nail Nicks?

[L6steel]

What do you slip joint makers use to cut the nail nicks in the blades? I tried it one time with an abrasive disc and while it did work it looked horrible.

 

[Shotgunone]

Michael,

I use a fly cutter in my mill to cut nail nicks. Some other I know use a surface ginder with a specially shaped stone wheel. For long pulls I use a dremel cutoff wheel in my mill. I know your pain I have used a dremel tool and the cutoff wheels, I didn't like that either.

Regards

 

[A. Brett Schaller]

If you don't have a mill or surface grinder, you can use a triangular file. Heat it red hot about one inch back from the tip and bend to a 45 degree angle. Quench in cool water. I haven't tried this myself (I found the technique in the book "How Knives are Made by Blackie Collins) but it appears to make a good looking nail nick.

 

[Chuck Gedraitis Knives]

I know a few makers that use a dovetail cutting bit to put the mark in. If you have a cross slide table with a vise on it you can put a dremel cutoff disk in the dril press chuck and use it like a milling machine and cut a nick that way.

 

[L6steel]

Thanks for the ideas!!!