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The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
Price is$300$250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
ok tottaly new to this
- Thread starter Melkor23
- Start date
- Joined
- Nov 24, 1999
- Messages
- 4,981
Yep, you have all the major things.
You'll also want a good hacksaw. Any kind will do, but high tension is preferred. I have had very good luck with starret blades.
For the beltsander, I would try to have 50,80, and 120 grit belts on hand. The fine belts will last longer if you go in steps from the coarse belts as opposed to skipping from 50 to 120.
Your main use for it is just flattening things and handle work if you plan on hollow grinding.
If it has a disc sander attached, check the table/rest with a good carpenters square and have 60-80 grit discs for it. Its the perfect tool for final profiling since you get nice square edges.
The benchgrinder is your friend. It is what you will do most of your profiling (beyond what you can do with the hacksaw) with, and is what you will hollow grind with. I use an 8" benchgrinder and have been pretty happy with results.
Currently I have a 36 grit wheel and a 60 grit wheel on it, thats how it came from the store and it works pretty well. Defintely good enough for starting out. I think I'm going to try and find a 120 or 220 grit wheel to use for final grinding becuase it cuts down on hand sanding, but thats not a major issue.
As far as technique, there is a recent thread called something like "how do you grind" or "how do you hold the blade when you grind" that should be very helpful. The main thing is practice!
Drill press is pretty obvious
You have two options on heat treat. Do it yourself, or hire it done.
A) if you do it yourself, you will want to start with a simple carbon steel. I really like O1. It can be heat treated easily with a plumbing torch, a few fire bricks, and a fairly light oil (10W30 works), then temper in the kitchen oven.
B) you can use pretty much any steel if your going to hire it done. ATS34 and 440C are pretty easy on beginners in terms of ease of grinding and cutting,and still offer good performance.
I have used texas knifemakers supply heat treating service www.texasknife.com , and was very pleased. Paul Bos also does custom heat treating and he is the best in the business.
Get some steel and have some fun
You'll also want a good hacksaw. Any kind will do, but high tension is preferred. I have had very good luck with starret blades.
For the beltsander, I would try to have 50,80, and 120 grit belts on hand. The fine belts will last longer if you go in steps from the coarse belts as opposed to skipping from 50 to 120.
Your main use for it is just flattening things and handle work if you plan on hollow grinding.
If it has a disc sander attached, check the table/rest with a good carpenters square and have 60-80 grit discs for it. Its the perfect tool for final profiling since you get nice square edges.
The benchgrinder is your friend. It is what you will do most of your profiling (beyond what you can do with the hacksaw) with, and is what you will hollow grind with. I use an 8" benchgrinder and have been pretty happy with results.
Currently I have a 36 grit wheel and a 60 grit wheel on it, thats how it came from the store and it works pretty well. Defintely good enough for starting out. I think I'm going to try and find a 120 or 220 grit wheel to use for final grinding becuase it cuts down on hand sanding, but thats not a major issue.
As far as technique, there is a recent thread called something like "how do you grind" or "how do you hold the blade when you grind" that should be very helpful. The main thing is practice!
Drill press is pretty obvious
You have two options on heat treat. Do it yourself, or hire it done.
A) if you do it yourself, you will want to start with a simple carbon steel. I really like O1. It can be heat treated easily with a plumbing torch, a few fire bricks, and a fairly light oil (10W30 works), then temper in the kitchen oven.
B) you can use pretty much any steel if your going to hire it done. ATS34 and 440C are pretty easy on beginners in terms of ease of grinding and cutting,and still offer good performance.
I have used texas knifemakers supply heat treating service www.texasknife.com , and was very pleased. Paul Bos also does custom heat treating and he is the best in the business.
Get some steel and have some fun
- Joined
- Jan 24, 2003
- Messages
- 2,767
Bob's catalog with all the info is a real treasure, if you are lucky enough to come across one. I still have mine, never gonna part with it, either. Sounds like you are ready for business, guy. Too late, you are hooked!