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- Jan 17, 2011
- Messages
- 15,193
Really appreciate the tutorial!! Subscribed. Thank you!
-
The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is available! Price is $250 ea (shipped within CONUS).
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/
**Progress Update!** More of a give back than a giveaway...
- Thread starter esnyx
- Start date
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- Jul 16, 2012
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- 4,177
This is fantastic! Congrats Justin, and thank you for posting the WIP pics Esynx!
- Joined
- Nov 15, 2007
- Messages
- 3,372
I appreciate you taking the trouble of making photos on each step. Cool knife in the making.
Mike
Mike
- Joined
- Feb 10, 2014
- Messages
- 1,119
Ok, so I'm back with more progress!
First things first, I want to show you guys the most important tools in my shop:
Working with these materials can be very hazardous to your health, especially the composites. So if you decide to try something like this, please make sure to take proper safety precautions so you don't lose an eye or a lung!
Now for the fun!
So here is where I left you guys:
Next step from here is to shape the scale to match the original. I pin the old scale to the new one and sand the edges down on the disc sander:
I like to leave a little extra around the edges so that I don't take too much off then have to grind down the spring during hafting. Next step is to even out the scales on the wider belt sander:
Nice and flat:
Lets test out the fit:
So a good tip for when you pin the knife together is to make a point at the end of the pin so it wedges itself into the spring and glides through. Without this, you will be tapping the pin into the side of the spring hole and no good will come of that...
Tada!
Time for some hafting! I use my crappy harbor freight 1x30 belt sander to do most of this work, the rest is by hand with files and sand paper:
Shape looking good:
Disassembly:
Lets make this an easy open:
No real suggestions on how to do this one, I just eyeball it. Lets chamfer this bad boy:
Give it a good reaming:
Using a reamer adds a bevel to the hole allowing the pin to expand and grip the hole after sanding the dome down. I ream all of the holes on the front of the scale, but only the scale pin holes on the back. No need to ream the inner holes of the spring and pivot pins.
Peening a pin for the scale:
Clip off the excess pin and file it down leaving a little bit for peening:
Peening the scale pins. Be gentle here so you do not crack your scales!
Smoothing the pins on the liner:
Now I sand and polish them smooth. This helps in achieving a nice smooth action, and a nice clean look:
Clamping the scale for the rat tail on the bolster. I use the clamp as a guide and a small round file for this:
Now we are ready for final assembly!!
I spray all the parts with WD40 to make sure any grit stays out during the assembly process:
Assembled and ready to peen one side of the pins:
You want to make sure you peen one side of the pins before cutting them down so you do not accidentally remove too much. Once they are peened, tap them all the way down and trim the pins to size. Before trimming the pivot pin, I insert me slackener between the blade and the liner. A slackener is a tool made of thin metal (mine is .01" stainless steel) that you use to make sure you do not tighten down the pivot pin too much. This tool is CRUCIAL to achieving smooth action.
At this point, I peened the spring pins down nice and tight. I thought I took a pic, but cant find it... You get the idea though.
Now I trim the pivot pin and file it down to size for peening:
You have to trim it with the slackener already in place, or you will not have enough pin left when you try to insert the slackener.
Now I peen and file the pivot pin:
Nice and clean after some sanding:
Aaaand this is where I leave you hanging... Any further would ruin the surprise for Justin!
The rest of the process is finishing work. From here I file and sand the scales and bolsters to matching dimensions, and then add the CA finish. Cyanoacrylate is the main ingredient in super glue, but I went and got a CA finish kit after realizing how much of a pain your standard super glue is to use as a finish. Basically what I do is coat the composite with thin CA to fill and gaps and even out the surface. Then I add medium viscosity CA to give it a nice thick protective later, and add bulk for sanding. I then sand the entire knife in steps up to 1500 grit, and polish it on my buffing wheel. The transformation from before and after CA finish is pretty astonishing, but I will let Justin show you guys the final product.
**I always tape up the blade with some blue painters tape, but I got caught up in the pics and I completely forgot to do this. This is an important step so you do not cut yourself or scratch up the blade with a file!! This is actually the first step in my process, even before disassembly, that way the blade stays pristine from the start. Luckily I did not cut myself or scratch the blade at all up to this point, but you better believe the blade is taped up now! Wow, I can't believe I forgot that one...
Whew, that was a lot of typing...
Thanks for reading everyone! If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me and I will do my best to answer you. I am by no means a professional, so if anyone sees a flaw in my process, feel free to comment with a suggestion!
First things first, I want to show you guys the most important tools in my shop:
Working with these materials can be very hazardous to your health, especially the composites. So if you decide to try something like this, please make sure to take proper safety precautions so you don't lose an eye or a lung!
Now for the fun!
So here is where I left you guys:
Next step from here is to shape the scale to match the original. I pin the old scale to the new one and sand the edges down on the disc sander:
I like to leave a little extra around the edges so that I don't take too much off then have to grind down the spring during hafting. Next step is to even out the scales on the wider belt sander:
Nice and flat:
Lets test out the fit:
So a good tip for when you pin the knife together is to make a point at the end of the pin so it wedges itself into the spring and glides through. Without this, you will be tapping the pin into the side of the spring hole and no good will come of that...
Tada!
