Putting a knife together!

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Hi all. This tutorial came out from blah, blah-blah, blah-blah. Like you care.:D Anyway, the knife came as a kit, including milled scales, chicago screws, and a sheath. If you are building your own, the process would be similiar. If you get your own wood, there will be more work involved in shaping the scales. That is not a bad thing, just takes more time, and also helps to have more tools for that. You could also be using pinstock for pins, rather than screws.

I realize that there are many ways to make a knife. Many are rather straightforward. I think many though, just need to realize what exactly they need in order to make their first knife. It is not that hard, but is easier to realize that if there are pictures.:)So hopefully this can help somebody get over the hump.

There are a range of blades available, and a vast array of handle materials. Hopefully you see that the most important thing is just to get started.:thumbup:

All the thumbnailed pics can be clicked for the full size image. I will make them larger if someone can tell me how.:D
 
First off, here is what you will need.





Epoxy, something to mix it on, and something to mix it with. You can see the buffing wheel. You will only need this if you are using stabilized wood scales. This was part of a cheap set I got at Home Depot. I think it cost 10 bucks or so. I tried to use it in a cordless drill, just for fun, but it did not work that well. While it will buff, you will not get the hard shine you will from chucking it up in a drill press. You have been warned. Since I am using the Chicago screws, I have the 2 straight slot screwdrivers. The file is for cutting the heads down once they are set. It actually works well, but is nowhere near as easy as using a belt sander.:D The potential for messing up is much less with the file.

You will need solvent to clean your blade, and to clean up the epoxy mess. It needs to leave no residue, so be careful what you use. Many use acetone. I would have, but I had the alcohol. It worked fine for me, but I am not reccomending it. You will need a couple of clamps. Use what you have. I use them for holding scales together, and for holding the knife down while I am working on it. They also let you clamp the scales to the handle when you epoxy, especially if you are using pins. You can see the sandpaper sitting there. What you need depends on what you are working with. I started with 220 for sanding the scales down. I would suggest you use something slightly finer, based on my experience.:D If I did this one over again, I would go 320, 600, and an optional 1500 just 'cause. Lastly, you will need your blade.



While I am using a kit this time, there are many ways to go. Order a blade only, like an EnZo or Fallkniven, or recycle an old one. There are also many blades available from Ragnar's and the knife supply houses. You can decide what to use for handle material. I have used hardwood bought at Home Depot, hardwood scraps from cabinet work, and ordered dyed, stabilized wood. Use what ever you like. In this particular kit, the scales are milled fairly close to the finished size. This basically saves you a couple hours with a knife and a dremel, or 30 minutes or so with a belt sander. It's your call.

The first thing you want to do, after you have scales in the general size of the knife, is to do all the finish work on the front of them. You won't be able to touch them once they are glued on, so now is the time. Tape them together and cut them to shape in the front. Then go through your grits and polish them. The way they look now is they way the will look on the knife.



I sanded these ones, and buffed them with the cordless drill. You can see that they are the same shape, but not that highly finished. After this picture, I chucked the buffing wheel on the drill press and did it right. (Never mind, I can't find that picture.)

Anyway, now you are going to want to clean the blade well so the epoxy will stick.



Use a solvent that leaves no residue. While there is a picture showing denatured alcohol, I am not neccessarily recommending that. It worked fine for me, but I don't want to have problems if it doesn't for you. Many use acetone. Once clean, don't touch that portion of the knife with your fingers. It is also nice to have something clean to put it down on.

 
Now use your "lab grade epoxy mixing tool" and mix your epoxy on your "lab grade epoxy palette". I am using a clear 2 ton epoxy that is a slow set. There are better epoxies out there, but this is what I have available. Some say the slow set is clearer than the 5 minute stuff, if I remember right. Just put a thin layer on the inside of both scales.



If you were using pins, and wanted them flush, you would be putting them in right now, just like we are putting the screws in. The only difference is, you would need more clamps. (If you wanted the pins peened, you would put them in as one of the very last steps.) In this case, I put the screws in, and cranked them down. For good measure, I put a clamp on the center as well, just to be sure I had no gaps. You want the scales tight, but don't want to squeeze ALL the epoxy out.



