along the bow, while holding the butt, I was able to bend the
bow by hand almost all the way to the butt.
I only had to hammer the "Back corner" curve, and had very few hammer marks to
clean up.
I made the decision to pierce before bending, although I was worried about the
bow taking a "set" at the pierced areas.
I knew it'd be easier to saw the flat strap, and thought a good deal of heat and
a bit of tapping would take care of the bend.
Well, it was one-armed paper hanger time. Bend before piercing is the motto! I
took the resulting flat out by pulling the hot bow off, and tapping it between
two of Don H's W-2 rounds,
And clamping it back in place with "C" clamps to hammer the tang end.
Again, BEND BEFORE PIERCING!
No pictures of the dog and pony show, but let's see what this thing looks like
on the knife.
I had to clean up more than a few hammer marks, but the fit is really close
already, and I got to make a few "air slashes" with the assembled knife!
I gave the bent bow another annealing cycle, so no hard spots will be left from
the heating and bending. We're thinking of gold wire inlay!
The next step is to shape the butt-cap, file the "lion's paw" on the thumb rest
and finial, re-sand the bow. There'll still be some hand tweaking of the bow,
and some slow "file and fit " on the stag, but the drama is over.
Here's what it looks like now.
I bolt the guard in place at the front, using a 1/4-20 bolt that has the sides
of the threads flattened to fit through the guard slot. I'll use the polished
steel piece again to keep the front of the guard flat.
I've carefully measured the length of the guard by "rolling" it around the form
before I drilled that hole in the butt. This has to be very close, although
there is more adjustment possible after the bow is bent.
It is also important to align the strap carefully, so as not to bend a twist
into it.
The form is clamped securely in the vise, with the bow sticking up, ready to be
heated and bent. Here's where this one goes a bit south, due to a decision I
made earlier.
The form is clamped securely in the vise, with the bow sticking up, ready to be
heated and bent. Here's where this one goes a bit south, due to a decision I
made earlier.
On the first two D-guards I made, by heating the bow from the front " corner"
and coming back along the bow, while holding the butt, I was able to bend the
bow by hand almost all the way to the butt.
I only had to hammer the "Back corner" curve, and had very few hammer marks to
clean up.
I made the decision to pierce before bending, although I was worried about the
bow taking a "set" at the pierced areas.
I knew it'd be easier to saw the flat strap, and thought a good deal of heat and
a bit of tapping would take care of the bend.
Well, it was one-armed paper hanger time. Bend before piercing is the motto! I
took the resulting flat out by pulling the hot bow off, and tapping it between
two of Don H's W-2 rounds,
And clamping it back in place with "C" clamps to hammer the tang end.
Again, BEND BEFORE PIERCING!
No pictures of the dog and pony show, but let's see what this thing looks like
on the knife.
I had to clean up more than a few hammer marks, but the fit is really close
already, and I got to make a few "air slashes" with the assembled knife!
I gave the bent bow another annealing cycle, so no hard spots will be left from
the heating and bending. We're thinking of gold wire inlay!
The next step is to shape the butt-cap, file the "lion's paw" on the thumb rest
and finial, re-sand the bow. There'll still be some hand tweaking of the bow,
and some slow "file and fit " on the stag, but the drama is over.
Here's what it looks like now.
- Joined
- Aug 18, 2009
- Messages
- 1,915
This WIP is so very interesting and detailed. Thanks to all concerned for taking the time and effort to present this. So much planning and considerations to make it all come together. This would be the "Perfect Argument" to justify the the cost of a Custom Knife.
All the details and techniques for a green apprentice to take in, my head could explode!
....21 gun Salute.......
Steve
---------
Potomac Forge
ABS Apprentice
All the details and techniques for a green apprentice to take in, my head could explode!
....21 gun Salute.......
Steve
---------
Potomac Forge
ABS Apprentice
- Joined
- May 10, 2000
- Messages
- 3,351
In addition to all the physical work - the forging, grinding, cutting, shaping, polishing, fitting, etc. - there's also just an incredible amount of forethought and planning involved in a project like this. Some of that comes from experience but a lot of it is also an ability to think several steps ahead.
Remind me never to challenge John White to a game of chess.
Inspiring thread....
Remind me never to challenge John White to a game of chess.
Inspiring thread....
- Joined
- Oct 28, 2006
- Messages
- 13,363
Got a bit of work done today, homing in on the final finish.
After the butt end of the bow was final fitted to the stag, I drilled assembly
pin holes to index the butt-cap to the bow.
I made a little plate of .032 scrap with finial and pin holes, super glued it
first to the bow, drilled, then to the butt-cap and drilled, using the finial to
align the plate.
I have a half-dozen of these laying around for different size jobs.
With the butt-cap pinned to the bow, I can mark, grind, and sand the bow and
butt-cap to a perfect match.
After grinding an oval on the bottom of the butt-cap to match the handle
cross-section, I'll scribe the cap around the finial, and scribe another line
around the rim .137 up from the seam edge.
Going to the grinder, I'll rough in concave dome between the two lines. Using a
flat-head machine screw and a nut, I can hold the cap in the vise, and use a
chain-saw file to shape the dome right up to the lines.
