Knife in Progress.

Thanks! I have the knife all profiled out, and need to drill some holes.

In my original design, I drew it 1/4" Corby bolts/ thick pins. I don't have Corby bolts though.

I get back in school mid-early September and could turn Corby bolts on the lathe there, I also have 1/4" stainless tubing and 1/8" pins. Any recommendations?
 
nice!
it is cool to see other young knife makers! especially ones putting out top notch work!
i also wanted to mention.. i have a grinder.. but still do a large portion of shaping with a file.. so.. grinders are cool.. but good file skills are a must.
keep up the good work!
~chris
 
Thanks, I think that is like what I said about you!

I think the worst part about filing is not feeling a sense of progress, maybe I will try sitting down to try to make it more comfortable.
 
DONT SIT DOWN! you'll change your point of view / point of refrence and that could screw something up. sit down for a fiver when you need to but get back up and go at it! also here's some home work for your next step

but it Looks good. You and Moss both amaze the heck out of me. being so young and kickin out great work like that. I'm going to have to build me a greenpete set up too I'm destroying to many pieces of good steel, trying to freehand the plunges on the grinder. anyway again great work!
 
I want to work on this some more next week, I think I will start with the holes. I would like to try to use corby bolts, which I could order, or machine them at one of the school lathes from stainless. My school does not have stainless steel, but I do have stainless bolts that are big enough at home.

Is there a problem with bolts or do I have to get some stainless stock?

Has anybody machined their own? I was thinking about making the heads 5/16" and the body 3/16". How can I put threads on with the lathe? There is a thread feature on the lathes, but I have never used it.

Thank you!
 
Looking good Keith! :thumbup:

I missed this one somehow. :confused:


You didn't ask, but a little advice (take it as you will :) )... When filing the bevels (that's how I did my first several!!!)... I HIGHLY recommend you get a piece of angle iron under your blade.

Clamp the angle iron in your vise, then use C-clamps, KantTwist, or vise-grips to hold the blade to the angle iron.

The way you have it in those pics, the blade is going to flex every time you apply pressure to your file. Remove that flex, and you will be maximizing your efforts.

This holds true for hand sanding as well. I see SOOO many pics of makers who hand sand their blade with it just hanging out there. It reduces your efforts, makes it much harder to get a pristine finish, AND it's not real safe that have those suckers just sticking out like that. We think we're never going to forget the blade is there, right up until we walk into it after going to answer the phone or grab a soda.

Just something to think about :)

Keep up the great work, I'm glad to see this stuff coming together for you! :D



This is the general idea. Just think of this one minus the pipe on the end. I can't find any pictures of the other one. I actually have a line of holes drilled/tapped with bolts running up under the blade to support it, but just having the angle iron there is a huge improvement.

l_869488c0f6f0f9258855d3820f030e03.jpg
 
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Keith

RE the Corbys

It's a pita to cut male threads on the lathe, especially so small.
I would suggest

Do them in three pieces,

2 x nuts with a shoulder that you lathe turn and a blind internal female thread that you cut with a tap in the lathe.


one piece of threaded rod (or cut the head off of a machine screw)
 
man thats alot of work done so far! Good for you.
you will be making more I am guessing?
 
Thanks, Guys!

Nick, That is a good solution to the flexing problem. I will definitely try that.

Steven, do you mean like a Loveless style bolt?

Brian, I hope to make more, I have a lot of ideas for new knives, I just have to get to it! I am sure I will get the hang of working.
 
I also have 1/8" stainless rod and 1/4" 303 tubing. I could even flare the tubes like that other thread describes.
 
I was too lazy to get a photo last time
I mean this.

I found them called Acorn or Luke screw
jantzcpb316brass_small.jpg


actually no shoulder turning required

keep the head thick enough that you don't grind through it- or you end up with a Loveless

Loveless
BBS1_180.jpg
 
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I decided to do the holes later, I know it is better to do them now, but I don't intend to have it fly off with an edge or no edge.

I took Nick's angle iron advice and it worked great. I had some 2" angle iron in my garage.

My filing jig was a bit lame with the adjustable roller, too light duty; one little kick to the thing would screw it up. So I replaced that with a bar clamp on my drill press table and clamped to a heavy adjustable stand (the one with the loop in the top). I later added a rusty bar clamping the stand steady. It is now rock solid :D.

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After scribing the centerline, I cut the initial plunge with a hack saw (think of it as a narrow file)


Starting the grind. I still have to figure out how to do the belly of the blade.
*Note the camera holding chin

attachment.php


Thanks again for the support, more to come!
 

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Looking good Keith! But if you don't want to be filing even after Christmas... you may be better off getting most of the steel off with the angle grinder. Grind a bit, check with the file and the jig for scratches and see where you need to grind more.... repeat as necesary. You can ditch the angle grinder for the last few thousands so you don't screw up. At least that is the way I do it and it saves a lot of time.

Mikel
 
I have an angle grinder, but am afraid I might screw up. I think I can get the filing done this month if I work everyday. I think I will try a little bit of grinding.
 
I am in a bit of a knifemaking funk, I have not done much work (none today) and am quite pissed off with how this is going. I know this is only my second knife, but I should be able to file a straight line with a jig.

The 3 main problems are:
1. It takes forever, is very draining and there is no satisfaction in working. Some said that they found filing therapeutic and enjoyable, I beg to differ. :grumpy:
2. The file flexes, that is why my grind line is "S" shaped on one side. :mad:
3. My grind is too shallow to have crisp grind lines, which I love the looks of.


Anyway, Here is some of the pictures

Here I am filing the belly by having the curve of it tangent to the file. The best part of my filing jig is that I can take the knife out and clamp it back down and it will still be the same angle.
DSCN2652_800x600.jpg

Here is the awful curvy grind from the file flexing.
DSCN2656_800x600.jpg

The other side, I tried using rough sandpaper on my file and it rounded the grind line.
DSCN2657_800x600.jpg

The centre, the curvy grind side still needs work and I will have to spend a few more hours filing the belly.
DSCN2663_800x600.JPG

I picked up a few more parts for my kmg clone yesterday, so there is hope :D

Edit to add: How did the blue winking guy get there?
 
Keith, it's looking really good!!! :thumbup:

You can smooth out the rest by draw filing. A SINGLE CUT file works best for draw filing. Use your angle iron/clamp and have the blade pointed at you in the vise (with the point just coming to the end of the angle so you don't stab yourself :) ).

With a firm grip on both ends of the file, run it back and forth with firm strokes. Your file will be at the same angle in relation to the blade, but you'll be moving it in line with the blade.

Clean with a file card OFTEN (so about three times more than you WANT to!!!).

Chalk doesn't hurt either.

You can take parts to a nice finish and hold tight tolerances by draw filing.

Keep up the great work Keith!!! :)
 
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