Painfully n0ob next step questions

Chambers

Chambers

Joined
Jul 11, 2001
Messages
1,137
I recently discovered that my step dad has almost all the components for a decent knife shop sitting in his garage and not really doing anything. After a long and involved chat I cleared out some space and now have two work benches, a drill press, a disc grinder, table saw and a hand sander with an upright base. Seems to me that for Stock Removal I'm pretty well set.
I've been dinking around and cutting some knife blanks out of scrap 1/4 plastic sheets lately just to get an idea and I think i'd like to graduate to dinking around with steel. I've been reading everything I could get my hands on and I think I have a pretty good idea of how to go about the basics.
I have some questions that I've been mulling over.

I don't have a band saw and frankly I have no idea how to cut steel.
I'm guessing that I could use the right blade on that table saw for large cuts but I don't know that for a fact. so cutting is one obstacle.

I realize that for the most part the first several knives that I make are going to be, less than perfect, kick around projects. so I was thinking
Would it be a good idea to buy some bar stock (haven't been able to find any scrap steel yet either) and then draw out maybe 2 patterns and take them to a machine shop to have say 5-10 blanks of each cut out by cnc or what ever and then take them home and practice grinding?

also what do you guys reccomend for a good "starter" handle material? Micarta, wood of some sort?
 
As a fellow beginner, I would highly recommend the portable bandsaw and a base for it. Not only can you use it to cut the steel, but it will cut the wood for the handles as well. I'm actually using mine to work on building a 2x72 grinder today. As for getting a bunch of blanks cut out at a machine shop, I would think you could buy non-beveled blanks somewhere much cheaper. However, I find that the fun is in starting with a rectangle and ending up with something you might use to fight bears. Or to put cream cheese on a bagel.
 
Also, I would recommend walnut for the starter handle material. It's cheap, sturdy, and doesn't make a horrible handle. I was using red oak, but found the open grain to be ugly. Walnut has been much nicer.
 
In most hobbies, including knifemaking, one good piece of general advice is to make your first investment an investment in education. Spend money on books first. Spend time looking at what people are doing. Seek inspiration where you can find it. Once you have a compelling idea, follow it... learn from it... have fun with it.

All hobbies become real work eventually, but they shouldn't start out that way. They should start out being a source of enjoyment and inspiration. They should educate and energize.

It's great that you got some free tools... but don't let that stop you from looking at the tools others use and expanding your collection. Also, consider new ways to approach old problems and old ways to approach new problems. Remember, you don't have to do things as fast as is possible. Sometimes you miss out on fun when you move too quickly to the endgame.

- Greg
 
You can also use your drill press to drill holes around the perimeter of the knife design and cut them out with a hack saw or dremel.
 
A sawzall with the right blades can be used in a pinch.

Angle grinder with cutoff discs otherwise.
 
DON'T use the table saw to try and cut steel unless you really like living dangerously. Like others have mentioned without a metal cutting bandsaw (yes they're different from a wood one). Using an angle grinder with a cutoff wheel is your next best step. Hacksaws are designed for cutting metal, you can cut out a blade shape with one, it's great exercise. It will just take a lot longer than any of the other options. Should you opt to get a bandsaw Harbor Freight sells a 4x6 one that goes on sale fairly often for about $180-ish and you an easily find a 20% off coupon you can apply to it as well.

You can practice grinding bevels for free if you can grab yourself a few handfuls of paint stirring sticks and grind all you want to get a feel for it.

For handle material you can go with micarta wood is also a very viable option however most of it you're going to want to have stabilized for anything you plan on keeping for a long time. Without it, depending on the wood, you can run the risk of it moving, swelling, etc with a lot of woods. Some woods like the very hard woods like walnut for example, people will debate about them needing to be stabilized but that's a whole 'nother can of worms :D
 
ABSOLUTELY, DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CUT STEEL ON THE TABLE SAW.
Not in any way shape or form. I occassionally use the one at work to cut aluminum, and I can tell you from experience it is not the way to do things. It can end your knifemaking aspirations if not your life right then and there. I got the cuts to prove it.
Drilling the outline as mentioned or a cheap dremil type tool at Harbor freight and a bucket full of wheels, or even an actual cut-off grinder from harbor freight are by far better and safer ways to go. Don't forget the safety glasses.
You might think some of the methods mentioned are too expensive or too slow, but the facts are you can buy everything mentioned for less than the cost of one ER visit. as for fast, how slow you gonna be with a missing finger or worse yet brain damage ? And that is considering if you're lucky enough to live.
The tablesaw is for cutting wood and gets dangerous enough for that. When you use tools, especially machines for things they weren't intended for bad things happen fast.
 
Add a respirator and safety glasses before you start grinding.

As for having some blanks cut out I'd recommend doing it by hand first. If you later decide to have some fixed blade blanks cut out look for a laser cutter to do them. You can have 15-20 cut out for $150 - $200. It is usually the cheapest way to have them cut out. They will want the steel to be in one sheet though so you will have to buy a partial sheet and not small pieces. That will kick up the price quickly.

It's already been said that the tablesaw is a really bad idea.
 
Fletch: Bandsaw for $180 at harborfreight? The portable bandsaw is $85 normally. I have about $3 in a base for it, $10 for a blade. Is there a larger one that is slow enough to cut metal?
 
zaph1 said:
Fletch: Bandsaw for $180 at harborfreight? The portable bandsaw is $85 normally. I have about $3 in a base for it, $10 for a blade. Is there a larger one that is slow enough to cut metal?
Click to expand...

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=93762

I think I paid somewhere around 150 or 160 something for mine with the 20% ff coupon. I forget because I opted for the 3 year warranty on it too. So I think I paid right around 180 with the warranty. But that price there with a 20% off coupon makes it $160
 
HF sells two metal cutting bandsaws... one normally priced at $249 (but frequently on sale for $180) and the other normally priced at $749 (rarely on sale). Both are free standing with the ability to operate in vertical or horizontal mode.

- Greg
 
I use a jigsaw for cutting out my blanks but since my jigsaw is on loan to a friend, I recently drilled holes around a design and used a hacksaw to finish the cut (thanks Grizzly). Use wood for handles and a lot of patience.
 
tryppyr said:
In most hobbies, including knifemaking, one good piece of general advice is to make your first investment an investment in education. Spend money on books first. Spend time looking at what people are doing. Seek inspiration where you can find it. Once you have a compelling idea, follow it... learn from it... have fun with it.

All hobbies become real work eventually, but they shouldn't start out that way. They should start out being a source of enjoyment and inspiration. They should educate and energize.
- Greg
Click to expand...

Good advice

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


Watch these videos
http://smartflix.com/store/category/9/Knifemaking

http://thepiratebay.org/torrent/499...femaking_Basics_-_Make_a_Mora_Bushcraft_Knife
 
I promise on my honor as a bladeforum member since however long it's been now NOT to try and cut metal with a table saw.

This is why I asked FIRST. I have been bouncing in and around different books, videos and forums for about 2 weeks now and was just looking to drink up as much information as I possibly can. Thank you all for the suggestions I'm sure I'll be back.
 
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