Time for some hafting! I use my crappy harbor freight 1x30 belt sander to do most of this work, the rest is by hand with files and sand paper:
Shape looking good:
Disassembly:
Lets make this an easy open:
No real suggestions on how to do this one, I just eyeball it. Lets chamfer this bad boy:
Give it a good reaming:
Using a reamer adds a bevel to the hole allowing the pin to expand and grip the hole after sanding the dome down. I ream all of the holes on the front of the scale, but only the scale pin holes on the back. No need to ream the inner holes of the spring and pivot pins.
Peening a pin for the scale:
Clip off the excess pin and file it down leaving a little bit for peening:
Peening the scale pins. Be gentle here so you do not crack your scales!
Smoothing the pins on the liner:
Now I sand and polish them smooth. This helps in achieving a nice smooth action, and a nice clean look:
Clamping the scale for the rat tail on the bolster. I use the clamp as a guide and a small round file for this:
Now we are ready for final assembly!!
I spray all the parts with WD40 to make sure any grit stays out during the assembly process:
Assembled and ready to peen one side of the pins:
You want to make sure you peen one side of the pins before cutting them down so you do not accidentally remove too much. Once they are peened, tap them all the way down and trim the pins to size. Before trimming the pivot pin, I insert me slackener between the blade and the liner. A slackener is a tool made of thin metal (mine is .01" stainless steel) that you use to make sure you do not tighten down the pivot pin too much. This tool is CRUCIAL to achieving smooth action.
At this point, I peened the spring pins down nice and tight. I thought I took a pic, but cant find it... You get the idea though.
Now I trim the pivot pin and file it down to size for peening:
You have to trim it with the slackener already in place, or you will not have enough pin left when you try to insert the slackener.
Now I peen and file the pivot pin:
Nice and clean after some sanding:
Aaaand this is where I leave you hanging... Any further would ruin the surprise for Justin!
The rest of the process is finishing work. From here I file and sand the scales and bolsters to matching dimensions, and then add the CA finish. Cyanoacrylate is the main ingredient in super glue, but I went and got a CA finish kit after realizing how much of a pain your standard super glue is to use as a finish. Basically what I do is coat the composite with thin CA to fill and gaps and even out the surface. Then I add medium viscosity CA to give it a nice thick protective later, and add bulk for sanding. I then sand the entire knife in steps up to 1500 grit, and polish it on my buffing wheel. The transformation from before and after CA finish is pretty astonishing, but I will let Justin show you guys the final product.
**I always tape up the blade with some blue painters tape, but I got caught up in the pics and I completely forgot to do this. This is an important step so you do not cut yourself or scratch up the blade with a file!! This is actually the first step in my process, even before disassembly, that way the blade stays pristine from the start. Luckily I did not cut myself or scratch the blade at all up to this point, but you better believe the blade is taped up now! Wow, I can't believe I forgot that one...
Whew, that was a lot of typing...
Thanks for reading everyone! If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me and I will do my best to answer you. I am by no means a professional, so if anyone sees a flaw in my process, feel free to comment with a suggestion!
Last edited:
I can't wait to get this in hand. I'm going to put it to work.
I really thank you for this opportunity and really appreciate you taking the time to post step by step pics.
I've been trying to get the nerve up to rehandle a few old folders I have and I am feeling a bit more confident now. Definitely need to pick up a harbor freight belt sander.
I really thank you for this opportunity and really appreciate you taking the time to post step by step pics.
I've been trying to get the nerve up to rehandle a few old folders I have and I am feeling a bit more confident now. Definitely need to pick up a harbor freight belt sander.
- Joined
- Sep 13, 2013
- Messages
- 421
Evan, it's really neat for someone who has never done any of that before to watch it all take shape. And it definitely gives me a good comprehensive idea of what all I would need if I ever decide to try my own hand at something similar.
Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for sharing.
- Joined
- Feb 10, 2014
- Messages
- 1,119
Honestly? Since I joined the forum... Besides friends and family, you guys and gals are the only people to see my work, and I don't plan on taking it anywhere else.
- Joined
- Feb 10, 2014
- Messages
- 1,119
Thank you very much! That is definitely in the plans...
- Joined
- Feb 10, 2014
- Messages
- 1,119
Thank you!
You can find pin stock at some Ace Hardware stores, but I get most of my materials online from Alphaknifesupply.com. They have great pricing and even better customer service.
Nice, Evan! Justin's a lucky guy. Thanks for sharing the work in progress pics.
Question about the copper in the composites. I've had several custom tacticals with LSCF material and the copper wire tended to poke up out of the scales at times.... Have you noticed that at all with your composites?
I really dig the copper loop mesh layered between alternating creme and brown burlap!!! Keep up the great work
Question about the copper in the composites. I've had several custom tacticals with LSCF material and the copper wire tended to poke up out of the scales at times.... Have you noticed that at all with your composites?
I really dig the copper loop mesh layered between alternating creme and brown burlap!!! Keep up the great work
- Joined
- Feb 10, 2014
- Messages
- 1,119
Nice, Evan! Justin's a lucky guy. Thanks for sharing the work in progress pics.
Question about the copper in the composites. I've had several custom tacticals with LSCF material and the copper wire tended to poke up out of the scales at times.... Have you noticed that at all with your composites?
I really dig the copper loop mesh layered between alternating creme and brown burlap!!! Keep up the great work
Thanks Sue! The copper will definitely poke out if the composite has not been sealed. I seal all of my composite scales with a CA finish and they come out glossy smooth.