- Joined
- Aug 5, 2005
- Messages
- 5,527
You guys got me interested in a Buck 186 Titanium folder...but they're going for $200+ on eBay!!! 
So I decided to make my own...
Disclaimer! I am not a knifesmith, or knifemaker, or anything skilled. I'm just a poor sob with a hammer and a saw. I don't do these things for money or even compliments, just for my own gratification. (So feel free to criticize; I don't mind). There are several knifemakers/smiths on this Forum who can fabricate a project like this; they would be happy to accommodate you, I'm sure.
I used a donor Buck 110 to get the blade, bushing, rockerbar, spring, and spacer. I decided to make my knife have a .062" brass liner and a .160" full-length skeletonized Titanium scale. I like the contrast of the gray and yellow metallic colors; and since I've never tried anything with Titanium, I figured "why not???" Brass came from my local Ace Hardware; the Titanium came from AKS.
First off was to rough cut the scales & liners. I used a "deep throat" Milwaukee power hacksaw on a special bracket that allowed it to be used like a band saw. I cut the brass liners first, and then, since the blade was pretty well used, I decided to see how the Ti cut. To my surprise, it cut pretty well, so I cut the Ti scales out with it as well. I also used one of the 110 liners for a drill guide and drilled the four pin/screw holes.
Next was to rough cut the finger grooves. Again, since I had a pretty good assortment of metal cutting holesaws, I tried a 1 1/4" to rough out the Ti finger grooves. It worked excellently, as long as I kept up a good spray of coolant [WD-40!] and gave it a heavy feed. I did the brass liners last. The holesaw still looks & feels as good as it did when I started.
Next, I pinned the 4 pieces together and started taking them down to size with a [bench] belt sander and 50 grit belts. I sanded one Ti scale down first (my "master"), then pinned the brass liners to it and took them down, then added the other Ti scale and took that down. The three outer sides are now still ~1/32" oversize, and the finger grooves are ~1/8" oversize. Still waiting for the 1 3/8" end mill to come in so I can mill the grooves to size.
Sanding the Ti is quite a show. Lots of bright white sparks, and a clean work bench is a must, because these sparks want to burn. Also, to cut down the time required to sand these scales to size, it's best to make your saw cuts as close to your outline as possible. Use new saw blades and new sander belts. They'll go dull pretty quick.
Finally, I got the right size end mill from Travers for the finger grooves [1 3/8"]. I fastened the two Ti scales and brass liners together and cut the finger grooves. This process convinced me that this would be the only Titanium project I would undertake. Ti is very "springy" and when you hit the end of a cut, the cutter takes off like it was rubber band powered!
In any event, I got the finger grooves cut, and then plunge milled the "skeleton scale holes".
I also sanded the outer edges closer to final size. Just waiting for the stainless steel socket head cap screws now, then I can start assembly, fitting, and final sanding to shape.
I was able to find some SS SHCS's at Ace Hardware; no shoulder, but sufficient for trial assemble. I drilled the four screwholes for 65% thread depth, as suggested everywhere for Ti. I then counterbored the one scale for the heads of the screws. A trial assembly came next.
Looks rather weird to me.
It's much thicker than a 560, maybe more than a 110 even. Without chamfering the scale edges, it appears bigger than a 560 or 186, even though it's dead on.
I haven't broken any drills yet, although I did break one tap on the last hole. I managed to dull about five end mills. Wore out three 50 grit belts.
You're probably thinking this is a bear to close...
The thumb cutout will come next.
I'd also like to ask your advice...How can I get an even chamfer all around the outer edges of the Titanium scales, like the 560/186??? I'm not skillful enough to do it by hand...and make it look good...
So I decided to make my own...Disclaimer! I am not a knifesmith, or knifemaker, or anything skilled. I'm just a poor sob with a hammer and a saw. I don't do these things for money or even compliments, just for my own gratification. (So feel free to criticize; I don't mind). There are several knifemakers/smiths on this Forum who can fabricate a project like this; they would be happy to accommodate you, I'm sure.
I used a donor Buck 110 to get the blade, bushing, rockerbar, spring, and spacer. I decided to make my knife have a .062" brass liner and a .160" full-length skeletonized Titanium scale. I like the contrast of the gray and yellow metallic colors; and since I've never tried anything with Titanium, I figured "why not???" Brass came from my local Ace Hardware; the Titanium came from AKS.
First off was to rough cut the scales & liners. I used a "deep throat" Milwaukee power hacksaw on a special bracket that allowed it to be used like a band saw. I cut the brass liners first, and then, since the blade was pretty well used, I decided to see how the Ti cut. To my surprise, it cut pretty well, so I cut the Ti scales out with it as well. I also used one of the 110 liners for a drill guide and drilled the four pin/screw holes.
Next was to rough cut the finger grooves. Again, since I had a pretty good assortment of metal cutting holesaws, I tried a 1 1/4" to rough out the Ti finger grooves. It worked excellently, as long as I kept up a good spray of coolant [WD-40!] and gave it a heavy feed. I did the brass liners last. The holesaw still looks & feels as good as it did when I started.
Next, I pinned the 4 pieces together and started taking them down to size with a [bench] belt sander and 50 grit belts. I sanded one Ti scale down first (my "master"), then pinned the brass liners to it and took them down, then added the other Ti scale and took that down. The three outer sides are now still ~1/32" oversize, and the finger grooves are ~1/8" oversize. Still waiting for the 1 3/8" end mill to come in so I can mill the grooves to size.
Sanding the Ti is quite a show. Lots of bright white sparks, and a clean work bench is a must, because these sparks want to burn. Also, to cut down the time required to sand these scales to size, it's best to make your saw cuts as close to your outline as possible. Use new saw blades and new sander belts. They'll go dull pretty quick.
Finally, I got the right size end mill from Travers for the finger grooves [1 3/8"]. I fastened the two Ti scales and brass liners together and cut the finger grooves. This process convinced me that this would be the only Titanium project I would undertake. Ti is very "springy" and when you hit the end of a cut, the cutter takes off like it was rubber band powered!
In any event, I got the finger grooves cut, and then plunge milled the "skeleton scale holes".
I also sanded the outer edges closer to final size. Just waiting for the stainless steel socket head cap screws now, then I can start assembly, fitting, and final sanding to shape.
I was able to find some SS SHCS's at Ace Hardware; no shoulder, but sufficient for trial assemble. I drilled the four screwholes for 65% thread depth, as suggested everywhere for Ti. I then counterbored the one scale for the heads of the screws. A trial assembly came next.
Looks rather weird to me.
It's much thicker than a 560, maybe more than a 110 even. Without chamfering the scale edges, it appears bigger than a 560 or 186, even though it's dead on.I haven't broken any drills yet, although I did break one tap on the last hole. I managed to dull about five end mills. Wore out three 50 grit belts.
You're probably thinking this is a bear to close...
The thumb cutout will come next.I'd also like to ask your advice...How can I get an even chamfer all around the outer edges of the Titanium scales, like the 560/186??? I'm not skillful enough to do it by hand...and make it look good...
