Please help me get my new shop set up :)

V

Vulcanite

Joined
Jan 16, 2009
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293
I'm getting started out making stock removal knives. I am looking to make knives, really just for myself at this point. As long as I can some how get them heat treated for reasonable in small small quantities I'll use 440c. I'll call Blanchard about that soon.

Will be doing flat grinds so I don't need contact wheel.

Handles will either be cord wrapped or micarta screwed to threaded tang like Entrek. Sheathes will be Kydex or concealex. I pretty much have the sheath making part of it figured out.

Here is what I already have:
-Wilton 3/4 hp 2X42 belt/disc grinder/sander
-drill press. Gonna get a cross slide vise for it.
-center punches & drill bits.
-Spindle sander thing I can put in the drill press.
-Dremmel tool & accessories
-Angle grinder
-a bunch of large & jeweler's files
-a scroll saw for making mockups & templates
-digital micrometer
-a pattern makers bench vise w/ wood jaws (you all should definately look into getting one of these babies. Way better than regular bench vise)

I have another thread about whether I need a bench grinder too & what belts &/or wheels I should get. Please look at it & save your comments about getting a bench grinder & belts & wheels for THERE.

Thinking about getting THIS router speed control knob from HF so I can make my belt grinder & drill press varible speed.

Here are some other things I can think of:
-scribe tool
-center marking scribe for beveling
-blue dykem fluid for layout
-cutting fluid
-jeweler's rouge
-counter sink
-all the stuff for making kydex sheathes (I'll use my drill press as eyelet press)
-leather apron
-some various clamps
-taps for threading handle screws in tang (probably get the Entrek kit)
-tap handle

What Cutting fluid should I use?

What sand papers should I stock up on?

What other hand sanding/cutting tools might I should get?

Is there some sort of slick tap on stuff I should put on the patten?

Do i need a respirator? What about a face shield or other parts?

Are there any other things you can think of I may need?
 
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Tapping oil- Tap Magic You can get cheaper but you can't get better. Saves drill bits
Safety glasses and shield a must.
Definitely a respirator. After you spend a night coughing up black crap, you will get one. Safety First.
 
Don't waste your money on cheap (harbor freight, etc.) sandpaper. The norton 3x from home depot is pretty good, and alot of guys like the 3m.
 
sharpeknives is right about the respirator, go get one. You will need a couple of vises for your workbench and clamps for when you do your handles. Also a stamp or etching machine cause how are we going to know that the knife was made by you? Good luck. It sounds like you got a way better plan on starting out than I did.
-frank
 
Becareful with that Router Speed controler, you may just burn up your router or your grinder with that thing.
 
jkf96a said:
Don't waste your money on cheap (harbor freight, etc.) sandpaper. The norton 3x from home depot is pretty good, and alot of guys like the 3m.
Click to expand...

You ain't kiddin' brother. The made-in-india HF stuff is worse than useless. The only good thing about is that it falls apart before the horribly uneven "sand" grains do too much damage:thumbdn:
I haven't used the Norton but I will vouch for 3M automotive wet-or-dry.:thumbup:

Definitely go for the respirator and face shield. I've had chips and sparks get up under my glasses before and scare the dickens out of me, I feel better with a full shield on. And black boogers are no joke. (I almost said "nothing to sneeze at" but that would be just too dumb even for me)

Are you going to handsand? Here's a great current thread about that topic.

Sounds like you have a good plan, lots of people have started with less :)
 
James_Terrio said:
You ain't kiddin' brother. The made-in-india HF stuff is worse than useless. The only good thing about is that it falls apart before the horribly uneven "sand" grains do too much damage:thumbdn:
I haven't used the Norton but I will vouch for 3M automotive wet-or-dry.:thumbup:

Definitely go for the respirator and face shield. I've had chips and sparks get up under my glasses before and scare the dickens out of me, I feel better with a full shield on. And black boogers are no joke. (I almost said "nothing to sneeze at" but that would be just too dumb even for me)

Are you going to handsand? Here's a great current thread about that topic.

Sounds like you have a good plan, lots of people have started with less :)
Click to expand...
+1 on the face shield. I used to use just safety glasses, until I was grinding and a spark travelled around the contact wheel, around the idler wheel, and right between my safety glasses, my actual glasses, and my forehead, right into my eye. Cuts and scrapes aren't that big of a deal in shops, just put some antibiotic cream on them and bandage them up, eye injuries are much worse. In addition to hurting more at the time, you may have to even visit an eye doctor to fix it up. I know mine got infected and then suffered from recurrent corrosion, resulting in me waking up every couple of days to my eye hurting like the day it happened. Still not entirely fixed actually.

Moral of this story, wear a face shield.
 
WadeH said:
Becareful with that Router Speed controler, you may just burn up your router or your grinder with that thing.
Click to expand...

How do those things work. Do they reduce voltage or current into your motor? I guess the current is going to be determined by the motor & the load on it so those things work by altering voltage?

