Oh no! Not ANOTHER knife...

hehe;)
While I like the idea of sending this knife to Nicaragua, I wouldn't dream of doing that without making a sheath myself for it first.
Y'know, now that I got a drill press, my leatherwork is going to get way better.
 
Lorien said:
it's kind of funny how things sometimes work out.

Last night, on my way home, I was thinking about my little shop and about my statement regarding my desire to acquire some powered tools. I concluded to myself that power tools are not what I need first. It's the specialty and measuring stuff. I already know that I can make a knife without a powered tool, but I really want my knives to be accurate.

So, to that end, I started thinking about what I REALLY need. For starters, a granite slab and a height gauge would be really nice. I have my method, but it's pretty ghetto. I also want a file guide, and a carbide bedded one at that. Not to mention some more files to fill in the gaps and to replace some crappy ones that I still use even though they suck. A bunch of hand tools including leatherworking tools...

Anyway, I concluded that I would not acquire powered tools until I have everything I need to make an accurate knife.

This morning, after seeing the family off, I rode my bike to work as I always do. I wasn't thinking about knives or anything much else- beautiful sunny morning was good enough to keep my brain occupied.

After I picked up the mail, I decided to walk through the hardware store on my way back to the shop. I don't go there too often as I never seem to have time, but I indulged today and lo and behold, look what I found!

DSC01183.jpg


The best part was that it was on sale! 70 bucks! How could I pass on that? The last couple knives I made really suffered from poorly aligned pin holes, due to the fact I had to use a 9V cordless hand drill. A drill press has always been at the very top of my list of things to get.

But, there is almost always a reason why something is on sale;
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Kind of ironic that I'd have to fix my brand new, powered tool, using a file.
Anyway, it's fixed!
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I'm so happy that I won't have to rely on someone else and using their shop to build part of my knife. This thing is going to come in SO handy.
Now I can't wait to get started on the guard and handle. But, gotta get back to sanding first!

DSC01188.jpg
Click to expand...


A drill-press is probably most necessary of the power tools. You can do most of the other stuff with a lot of elbow grease, but straight crisp holes would be pretty tough without a drill-press.
 
Lorien, thank you for documenting the process in this thread and your first one. It surely is encouraging to newbies like me. The input from the experts in both threads is also extremely helpful.
 
hey man, you're more than welcome! And thank you for saying so:)
 
Lorien,
Good to see a drill press in this thread!! You are officially one step closer. ;)
 
just thought I'd share my technique, (if you wanna call it that).

This is how I prep for sanding;
(sorry about the sideways pic:o)
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just a thin even layer of contact cement. I leave it for a minute or two to set up before sticking the paper to it. If you stick the paper on before the glue is dry the paper absorbs some of the glue and packs up with schmutz too quick.
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nice even coat. If you work really fast, it's easy to remove the paper and the glue leaving a nice clean surface for the next piece o paper
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here is one sheet of 400 grit, and it will (hopefully) be enough to finish one side of the blade.
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My sandpaper strips are just a bit wider than the sandpaper jig. Gives me another surface to focus on errant scratches once the rest of the paper is packed with schmutz
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Sanding from 320 to 400 grit SUCKS! Takes forever. Gives me some very uncomfortable knots in my shoulder muscles too.

Lookin forward to starting the last stage at 600 grit:jerkit:
 
Oh yeah, forgot these pics.

Finished to 400, (only one side, I'm working on the other today and will start at 600 once I'm done).

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Looking good. Is there a major difference between finishing to 600 or 400 or 320? I was told 320, but not sure what benefits there may be. Less sanding after heat threat maybe?
 
dirt? Where? ;):D

Riz, you're working with O1 so sanding after HT won't be as difficult as with this stuff. The advice that I'm working on here, is finish the blade to about where I want it post HT, because after that finishing the blade will be a total bitch. Also, the HT processor I'm going to use assured me that very little residue will need to be removed after he's done with it.
 