I'll then sand the dome out to 1000 grit, and use the calipers to scribe two
more lines around the rim, .060 from the edge, on rim and top.
Going to the grinder again. I'll grind a 45 on the rim up near the lines, then
return to the vise and file the 45 evenly to the lines with a mill file, then
file a groove into the 45 all way round with a chain-saw file.
Let's see how that looks on the handle.
After the butt end of the bow was final fitted to the stag, I drilled assembly
pin holes to index the butt-cap to the bow.
I made a little plate of .032 scrap with finial and pin holes, super glued it
first to the bow, drilled, then to the butt-cap and drilled, using the finial to
align the plate.
I have a half-dozen of these laying around for different size jobs.
With the butt-cap pinned to the bow, I can mark, grind, and sand the bow and
butt-cap to a perfect match.
After grinding an oval on the bottom of the butt-cap to match the handle
cross-section, I'll scribe the cap around the finial, and scribe another line
around the rim .137 up from the seam edge.
Going to the grinder, I'll rough in concave dome between the two lines. Using a
flat-head machine screw and a nut, I can hold the cap in the vise, and use a
chain-saw file to shape the dome right up to the lines.
I'll then sand the dome out to 1000 grit, and use the calipers to scribe two
more lines around the rim, .060 from the edge, on rim and top.
Going to the grinder again. I'll grind a 45 on the rim up near the lines, then
return to the vise and file the 45 evenly to the lines with a mill file, then
file a groove into the 45 all way round with a chain-saw file.
Let's see how that looks on the handle.
- Joined
- Oct 28, 2006
- Messages
- 13,363
I'm thinking we may want a gold line around the base of the finial, but I want
to match the finial itself to the front of the bow. I'll carve a similar pattern
to the "lion's paw," just in the round.
First drill four tiny holes a little way into the top.
Then saw four lines from the rim to the holes.
And open up the cut and file on into each hole with a broken-off (for
stiffness) knife-edge needle file.
Out comes the chain-saw file again, and file two scallops from the rim up,
between each line.
Sand to 1000 grit.
And take another look.
Let's see, now I gotta sand out the bow again, lion's paw the thumb rest, and
dress the stag. Is that all?
to match the finial itself to the front of the bow. I'll carve a similar pattern
to the "lion's paw," just in the round.
First drill four tiny holes a little way into the top.
Then saw four lines from the rim to the holes.
And open up the cut and file on into each hole with a broken-off (for
stiffness) knife-edge needle file.
Out comes the chain-saw file again, and file two scallops from the rim up,
between each line.
Sand to 1000 grit.
And take another look.
Let's see, now I gotta sand out the bow again, lion's paw the thumb rest, and
dress the stag. Is that all?
- Joined
- Oct 28, 2006
- Messages
- 13,363
I couldn't agree more.
Thanks for all the comments and following along. I couldn't be more please with this piece.
- Joined
- Oct 8, 2001
- Messages
- 12,347
I've never been more captivated by processes and toolmaking. WOW!
John: Thank you for the extra time subjecting the crystal-clear photos and dialog. Investment: Paying off!
Coop
John: Thank you for the extra time subjecting the crystal-clear photos and dialog. Investment: Paying off!
Coop
- Joined
- Dec 12, 2011
- Messages
- 131
Absolutely fantastic, thanks so much for creating this thread!
- Joined
- Dec 26, 2005
- Messages
- 519
Just a fantastic project! Congratulations Kevin this will be one outstanding addition to your collection. John your knife making skills are to put it simply "outstanding"! Thank you so much for taking the time to share this great WIP.
Jon
Jon
- Joined
- Oct 28, 2006
- Messages
- 13,363
Friday chores day again, grocery shopping and latte duty, but sneaked into the
shop for a couple hours of some fun stuff.
Dressing the stag.
This beautiful popcorn stag handle needs three things. It has to be brought down
to the collar and butt-cap in a pleasing manner, it has to be made comfortable
in the hand, and it's amber highlights must be brought out.
The butt-cap and collar were shaped to the general outline of the stag at each
end, but there are natural irregularities.
Drawing a pencil line around the collar and butt-cap for guidance, a trip to the
grinder and a new 50 grit belt takes off the lumps, and roughs in a taper.
Grind just a tad, and look it over: repeat again and again. You can take off,
but you can't replace.
The popcorn has to feel good, and be comfortable even while chopping.
Grab it firmly, move your hand around. If you can torture prisoners this way,
take off the "hot spots" til it feels right. Carefully!
shop for a couple hours of some fun stuff.
Dressing the stag.
This beautiful popcorn stag handle needs three things. It has to be brought down
to the collar and butt-cap in a pleasing manner, it has to be made comfortable
in the hand, and it's amber highlights must be brought out.
The butt-cap and collar were shaped to the general outline of the stag at each
end, but there are natural irregularities.
Drawing a pencil line around the collar and butt-cap for guidance, a trip to the
grinder and a new 50 grit belt takes off the lumps, and roughs in a taper.
Grind just a tad, and look it over: repeat again and again. You can take off,
but you can't replace.
The popcorn has to feel good, and be comfortable even while chopping.
Grab it firmly, move your hand around. If you can torture prisoners this way,
take off the "hot spots" til it feels right. Carefully!