I guess if those things lower voltage they will increase resistance & heat in the windings till the motor overheats???
 
ear plugs or muffs im near deaf but still wear um so i dont get worse stinkin railroad work is load. also good bench vice and ide get a smaller second one with wood jaws.Lots of playboy pin ups and i think your set.kellyw
 
ear plugs or muffs im near deaf but still wear um so i dont get worse stinkin railroad work is loud. also good bench vice and ide get a smaller second one with wood jaws.Lots of playboy pin ups and i think your set.kellyw
 
Is a metal cutting band saw same as a wood one but just w/ a differt blade, or is it a whole different unit?
 
sharpeknives said:
Tapping oil- Tap Magic You can get cheaper but you can't get better. Saves drill bits
Safety glasses and shield a must.
Definitely a respirator. After you spend a night coughing up black crap, you will get one. Safety First.
Click to expand...

Is that tap magic good for sanding too, or just for using metal cutters?
 
Vulcanite said:
Is a metal cutting band saw same as a wood one but just w/ a differt blade, or is it a whole different unit?
Click to expand...

Different, metal saws run way slower. Harbor Freight and Grizzly make a small usable one and many get a portaband and make a mount to use them stationary
 
Earplugs is a very good investment. I use the disposable foamies. I get em from work. The nice thing about wearing plugs is that not only are you practicing hearing conservation, but the plugs keep metal and sawdust out of yer ears! Pretty gross looking at black Qtips after a shower.

Nother vote for the face shield. I thought I was doing okay with the safety glasses, but with the respirator I never got a good coverage around the bridge of my nose. metal specks would bounce off of the respirator perfectly under the glasses and right into my eyes. Wife is a pro at flushing my eyes and removing metal from body parts now.

Here's the respirator I have. It is super comfortable, and I can wear it for 8 hours in the shop and not have my face or neck sore from contact or rubbing. Way I see it the respirator is nothing to skimp on. Some folks get the disposable ones, I could never get a good seal around my nose. You can clean this one out rinsing under warm water.
http://www.boss-safety.com/shop/half-face-respirators-7500-respirator-c-415_9_14_53_656.html

Here are the filters I use...
http://www.boss-safety.com/shop/cartridges-filters-2091-filter-series-c-415_9_18_127_576.html

And when sanding micarta I use these filters with the gas filter also.
http://www.boss-safety.com/shop/60925-formaldehydeorganic-vaporp100-p-238.html

One other nice thing to have around is a granite surface plate. works for me for hand finishing. 9x12x3. Big enough to glue a full sheet of sandpaper, and heavy enough to not go ANYWHERE no matter how hard you push.
got mine here.

http://www.wttool.com/product-exec/...cision_Black_Granite_Surface_Plate_WT_Import_
 
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Hearing protection? Hmmmm... 20 years standing in front of printing presses and guitar amps... my kid thinks her name is "Huh?"... sometimes in the quiet of the night I can still hear the feedback from those smoke-filled nights long ago... sooo I'm gonna say yes on that one. It sure can't hurt.

One thing about hearing that I learned is that it's not just the volume (or, properly, sound-pressure level) that does the damage, but also the type of sound. Like, a dull roar isn't as bad for your hearing as a sharp impact sound like a hammer hitting steel on an anvil. My grampa swung a hammer all his life (carpenter) and was deaf as a post by the time he retired. How many of our forging friends wear plugs or muffs?

+1 on the pin-ups too:)

gixxer, thanks for that 3m respo link, it looks better than the one I'm using currently. "How much are your lungs worth?"

While we're on the subject of things you can wear, let's talk clothes.

They will get dirty, obviously. Ideally, I like something I can slip into in the shop, at least a shirt or apron, leave it in the shop, then I'm not tracking as much filth back into the house on the way to the shower. Coveralls make a lot of sense but I'm tall and fairly slim so it's a b!tch to find some that fit.

Cotton/canvas/duck/denim get little tiny pinholes in them from sparks, synthetics get kinda melty.

Short or rolled sleeves for me on the grinder or drill press, and no gloves. Tie your hair back if it's long and NO rings or necklaces. Actually that goes for using any tool that moves, pretty much.

Steel toe boots? In a word, YES. In two words, HELL YES. Just like eye protection... ONE heavy or sharp object dropped on your toe means a LOT of PITA/lost shop time/embarassment/maybe even Dr. bills. Boots are cheap in comparison.

Having said all that, in the 2008 Knives book they have an article showing an Asian gentleman forging knives out of hoes and he's wearing naught but shorts or a loincloth IIRC. But me... I'll do the Norm Abrams thing and embrace Shop Safety. :)
 
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Hi Friend,

Looks like you're well off to a good start and had some good suggestions from folks too. There are a few things I didn't see mentioned you might want to consider. There are all kinds of jigs. Two come to mind in particular, a file guide and a draw filing clamp. Also, some calipers and micrometer will be handy. (You can use the calipers to scribe your blades' center lines too.)

Where is/will your shop be? Make sure you have great lighting, ventilation and dust collecting. Adequate power and receptacle placement is something to consider. Additionally, plumbing and a sink is invaluable too.

Once you get a knife or two done you'll also want to consider marking them with your maker's mark. You'll then need either an electro-etcher and stencils, or a metal stamp and some sort of guide or press for it. If you want to share photos with folks (and you better with us!) you'll need a digital camera and may want to set up a light table at some point.

Make sure you keep us posted on your progress.

All the best, Phil
 
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