KISS setup for slipjoints?

[Chiro75]

OK, so I've been contemplating coming out of "retirement" a little. I'm still very much in the "intel-gathering" stages about this. I recently celebrated a good career milestone with a couple of handmade slipjoints, one from Rick Menefee and the other from Bret Dowell. Before I sold some of my equipment and quit knifemaking, I had started to work on a liner lock and it wasn't going all that well, mainly because I have no machining skills and, therefore, no real experience with tight tolerances. I've read through the various tutorials that are out there on slipjoints and I was sort of thinking maybe I'd start with a few kits from Great Lakes Water Jet so I don't have to mess around with designing patterns and can just see if I even have the basic acceptable skills for this.

The downsides are that I have sold my Coote and my bandsaw, as well as my workbench! On the upside, I still have a lot of handle and pin material, a cheap drill press and some of the bits and reamers I bought for my framelock project.

I know a good deal of folder making has to do with precision, so I have a lot of studying to do concerning drill bit sizes, reamers, and the like. I have lots of questions about what to use for pivot pin material, how to peen, etc, too, but that will come once/if I bite the bullet. I don't want to invest in things like surface grinders or mills, but I have a feeling my cheap, sub $100 drill press isn't precise enough for this type of work.

I guess the main question is if I use some of the Great Lakes ATS-34 kits, can I make do with grinding with files (hey, I did that for years... 3/32" steel can't be too bad) and using a granite bench plate for flattening everything out, or am I kidding myself? This time around, I am looking at this MUCH more as a hobby... I would try to limit myself to a few hours of work per week, not jumping feet first into it like I did before. Of course, I'd send the finished blades and springs out for heat treat. Anyway, what do you think?

 

[MSCantrell]

You can absolutely do it. :thumbup:

(Your old bandsaw is still chugging along quite nicely too, by the way, although I'm overdue for a new blade. )

In December I finished David's Slipjoint Buildoff.
If I can do it- and I can- then you can absolutely do it.
Cutting in the bevels with a file will be a piece of cake- it's thin and it's short.
Flattening on granite, no problem. (Unless your parts warp in HT, in which case you're dead.)

And really, your little drillpress will probably be fine. Drilling holes in thin stock like these parts won't strain the machine too hard.


Do it, man! :thumbup:

Mike

OK, so I've been contemplating coming out of "retirement" a little.
...
I was sort of thinking maybe I'd start with a few kits from Great Lakes Water Jet so I don't have to mess around with designing patterns and can just see if I even have the basic acceptable skills for this.
....
I don't want to invest in things like surface grinders or mills, but I have a feeling my cheap, sub $100 drill press isn't precise enough for this type of work.

I guess the main question is if I use some of the Great Lakes ATS-34 kits, can I make do with grinding with files (hey, I did that for years... 3/32" steel can't be too bad) and using a granite bench plate for flattening everything out, or am I kidding myself?
....
Of course, I'd send the finished blades and springs out for heat treat. Anyway, what do you think?

 

[Chiro75]

Oh, was that you I sold the bandsaw to? I miss that thing! lol My drill press is good enough for working with metal, the problem is I don't think the little table is square with the chuck. I'll have to do the bend-the-brass-rod-to-use-as-a-feeler-gauge trick again and see.

 

[Cubane]

The last few knives I have made have been slipjoints. I started with some precision ground O1 so you don't have to worry about getting the steel flat and even. I also use a drill press that I got for $29. It was cheap but you can use a bit of bend coat hanger wire in the chuck to make sure the table is level. Just spin it around and keep adjusting until the wire just touches the table. You will probably have to shim the table at the post to get things level front to back but the left to right levelling is easy enough.

If you want things surface ground tried an auto engine reconditioner. They have surface grinders for cleaning up heads etc. I haven't tried this myself yet as I am still using the O1 but I have a bunch of ATS-34 that I will try it out on when I start on my next slipjoint.

Good luck and I can't wait to see your first Folding tactical Orange Peeler

 

[T.A.DAVISON]

Here are some that the forum members did, I think they did really good jobs on them.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=608912

The blanks that Greatlakes cuts out are really not kit knives, you will still do a LOT of work to make the folder.
Slip Joints are a real challenge to make, and a big key maybe for you is the time.
Yes like you said detail, and by taking your time you will learn on each one.

Show us your progress when you get there - and you can do it.:thumbup:

If you got the want to bad enough.

Good luck.

Todd


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[Rusty McDonald]

Sure you could do that, lots of people start out that way so why not someone who has done it before.