New to metalwork, bewildered

O

onebagnomad

Joined
Sep 8, 2009
Messages
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I have very little experience in metalworking and am somewhat overwhelmed by all of the vastly different advice I am reading in the knife making tutorials online. Stock removal v.s. forge v.s. torch, belt sander v.s. bench grinder, etc... I'm hoping that some of you more experienced craftsmen can listen to what I'm trying to do and provide me with a recommendation on what I need in order to get started.

I'm not trying to make beautiful knives (not in the traditional sense, anyway), I'm looking to make myself some fixed blade, hard-use knives, probably no longer than 4-5 inch blades. I'm approaching this as both an interesting hobby and a solution to not being able to find knives that both fit my hand and do what I need them to do.

Workshop space isn't an issue (plenty of room for tools and space to work), nor is space to build a forge, if that is your recommendation. Like most people, I think, I'm not looking to invest thousands of dollars to get started. The cheaper the setup, the better, as long as it still gives me a reasonable capability to make a decent blade. Am I trying to have my cake and eat it too? I am more than willing to throw my own rig together from scavenged parts. I appreciate any recommendations you can make, or advice you can pass along.
 
The simplest set-up you can have to make your own knife is with these tools:

A sturdy bench vice
A drill (drill press is good, but you can make do with a hand drill)
A hack saw
A 10-12 inch bastard mill file
Paper or cardstock to draw a knife pattern

Steel for the knife--a good 10XX carbon steel is fine
Something for the handles--wood, paracord, phenolic sheet
Pins for the handle (1/8 inch brass brazing rod is fine)
Epoxy to seal the handle.

Materials to heat treat the knife:

A source of heat (coal fire, propane torch, etc.)
An insulated chamber to make more efficient use of the heat, such as a hollowed out soft fire brick.
A magnet to check for critical temp.
Oil to quench the blade, and a pot to put it in (peanut oil will be fine for simple carbon steels like 1080, 1084).
An oven to temper (draw the hardness) the blade--your kitchen oven can suffice.
An oven thermometer to monitor oven (tempering) temperature.
 
Wayne Goddard's The $50 Knife Shop outlines setting up a basic but effective shop. I am a long-time neophyte, but it was my first purchase before getting into knifemaking. The book is light on instruction in some areas (specifically stock removal), but it is a frequently suggested read for those looking to get into knifemaking and probably the most widely-read book on the subject among hobbyist makers. Almost all of Goddard's power tools and the one-brick forge are homemade. $50 is, in my opinion, optimistically low and perhaps a bit dated, but the layout is still about as cheap as anyone can manage.

This threadshows a slightly more advanced shop with tools that could be bought from Home Depot.

This thread used to be a sticky before the recent sticky purge. It's not about equipment or techniques so much as it is about the most crucial part of the knife. Kevin Cashen provides valuable info on heat treating different steel types in a clear and, believe it or not, concise way.
 
Stock removal is simplest to start with and it's how most factory knives are made.
If you start with basic files and abrasive cloth on stainless steel (ats34, 440C, cm154, s30v...)there are lots of places that can heat treat if for you

There are some book previews in this thread.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=603203

I like:

step by step knifemaking



Custom knifemaking: 10 projects from a master craftsman
By Tim McCreight
(not in that tread)

http://books.google.com/books?id=GZqwUqwM0vAC&printsec=frontcover&dq=knifemaking+10+projects&lr=&as_drrb_is=q&as_minm_is=0&as_miny_is=&as_maxm_is=0&as_maxy_is=&as_brr=0&ei=2Ta5SpO5N6P8yATd-vTlDg#v=onepage&q=&f=false

I also like the three by Jim Hir...
They are forging based, but with lots of stock removal related info.

50 knife shop is really popular:
but I find that it threw me off into some confusion with having to use recycled steel, forging, "goop quench"

cable Damascus, while very cool , is definitely not a beginner project.

the info on tools and build it yourself grinders is definitely relevant though
 
nomad
Fill out your profile and let us know where ya live.Good chance someone lives near ya or there might be a Hammer-in occuring near you. Knife folks are very generous with their time, energies and materials
Tom
So.Ga.
 
Here is $50.00 of advice and didnt cost $0.02 need to save this for everyone who askes this question, nice summary


NStricker said:
The simplest set-up you can have to make your own knife is with these tools:

A sturdy bench vice
A drill (drill press is good, but you can make do with a hand drill)
A hack saw
A 10-12 inch bastard mill file
Paper or cardstock to draw a knife pattern

Steel for the knife--a good 10XX carbon steel is fine
Something for the handles--wood, paracord, phenolic sheet
Pins for the handle (1/8 inch brass brazing rod is fine)
Epoxy to seal the handle.

Materials to heat treat the knife:

A source of heat (coal fire, propane torch, etc.)
An insulated chamber to make more efficient use of the heat, such as a hollowed out soft fire brick.
A magnet to check for critical temp.
Oil to quench the blade, and a pot to put it in (peanut oil will be fine for simple carbon steels like 1080, 1084).
An oven to temper (draw the hardness) the blade--your kitchen oven can suffice.
An oven thermometer to monitor oven (tempering) temperature.
Click to expand...
 
I'm looking to get into "trying" to make some knives for fun also. I'm looking for a decent low-cost entry-level setup using power tools. Going for the 2x72 right out of the box is not in my budget at the time. Here is what I am going to go with I think, as I'll always be able to use all the following tools:

Craftsman 2x42 Belt Sander $140
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00921513000P

Harbor Freight 12spd 10" Drill Press $110
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=44836

Cuttoff blade for my Craftsman miter saw $5

Angle Grinder -$have

Files - $have

Dremel - $have

Sanding belts and drums - $20

So I should eb able to get going for about $270.. and if it doesn't stick.. I'll always have uses for the tools I bought. If I really get into it.. I can always upgrade.
 
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Remember on the Drill Press to get one that has a very slow speed (220 rpm or so). The cheap ones the slow speed is around 600 rpm and will burn bits up quick if the steel is a little hard. The slower speed keeps the bits drilling a lot longer.
 
Nstricker said it right. He listed all the right stuff to get started. I'm a newbee to metal working also and have made six knives in the past six months. I also started with the $50 knife shop book and found it very helpful.

I was overwhelmed at first and thaught I just couldn't make a good knife without one of those $2000 belt grinders. I settled on a $400 grizzley 2x72 and found it a fantastic entry to knife making. Actually I may never need anything more.

Bottom line, jump in make your first knife and you will be hooked! Theres a lot of info out there and a lot of fantastic knife makers on this forum. As a newbee I have found knife making very rewarding by keeping it simple and enjoying the process rather than trying to compare myself to everyone else.

I also found Chris Crawfords website very informative and he has some great tutorials to make knives with very little equipment.
 
I would advise getting an angle grinder somewhere down the line because it makes cutting profiles quick and easy, its relatively cheap, and you can use it on just about anything (I profile all my wood handles with a sanding disk on a grinder). It will also open up a bunch of options as far as steel.

Welcome to the machine.
 
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