Need Help From Knifemakers

Ares1307

Ares1307

Joined
Jun 14, 2012
Messages
545
I am reshaping an old machete that I was going to throw away. I thought it would be interesting to try and make it into a nice looking knife, and if I succeeded I would buy a slab of good steel and make myself a nice little fixed blade. I only used two tools this whole time, a dremel and a hand grinder. I know I had to have messed up the heat treatment, but this is just a practice knife. I used the grinder to do all the major shaping, and the dremel to do the more detailed work. When I got the machete it was a long, black (well what little finish had remained), rusted, rectangle with a broken handle that was sharpened on one side. And from the foot of the blade to the middle of the blade was bent inwards, like a recurve, from abuse. So I cut off the old broken handle and reshaped the curved part of the blade into a makeshift handle, which is where I'm at right now, and where I'm stuck. I also stripped the old coating and rust off to bare metal. And I reshaped the tip into a modified bowie. I really love the look of my homemade fixed blade, so I want to get as much advice as possible so I can take another stab at it. I know I probably need some better tools, but I'm working with what I have at the moment. I do plan on getting a bench grinder and maybe a hand held belt sander (I don't have room for a bigger one), so any advice on what tools I need to invest in to get the job done RIGHT will be appreciated.

First Question: I have a couple of ideas for the handle... First idea is G10, but I've never worked with G10 before and don't know how to shape it properly. Could I use my dremel for this or do I need a different tool? My fall back plan is to simply paracord wrap it, which I am okay with, but I would rather try G10 first.

Second Question: I am pretty sure that I screwed up the heat treat on this knife, but how can I avoid this on my next knife? When I used my grinder I would try to keep the steel cool, I had a cut of water that I would splash on the blade ever few seconds, but the blade still showed discoloration. Are there better tools for reshaping the steel? I would also love some advice on how to regrind (?) this knife and my next would be great. I would like to make this one a full flat grind, or try, but I'm not sure if I can do this with a hand grinder.

Third Question: I have no idea what the blade steel is on this knife, but if I did screw up the heat treat on my next project, is there any way to fix it?

Fourth Question: What steel would be best for a beginner like me to use on my next project? And what thickness would be best for a 10 - 13 inch fixed blade?

Last Question: I am planning on sending out my knife for Heat Treatment and for a Kydex Sheath... Who would you recommend for these jobs?

I would just like to say thank you to any knifemaker reading this and trying to help me out. This project has really made me admire you guys that do this on a more routine basis. I just thought this would be a fun and interesting experience, and a way to Make the exact knife I want to use. So far this project has frustrated me, intimidated me, burned the hell outta me, made me get stitches, made me see potential in something I almost threw away, excited me (when I finally got the shape I wanted), and made me smile till it hurt. I can't wait to finish my practice knife and start on my next carry knife. :D
 
First, welcome to the dark side of knife making! It is a great hobby but very dangerous (as it seems that you've already leaned) and very expensive.

First, machetes are usually made from 1055 steel or something similar. They are very soft and designed to bend if they hit a rock or piece of metal. They aren't very suitable for knives because of their softness. Since you'll be sending the blade out for heat treat I'd suggest you pick a good stainless steel such as CPM154CM. With SS you can shape and grind it to just about final edge thickness before HT. Take the edge down to about a dime's thickness and to 400 grit before you heat treat it. I prefer high carbon such as 1084, O1, 1095, and 52100 but the edge has to be a bit thicker before heat treat and thinned down afterwards.

For your tools, I'd strongly suggest that you get a Craftsman 2x42 belt sander. Bench grinders are a total waste of money for knifemaking. You can get good quality belts from supergrit.com and trugrit.com. If you can't get at least a 2x42 belt sander then I'd skip all power tools and buy quality sandpaper and hand files. Craftsman files have a lifetime guarantee like all their other hand tools and can be taken back when they get dull. Nicolson files are great as well. Get the best you can afford in various sizes and shapes then learn to draw file. Trust me, it doesn't take as long as it seems to file down a blade. Once you get it to shape learn how to hand sand.

For the temper, don't splash water on the blade. Rather, dunk the blade in a bucket of water whenever it gets too hot to touch with your bare hands. Some discoloration may be fine but I don't chance it. Anything other than yellow or straw color is a no-no.

If you pick stainless you can send it to Texas knife maker's supply (texasknife.com). They do a good job and only charge about $5 per blade, although they will charge more for longer blades.

