Knife making with limited space

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Wilson987

Joined
Apr 3, 2013
Messages
7
So I want to get into the art of knife making , but I have very limited room. My bedroom. Now would it be a good idea to tinker in the room; I have carpet and one big window with a fan running. Thanks.
 
You're going to produce lots and lots of waste dust and chips of steel and wood wherever you work, so you'll need to think carefully about how you'll contain the mess. I can't imagine getting metal filings in my bed :eek: Also, you'll need a good sturdy work station you can clamp your work down on as you work.

Do you have any yard, driveway, or deck space where you could work occasionally? You could keep your kit in a couple of toolboxes and move out as the weather permits.
 
I don't think your room is the best idea, simply because there will be a lot of metal shavings from the filing. Also, it would take you a he'll of a long time if you were thinking of getting started without any power tools. I suggest buying an angle grinder for like 60 bucks, a good filing kit and you can get started.. There's a lot of material on this page and other but I think you just have to trust your creativity. I promise it's a humbling process as it takes time and energy to get it "perfect" well worth the time spent tho. I just finished 2 knives, if you check out my posts you can check em out. I'd actually appreciate the feedback. Cheers!
 
I too think that the bedroom is not such a good idea, and as for the limited space, I do everything on a 6 foot x 6 foot balcony, with almost no power tools (I do have use a drill) other than that, lots of sweat lol. Michaelovj, suggests an angle grinder, yes this will speed the process up. Sparks will fly! so this may be a fire hazard... I still do the drill and hack saw bit (talk about humbling lol). Files, and couple of saws is pretty much all I use.

Anyways on to why it's a bad idea, first, clean up as everyone says will be a tremendous task especially on carpet. Second using epoxy (even with a fan going) unless you're in a well ventilated room is not a good idea, the fumes will linger. Sanding on micarta, G-10, and stabilized woods produces a lot of fine dust so much so a respirator is recommended (I work outside and still use one).

In any case, welcome, good luck, and most of all, have fun!
 
You can definitely work in a small space.

[video=youtube;ndF8vBrTKfQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndF8vBrTKfQ[/video]

Not me BTW. :)
 
My mother plans on switching to wood floors so mess should be minimized. If weather permits I can go downstairs into the public driveway :P. I would never use epoxy inside.
 
I believe that's Gavkoo (sp?). But yea he's got a few vids out... note: Eye/ear/lung protection he's got on most of the time lol
 
Take it outside.

Screwing up your momma's carpet, hardwood or furnature table tops are all bad ideas.

Make it portable and setup so you can clamp onto the balcony handrail, a picnic table in the park, something like that.
Having natural light will help you anyway.
 
I started off in a the storage space that came with my appartement at the time.
3´x 7´
You can do the rougher and more messy stuff outside and handsand and hand polish indoors.
Also keep an eye out for cut offs, left overs from the new floor. Free handle material!

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I agree with all of the above. I did some handle drilling and gluing at the kitchen counter, and it was quite the cleanup. I have a VERY understanding wife. Hardwood floor cutoffs have been a source of scales for me, as have cutoffs from my uncle's cabinet shop.
 
I would definitely avoid working in your bedroom like the plague. Especially once you graduate to a grinder of some sort, you wouldn't believe the amount of dust you will produce. It's probably the messiest hobby I've ever had. I do hand sand inside, as mentioned by others, however, but the bulk of the work gets done outside. If you WERE to do it inside, you'd want a very good dust collection system to vent all the bad stuff outside.
 
I have a moderate sized walk in shower with a stone tile ledge to sit on. When it was miserable outside, I've done hand sanding in there with the shower door closed and just rinsed the dust away when I was done.
 
Working with this kind of airborne particulate and dust in a highly confined space is just a hugely bad idea. It's not just about the mess you leave around you, it's about the mess you BREATHE. Think, guys. Don't kill yourself to make a knife.
 
Wilson987 said:
My mother plans on switching to wood floors so mess should be minimized. If weather permits I can go downstairs into the public driveway :P. I would never use epoxy inside.
Click to expand...

Actually epoxying on handles is the one thing I do INdoors. I do the rest in the garage. Epoxy needs warmer temps to cure (quickly).
 
AF: I hope you're well ventilated... Lucky me I don't really have to worry about the weather, but last night was a bit cold... got down to the low 70s lol
 
AF said:
Actually epoxying on handles is the one thing I do INdoors. I do the rest in the garage. Epoxy needs warmer temps to cure (quickly).
Click to expand...

and to cure well.
Cold epoxy doesn´t cure. The warmer it is the stronger the bond.
I let my epoxy sit in hot (just boiled) water for a while before I use it. Also makes it runnier and mix better
 
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