Lorien,
The blade is looking good. Good job on changing directions on your sanding pattern. It should be getting a little easier now!? Well realitively speaking...LOL. If you take it to 400-600 like you are talking the residue will come off no problem with a 4-6 passes. You will likely want to hit it with whatever grit you finish up with quick before you move on.
Keep on Rockin'
Eric
 
Lorien said:
dirt? Where? ;):D

Riz, you're working with O1 so sanding after HT won't be as difficult as with this stuff. The advice that I'm working on here, is finish the blade to about where I want it post HT, because after that finishing the blade will be a total bitch. Also, the HT processor I'm going to use assured me that very little residue will need to be removed after he's done with it.
Click to expand...

That makes sense. I imagine you have to do a pretty set amount of sanding. Comes down to when you want to do it. Probably saves you some work doing it down, mainly due to the hardness of the steel after HT.
 
Hey Lorien,
I'll bet you're excited to get a handle on that thing by now. Seeing the blade almost done yet not being able to feel it in my hand with a handle just about kills me sometimes.

I actually didn't think you'd send the knife to us for a sheath. I was thinking more of sending me the profile on heavy card stock. I'm sure we can make something decent for you from that if you want to give it a try. It would be fun for us and you wouldn't have to send your blade down.

Mike

P.S. By saying it would be fun I'm saying we wouldn't charge you anything. Just a friendly gesture.
 
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Hey Mike, that's an awesome offer my friend! WAY too kind:) I'll make sure to send you the design once I got a handle on. Set me up with your mailing address sometime. Maybe I'll throw a couple other designs in there just in case one of you guys want to use them.
You're right about the handle thing, I've been dreaming about it for so long now...
I'm just about done with the blade finish, hopefully today. Then I gotta do a little work on the ricasso and tang, and finish up that upper swedge thing. Then it's off to THE BOS for some heat.
I'll have my shop pretty much dialed upon its return and that's when my new drill press is going to change my life:)
 
Lorien, my friend,

Being soooo busy during the last couple of months
I hardly checked in on the Forums....

But I did today, and boy, you are totally hooked into the world
of hand made knives - overflowing with excitement, enthusiasm
and extremely hard work, doing things on your own - most of them
for the first time too!!!

And your excitement and commitment is sweeping everyone
and getting so many involved - a true adventure for so many!!!

Keep it coming. I'll be watching more carefully from now on.....

All the best,
David Darom (ddd)
 
David, :):):)
Thank you!
 
Here's the finish I ended up with using the straight steel bar and 600 grit, after getting all the scratches left from the 400 grit I hit it up with previously;

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This knife is a little complicated, grind-wise, in that the area between the upper swedge and the edge is filed completely flat and is quite thin leading toward the edge. Forward of the swedge to the tip the stock was tapered, and that portion of the blade is convexed.

It's kind of like that WSK type of thing, where the edge nearest the handle is acute and fine, while the belly area at the front is more robust for chopping stuff. It's very hard to capture this in pictures, as the transition between the flat filed portion and the convexed portion is more fluid.


Anyway, in order to have a nice consistent scratch pattern, I took a thin walled bicycle inner tube and slipped it over my sanding bar.

DSC01227.jpg


I don't have to glue anything down and progress is good because my sand paper is in a larger sheet which I can move around as it smooths out.

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I'm not sure if I'm quite done at this point, but you can see that the finish is finally starting to look acceptable. Once I get through with the 600 grit, I think I'm going to hit it again with 1000 and 1500 grit with the rubber back before the blade is covered and I get to work on the ricasso and the upper swedge. But this is it for today, gonna get back to it next week and hopefully have it off to The Bos by the end of next week.

But you know what they say about best laid plans and all that...

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Lorien,
That is looking great. 600 is perfect for a chopper if you ask me and that thing looks pretty sweet. Hey any chance of getting a pic of the whole knife with the tang? Inquiring minds whant to know! Keep gritting it out you are almost there.
Eric
 
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