As you can see, even with a thin layer of epoxy, some still squeezes out. If you are not useing a belt sander, it is easier to clean up now while it is soft. You will definitely have to in the front, where the finish work is all done.



You can use toothpicks, papertowels, or popsicle sticks cut off at an angle to help you clean up. I also clean up around the handle, as it seems like the epoxy just makes the sanding difficult. You may have more epoxy ooze out after a while, so be sure to check up on it. I often let mine dry in the clamps overnight. Sometimes, you just want to go to work on it as soon as you can. If you are using pins, I would definitely give it time to cure well before you remove the clamps.

Now comes the fun part. Start taking your handle slabs down until they match the metal. Use a piece of wood or metal to back your sandpaper, and you will get nicer looking lines.



To remove a lot of wood, you will need a coarser paper, but those scratches will be more difficult to get out. In my case, I started with 220. That left scratches that I had to work at to get out. For the small amount to be removed on these scales though, I should have used 320 to save myself some trouble. For getting into tight areas, you can wrap the sandpaper around a piece of pipe or dowel to make it easier. The pipe will show up in a later pic. Just try to work the scales down to the tang. If you are not hitting the tang with the sandpaper, the scales are still not fitted. At the same time, try not to spend too long in one place, as at is tough to remove a notch in the metal tang. Heavy scratches are no fun getting out either.

Once the scales are about the size of the tang, it is time to file the screws.



Like mentioned earlier, the file works well, but is slower than a belt sander. One little oops! with the sander though, could mess up a lot of hard work. If you had pinned this, you could take the pins flush at this point.
 
So now the pins/screws are in and flush, and the scales are fit to the tang.



This is where you will start making the handle the shape you need to fit your hand. To round off hard edges, you can cut an inch wide strip of sandpaper, and fold it in half to make it more durable. Start buffing the handle like you are polishing shoes. Every few minutes, pick up the knife and hold it. Figure out what part of the handle does not belong, and get rid of it. This is a touchy-feely process. Make the knife fit you. A dremel with a sanding drum can come in handy too.

Once you have the shape where you want it, it is time to go to finer grits on your paper. This is the time to get rid of all the scratches you put in the tang shaping the scales. If you wanted pins with the heads peened, now is when I would put them in with epoxy, and cut them to length. Let the epoxy cure, and peen the heads.



The time you spend on any of this will contribute greatly to your pride in the knife. You don't have to rush it. Work your way through the sandpaper grits. If you are working with stabilized wood, it will not look that good when you are working with the lower sanding grits. Just take your time, and take it down to a nice 600g finish. It will polish up later.



This is a pic of the knife at 600g. You can see it is a nice shape, but not that shiny. If you are working with plain woods, you would start the finishing process now. Since this is stabilized, I buffed it with some 1500g because I had it. I did notice an increase in the shine when I did so. If you don't have the buffing wheel, I would try to give the 1500g a go. It won't be as shiny, but it will come out nicer than the 600. You may even try a step in the 1000g range if you can find it.

So, chuck the buffing wheel in the drill press, load it with the fine white compound, and go to town. Wipe any residue off, and do it again. I also taped the blade up before doing so. This kept me from buffing the sides of the blade, as well as helped protect my digits.
 
Once you have done that, you need a sheath. If you bought a kit that came with one, that part is done. You may have an old one laying around that will fit your new knife, or could buy one from a sheath maker. You can also build your own, which is quite fun, but the subject of some other tutorial.

Other than that, enjoy your handywork.








Thanks everyone for reading. The unevenness on the blade in the pic right here is because of my grubby hands. I will have to take a picture of a clean knife later.

Edit: Stingray4540 explained how to make the pictures larger, but it is going to take a while, so it has not happened yet. We'll see.
 