For the blade size, on a large blade I'd suggest no thinner than 3/16 if you want a chopper. But since this will be your first real knife I'd suggest that you keep your feet on the ground while your head is in the clouds. Start with something no longer than a 3" blade. After a few hours at the grinder on a short blade you'll understand why you should save the long blades for later when you have the skill.

G10 can be shaped just like wood, sometimes even easier than wood. It can be shaped with files and sandpaper. Sand up to at least 600 grit.

Finally, look for knifemakers in your area and ask if you can come for a shop visit. Learn all you can and make sure you bring a gift. Money for propane if forging, drinks, lunch, materials, etc. all go a long way to build relationships and keep you from looking like a freeloader. Remember, he is taking time out of his busy schedule to help a perfect stranger.

There are plenty of tutorials and tips on here. Spend the next few weeks going over the stickys and previous posts and I guarantee that you will learn a lot and have fun doing it.

Good luck and remember to post pics along the way.
 
Thanks for all the info Jawilder. I have only found one Craftsman (of that size) for sale so far. I doubt I'll find anything in town. I also came across a couple of Grizzly belt grinders, a 1x30 with a sanding disc and a 2x27 with a grinding wheel, are these any good if I can't get the Craftsman? I won't be able to spend much a couple of months, and if the Craftsman is gone I want to know if anything would compare. I think they have a couple of Craftsman belt sanders at my local hardware store, but I think the size of the belt is different. I'll check when I head to town. For now I'm going to buy a few files, I already have quite a bit of sandpaper.

I'm glad you suggested the CPM 154. Until now I had been only looking at 1080 and 01 because I had only seen those two steels recommended for beginners, but being able to grind a slimmer edge before HT is relieving, and having less to material to remove after HT sounds nice.

I actually had a friend today ask me if I wanted some scrap steel he wants to get rid of, he thinks he has some leaf springs and other scrap, I told him I'd take a look. I've read and have seen videos on youtube about people making knives with leaf springs so I thought I would pick some up, at least as practice blades so I can learn how to use a file if nothing else. Would a knife made from a leaf spring produce a good knife? I've read that most leaf springs are 5160 which some people tend to like, but I wouldn't know for sure if thats actually what it is... Any advice?
 
On the leaf springs, remember that they are around 3/8" thick and would have to be forged, so unless you have a forge forget it. They are hardened and there's no way you could file them down.

I would personally stay away from the Grizzly because the Craftsman can pretty much be modified to do anything it can do but for much cheaper. Check Sears for the Craftsman grinder. Ultimately you'll want a 2x72 grinder with some way to slow it down. The 1x30 isn't much use either, although something is better than nothing.
 
For your first knives, I'd suggest Dymondwood or similar. It looks good and is really inexpensive. G-10 and such presents inhalation dangers, you should get a P-100 respirator to work with it. I use a P-95 dust mask working with most wood. I like Corby bolts for the handle, but you should get the correct rivet drill for them.
 
I FINALLY found the Craftsman at Sears. For some reason my search function wasn't picking it up, but when I browsed by category it showed the 2x42. Not a bad price either. I only found ONE belt sander in my town (small rural area) and it was a Ryobi 4x36 for $120. I don't mind paying $50 extra for a better machine that will last longer, give better performance (and results if I do my part), and has a better warranty.

Thank you for the advice on the leaf springs. I had been looking up info on leaf spring knife but only found information about forging leaf springs. I found one site that mentioned using heat to soften the material before straightening and shaping, but I don't have a forge, so I'll stick to ordering steel. Are there any carbon steels that you would recommend for a beginner? I want to make a good CPM 154 knife, but I need a practice blade for learning the feel of filing, and carbon steel is cheaper. If it all goes good I'd like to send it to HT and use it, BUT if it goes bad I don't want to spend $50+ on a piece of scrap metal.

Thanks for the info Bo T.. I have a pack of the cheap flimsy masks they sell at walmart, but don't have a p-100. I'll look around town and online and hopefully pick one up. I'll also look around for Dymondwood. I wouldn't mind trying to put wood scales. I have a question about using wood though... All the knives I've seen with wood scales have pins and I assume cannot be removed for occasional cleaning, or am I wrong? Could I use screws to attach the wooden scales instead so I can take them off to clean or replace without a hassle? I don't have any knives with pins so I don't know much about them.
 
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