Now I've done it!!

C

chromecrow

Joined
Jun 23, 2002
Messages
15
Well, after much thinking and research I am on my way trying to become a knife maker. My piece of steel (D-2) came in tuesdays mail. I cut out a "knife shape" with a portaband. Now I am proceeding to grind away everything that doesnt look like a knife. My "grinder" is a skil 3/4 hp 3 X 18 belt sander clamped in a vice with a zip-tie holding the trigger down. The knife will most surely be a thing of beauty but not too bad. I think I can finish it this weekend. I will have to send it off for heattreat maybe it will come back straight. Any advice/suggestions? Other than get a real grinder.
Thanks, John.
 
hey chromecrow,

It sounds like you have the best tool of them all for knifemaking... desire. If you want to make knives, don't let tools, (or lack of tools,) get in your way. I've only been making knives for about a year and a half now. I've built up a nice little shop, but I started off with files and an hand drill. Keep it up, and let us know how things go.

-chris
 
It sounds like you are well on your way John. I started out with a borrowed cutting torch and a 1" x 30" strip sander on my inherited shop smith.

Show us the knife when done.
 
Go for it. You'll be planning the next one as you finish the first... Be sure to share it here when you're done and there's lots of help to be had while you're going, too.

Dave
 
Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!Practice!:D
PS: I started with a bench grinder that doubled as my buffer! I still use it for buffing.
 
I started with a couple of files and sand paper. A local maker gave me a few lessons on his 2x 72. I had a bench grinder with a buff wheel. The first bit of equipment I brought was a drill press with the proceeds of a knife sale. Purhaps the others can comment what they think is a good item to buy. The drill press can be used as a clamp for gueing blades. Piece of wood in the chuk and wind the handle up pusing the tip of the blade in the wood.
Use it as a vertical lathe for small handles and even brass knobs.
Use it as a routes for making wooden display boxes.
And naturally drilling.
 
hey Robert,
You got way to much time on your hands to type (practice!) that many times:)
 
Ahhhh, another victim to join the brotherhood of knife making afflicted. B.O.K.M.A .You will find that there are things that will no longer interest you that can be sold for knife equipment ,i.e dog, house,first born etc.


Mark
 
Well Chromecrow we're in the same boat, leaving the dock at the same time. Please stay in touch and relay the little things you find out. For example, I'm practicing on some 1/8" x 1 1/2" weldable steel I bought at the hardware store for a couple of bucks. I plan on chewing thru that before using real steel.

Also, I have 2 questions that I think most of the people here have long since stopped worring about.

1. How thin do I leave the edge before heat treating? (or does it matter?)

2. How do I clean up the plunge cuts on a flat grind? (I rounded the edge of the platten as per the books, but now it (me?) makes a crappy line.



Gouge:

Funny you mention selling things. I sold 4 of my sheep to get the money for a belt grinder. "Well fluffy, you've been a good ewe and produced some nice lambs, but I need a new grinder so ...."

Steve
 
more than just rounding the palten, the next part is to run the belt over about a 1/4" to smooth out the trasistion. and of course like robert said! , , , ,
 
Danm Robert! that`s what I did wrong.
I only Practice 107 times. Ok Ok yes
I counted them ,but I just got home from
a bar listening to a musician friend an
thats what a few shots of tequila will do
:rolleyes: :D And no I don`t use salt or lemon
 
it depends on the size of the blade but i would say that 1/32" to 1/16" or larger. remenber that you will take more off when finishing and i do up to 30% of my grinding after HT. you get nice crisp grinds that way. keep the quench bucket right there and grind, drip, wipe, grind drip, wipe, it becomes a rytheme and you dont get the steel to hot to bother the HT. KEEP AT IT! YOUR DOING GREAT!
 
My FIRST grinder was a "ScatCat" 3X21 hand belt sander clamped upside down in a vise! (About a month later I went down and plunked down a hundred bucks for a Craftsman 4X36 because I was getting serious at this knife stuff!) :) I now have a shop full of motors, machines and whatnot, some of which I've used. My first drill press was "drill stand" that I clamped my hand drill into.

You get by with what you get by with. As far as the plunge goes a round file works just fine making the plunge area on both sides before you grind...

The best advice I have to anyone. Go ahead and look around the internet for some hints and tips and ideas but get away from this computer screen and go out into your shop/garage/basement/patio and make some blades!

C Wilkins
 
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