Sorry. Knife is available from www.brisa.fi If you register at the site, you will see the prices without the VAT tax, provided you don't live in the area. Generally, the kits run 45-57 Euros, and shipping to N. America is about 15 Euros. While it changes, that makes them 70-90 USD, depending on steel (O1 or D2) and handle material, + shipping, which right now is about $23.

Also available from A Cut Above Knifemaking Supplies on ebay, for 90-110USD + $8 shipping.

Guess that means the bottom line is about the same. Brisas seems to have more knives available though.

You can also get them as blade only or as a completed knife, as well as a couple other models in the line, such as the Elver and Camper.
 
Another note, the small voids left in your burl scales can be filled with CA (superglue)

if you want them to be seen just leave the clear glue and sand/buff smooth

or, to blend them in mix with superfine sanding dust and then sand/buff
 
Bump for anyone who missed this the first time around. Questions/comments welcome.
 
good job , both the knife and the how-to :)

Thanks for going to the effort
 
Very nice! I've been impressed with the Enzo kits at Brisa, but I'm reluctant to shop overseas (credit card). I'm guessing you had no problems and would recommend it?
 
StretchNM,

I understand your caution about shopping over sea's with a Credit Card, so I'll tell ya what I did. Just for internet shopping and any oversea's purchases, I went to Wal-Mart and got one of their WalMart Visa Debit cards. You pre load it with whatever amount of money you need to make the purchase then order away.
If it does fall into bad hands then they can only get so much. Then ya just report it stolen , it gets cancelled and then ya get another.
There is a small charge of course for loading it..etc But hey, Id rather pay the $3 bucks service charge than have someone across the ocean get my actual Credit or Debit card info.

Just thought I'd share a tip ;)
 
Could you show the step where you drill the holes for the pins/screws?
That is the part I am most confused about

This is a cool tutorial
Thanks for sharing :thumbup:

Also
What about drilling "dimples" in the glue side of the scales?
Is that necessary/recommended??
 
Beroya said:
StretchNM,

I understand your caution about shopping over sea's with a Credit Card, so I'll tell ya what I did. Just for internet shopping and any oversea's purchases, I went to Wal-Mart and got one of their WalMart Visa Debit cards. You pre load it with whatever amount of money you need to make the purchase then order away.
If it does fall into bad hands then they can only get so much. Then ya just report it stolen , it gets cancelled and then ya get another.
There is a small charge of course for loading it..etc But hey, Id rather pay the $3 bucks service charge than have someone across the ocean get my actual Credit or Debit card info.

Just thought I'd share a tip ;)
Click to expand...

Excellent idea! Thanks for the tip :thumbup:

One other thing I think I'll do before gluing on the scales, is to use a file or dremel to cut some cross-hatching on the blade to help the epoxy grab. Then clean i t with acetone before gluing. That is, if I build one of these type of slab-handled knives.
 
Cross hatching the tang and dimples on the scales are generally considered good for giving the epoxy something to grab. I would do this if I was using pins that relied on epoxy to hold the scales, or no pins at all. The screws I used though are a very strong mechanical bond to hold the scales on, so in this case I consider the epoxy a sealer rather than a glue.

In this particular kit, the proper holes are drilled for the screws, so there is no picture of drilling them. If I was using blank scales, I would epoxy one side on, let it cure, then drill it, using the tang as a guide. Then, epoxy the other side on, let it cure, and drill all the way through. This works well if your scales are nice and flat, and you drill before you start contouring, so the tang sits flat on the drill press.

Stretch, I have had problems w/ card fraud after ordering in the US. I don't know how much difference it makes going overseas. I don't know how true it is, but the lady at Visa said your card is safer in an online transaction than one face-to-face.
 
If I was using blank scales, I would epoxy one side on, let it cure, then drill it, using the tang as a guide. Then, epoxy the other side on, let it cure, and drill all the way through. This works well if your scales are nice and flat, and you drill before you start contouring, so the tang sits flat on the drill press.
Click to expand...
Thanks
That was the info I was looking for:thumbup:
Some of the books I have don't really clearly show this step
 
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