Newb plans, and newb questions. Take a look!

J

JeepWoody

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Jan 12, 2015
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First off, this forum is a great wealth of information, and people that genuinely like to help, which is a far cry from other forums, so thank you!

My first knife build is going be over my head, but I'm a dive right in kinda guy. I have convinced a couple friends to order same steel and try this out with me.

I ordered some 1/8"Tx1.5"Wx18"L o1 tool steel, and plan on making 2 knives from it, 6" OAL and 12" OAL. I opened up Microsoft paint, got the ruler and grid lines on there and went to town, this is what I came up with. (Click pic for full image)
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I am in the military, so I wanted a nice larger blade. The smaller one will just be for fun since I don't think I will EDC with it. I have experience with custom wood work, and used to work in a bronze foundry as a welder, so I'm not afraid to take my time and hopefully do it right the first time.

As far as equipment, I have an old Dayton brand 2" belt sander that needs work. The tensioner is broken, and the rubber is partially separated off one of the wheels and makes the machine vibrate violently. The tensioner I can deal with, but I'm not sure how to re attach (reglue?) the wheel. So it's either repair this old unit, or use parts from this unit to build a new one.

For heat treating I plan on going to my old work(bronze foundry) when they are casting, and stick the blade into the furnace till it gets (cherry?) red, quenching it in (baby?) oil. Then tempering in my oven.

I might get some cheap steel and practice grind the blade shapes first, dunno yet. Always looking for tips!

So my questions, does anyone know if it is possible to reattach the rubber to a metal wheel of the sander? Also the steel I got isn't perfectly flat, maybe an 1/8" bow, a little less, wondering how I should go about making it flat before working it. Thanks!
 
Welcome to Shop Talk. Fill out your profile so we know a bit about you and where you are. A nearby maker may offer some hands-on help and materials, as well as HT.

I know that you may think you need a 12" Rambo knife for military use, but those who make knives for the military folks will almost unanimously agree that a 3-4" drop point or spear point blade and 4-5" handle works for almost any task you could need in the field. I have had GIs tell me that the most common task is opening boxes of food and supplies.

Do only one knife at a time. Start out with a drop point hunter with a 3" blade and a 4" handle. Once that is finished, you can decide what might be your second knife project.

Take a look at this tutorial for info and guidance - http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/694673-How-to-instructions-for-making-a-knife
 
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Probably ignorance speaking here, but wouldn't a straight grind be easier than one that is curved?
 
Holding a uniform bevel across that long blade won't be easier in my opinion. Curvy looks better as well IMO.
 
You will find that when grinding a curved blade, the grind line will generally follow the curve of the edge.

I know it is tempting to leave your knives bar shaped, as you have to rremove less material, and it feels like you are wasting less metal. However a curvier knife looks better. Have a look at the custom knives for sale subforum to see what is popular, and which styles look good to your eye.
 
The designs I have definitely looks best in my eye, but I get what you guys are saying. Maybe I will ditch my 12" and opt for 3 6" blades and get a little more practice in the process
 
JeepWoody said:
The designs I have definitely looks best in my eye, but I get what you guys are saying. Maybe I will ditch my 12" and opt for 3 6" blades and get a little more practice in the process
Click to expand...

That's also a good idea. Big blades are hatder to grind than you would think.
 
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