Mill Jig for Knife Making

[Patrickknives]

I would like to use my mill more but cannot figure out how to mount blades and pieces securely enough. Can you guys post some pictures of jigs you use. I am really confused on how to work on a blade that is mounted flat on the mill.

 

[Nathan the Machinist]

This is good idea for a thread.

I'm afraid I don't have a lot of good pictures of anything that is going to be of much use to you. I'm anxious to see what other folks come up with . Here's what I have, in no rational order:

Pageing:
Mr. Wesner
Mr. Begg
Mr. Branton
Mr. that other guy who is a knife machinist...

 

[Bobby Branton]

Here is a fixture to mill out blade profiles and spot holes.

 

[ken erickson]

My tooling plate that I use to mill my slipjoint frames/bolsters showing clamps.

 

[12345678910]

If you've seen the loveless video he has a couple

I can't post photos directly...can somebody throw them up ?

2 photos of milling the back of the guard off after soldering
1 photo of milling the finger groove radius into the guard

http://bayimg.com/MApKHaAcB

http://bayimg.com/maPkjAAcB

http://bayimg.com/mAPkKAacB

 

[SteelSlaver]

This thread has got me wondering. If I took 2 flat pieces of matching steel and clamped them in my machinist vise tilted at the bevel angle and then ran a 1/8 or 3/32 cutter down the joint, say 3/8 or so deep. I could then drill and tap the bottom of one piece for 3 0r 4 1/4 20 set screws. Then if I leveled the vise back up would these pieces work to clamp the spine of a blank (using the set screws to hold the bottom of the jig pieces apart to keep them from tilting in) so that I could mill down one side, then turn the jig pieces around and mill down the other to make my bevels? How much of the spine"s bevel area would I have to have in this type of clamp to hold the blade rigid enough for no chatter or slip? I can't tilt my head, I do have a tilt table I could use to make the jig, but would rather not set it up all the time for doing bevels.

 

[Nathan the Machinist]

Yes, but it gets tricky as you go around the tip unless you're doing a straight edge.

As far as how much to have sticking down into the vice: As much as you want or need (1/4" is a safe number). Grind the profile of your belly, leaving lots of meat on the spine, then mill your bevels, then finish your profile (finish grinding the spine). That leaves material on the back to clamp to that gets removed later.