making guards and a motor question

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knifemaking01

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May 4, 2012
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Hello people, i have a few questions on making guards that i could really use some advice on

1.what is the best material to use



2. How do i make the slot for the guard if i dont have access to a milling machine espically for a knife with a hidden tang, would using a x-y axis vice attached to a drill press be able to do the job?



3. whats the best way to shape the radius of the guard (ie the little half circle) if my grinder dosnt have 3" wheels but does have a 10" wheel and also has a separate flat platen attachment can i shape it using either of these???


4. I will be running a VFD (variable speed drive) on my motor so no need for pulleys, since i will have a vfd does it matter if the motor i have is 1400 rpm or 2800 rpm or should i still opt for the lower rpm motor? the drive wheel will just run straight off the motor shaft
 
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I'll try to answer questions #1&2 and let others answer questions 3 and 4.
#1. Guard material depends on what you want. Some like brass, or nickel silver. I use 416 stainless on all my knives unless a customer ask's for something different.
#2. I now use a milling machine to slot guards but before I had one I would drill a series of holes where I wanted the slot and then using a small file, file out the material between the holes. I don't think it's advisable to try to use a regular drill press like you would a milling machine. The bearings in a drilling press are not made to do milling machine work.
 
thanks mate, do you really think that it wont work?? even if your taking off only a light bit at a time, i know it may sound a bit stupid but having to buy a milling machine just to do slot in a guard is a bit much, but in saying that by the time i buy a drill press, and a vice, im $450 in, and for an extra $100 i can buy a mini mill machine..... hmmm leaves me with food for thought
 
Aluminum, brass, bronze, carbon fiber, copper, stainless steel, nickel silver, wrought iron, mild steel, blade steels, damascus steels, mokume gane, natural material, and many more have all been used for guards. Go with what you like to match your handle material. A $500 mill will still need tooling to cut with, budget at least double that to get a good compliment of tooling, cutters, drill bits, taps and other items. Soon you will wish you had a better mill.

Drill a series of holes and use a file, it doesn't take long and allows for perfect fitment. It takes filing by hand after milling anyways.


-Xander
 
thanks xander, ive been reading past 20 mins about a mini mill, definently not worth my time or money, will spend the money on a half decent drill press, then from there some good files... thanks for all the information also, i didnt realise the wide variety of guards..... awesome stuff
 
Use the 1400RPM motor and pick the drive wheel to get the desired SFPM at 100%. That way you can overdrive it for hogging, and slow it to a crawl for fine work.
 
Just about every knife i make has a guard. One tool ive never seen anyone mention is a jewelers saw. I use mine on almsot every guard i make to cut the web between the holes. Then a file goes in alot easier!
 
I can't find my guard tutorial right now, so here is the Cliff notes version:
ivory, or buffalo or caribou antler.
Don't cut it to shape or size yet!

The blade should be heat treated and sanded to the final grit. Tape up the blade portion.
The tang should be sanded/filed flat and all holes drilled. It should taper slightly from the end to the ricasso. On a hidden tang, it can have a good taper. On a full tang, the taper can be just a few hundredths. On a hidden tang, a tiny shoulder across the ricasso is a good practice. That makes the tang a tad thinner than the ricasso and eliminates any gaps showing.

Lay the spine on the guard material going down the direction the slot will be. Lightly scribe or draw a line along the sides. Now lay the tang flat across these lines to mark the width of the tang. Position it where you want the slot. You should now have a box drawn in roughly the center of your guard material.

Using a small and sharp drill bit (1/32 or a #60 is a good size) drill four holes at the corners of the box.....INSIDE THE LINES A BIT.
You want to cut a slot that is smaller than the tang at first.
Take a jewelers saw with a #0 to a #2 blade size and cut between the holes. Go slow, and use some wax to lube the blade if needed. When the slot is cut out, put the saw aside, and take out a coarse ( #0 cut) barrette or flat needle file. Slowly and evenly straighten out the slot. Don't push hard or the file will break. As the slot gets closer to the tang size, continually check it for fit. A small square file can be used to get the corners and ends right. When the tang goes about half way on the guard material, stop.
If you can find them, they make a small 4-5" machinist's flat file about 3/32X1/2". These are superb for trimming the slots. They look like the old points files we all had....when there were points in cars distributors.

Now, draw the guard shape on the material. With the slot already positioned, you can rest assured that the blade will be centered and the guard will be properly aligned. If you make the guard first, and cut the slot second....it is nearly a guarantee that something will be off center.
Make the outside cuts a bit oversize,too. Once the basic shape is made, and the guard is near the final size, check everything again. If all is well, carefully finish the slot until the guard slips to within 1/4" of the shoulders at the ricasso. At this point the guard outer edges can be finished and/or fileworked.

Pad the jaws of your vise and lock the blade at the ricasso in the jaws. Slip on the guard. Place a drop of oil on each side to lube it. Put a block of wood with a slot cut in it over the tang so the end rests on the guard. Gently tap the guard home. If it won't go all the way ( which it shouldn't yet), remove it and look at the insides of the slot. The shiny places are where you need to take a light stroke with the needle file. A few strokes and the guard should run home and be a snug fit. Remove it and hand sand the guard to at least 400 grit. Clean everything surgically clean, re-seat the guard, and solder on the guard.
 
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thanks stacy you always go above and beyond on all your replies and responses i have added this to my how to folder... thanks for taking the time to write all that very detailed and really well explained.... cheers mate
 
I drill a series of holes and use a jeweler's saw to cut out between the holes. Then it is just a matter filing out the rest of the material.
 
Obviously a large variety of materials are available and used to create guards, the one you choose needs to fit your needs and the knifes intended use. That being said the guard material I favor lately is 416ss. It is easiliy worked and it finishes well with either a satin finish or a mirror finish. On top of that It is durable and stainless two important qualities for a knife intended for use.
I have been requested to use 416SS by clients because they intended to have some engraving done and they were told by the engraver that 416SS was their prefered material to engrave.
My other material of choice is nickel silver. It has a classy traditional look and holds up well. I rarely use brass, it appears that most consider it a dated material.
The last 416SS guard I made was for a 3/16" chute knife. As stated in a thread above make the slot first then shape the guard. To create the slot for the chute knife guard I drill a row of undersize holes with a 5/32" bit. I then use a mini mill to clean up the holes and the final fit is reached using a variety of hand files. Check the fit often. The difference between when it fits just right and does'nt is the matter of a fraction of a fraction of an inch. I have used the mini mill to create the slot from start to finish but drilling the holes and cleaning up with the mill works best for me. I do not round out the top or bottom of the guards slot because I like a square look on the spine. It takes some extra time and effort to get the guard to fit with the squared off top and bottom but the finished look makes it worthwhile. I attach the guard of a Chute knife with two pins, which are finished to make them invisible. I finish it off by using silver solder to seal the guard and tang. For me the silver solder is the most trying step. A clean solder joint makes the whole guard work as a finished part of the knife. Like most tasks the more you do it the better you will become. The first guard slot I made was perfect the next one was not. Its funny how sometimes the first time I do something new all goes right but the second time it goes south, once that happens I improve each time I do that task.
 
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