RyanW SPK Passaround WIP

[jwalk84]

Great thread Ryan, thanks for the information! Looking forward to the rest of it.

 

[RyanW]

Good to have you Matt (I sent a customer you way from Adelaide), Gody, and Paul

Codger, I get a bit excited and tend to lose sleep!

Cleaned out the PM Box and got your message Mike.

 

[Codger_64]

...

Codger, I get a bit excited and tend to lose sleep! ...

Being excited about creative work is a good thing!

 

[RyanW]

Sooo I always get excited at Clay time and this was no exception. After I got the clay just right I realized I forgot to do the jimping on the spine. More on that Later!

17. Side "A" showing Satanite Clay Coat... You will notice the small marks on the cutting edge. I put the clay on the other side first then mark the back side where the fingers come down. This way I have reference marks as to where to put the fingers.

18. Side "B" of Clay Coat I allow the clay to air dry so I can touch it without problems. Then I put in the oven at 250F for 1hr. to harden a bit more.

INFO: Quench Process
A year ago I switched over from a propane forge to an Evenheat Oven. I have been working very hard to get the process right that came with the change. I have learned a ton and feel like I have what works for me on 1095. It creates a nice Hamon and a great cutting edge.

Oven is set at 1475F (My oven reads a little hotter than it actually is) for 40 Minutes. It takes approximately 25 Minutes to reach temp.
The following times are what show on the Oven "CLOCK"
40 Min - I allow the oven to stabilize for 10 minutes
30 Min - I place the blade in the oven Cutting edge up, Mike Q. helped me work out an issue I was having with the edge down, thanks MIKE!
35 Min - I quickly check with a magnet to see if the blade edge has reached Critical. on smaller knives it usually has become non-magnetic at this point. If it is non-mag. I start my 6-8 minute soak time
28 Min - Quickly check for color and flashing motion in the steel (Darkened Room) Close the door
26 Min - Quench in Parks 50 and allow to cool to room Temp.

19. This is what it looks like right out of the quenchant. Pretty Damn ugly and Prudy

20. I then scrape off the clay and clean off the oil and looking even better now, I check for Straightness and she is dead Straight!

21. To the Grinder 120 Grit Blaze to get a glimpse of that Hamon... moving in the light it is easy to see what you have! We got Lucky...

22. Blade Just out of temper. I make sure to bring the oven up to temp and let stabilize before placing the blade in. My first 1095 temper is at 425F for 1 Hr. let oven cool then Temper again at 450F for an hour and let cool. I usually do this over night to kill time while I sleep. This should put me in the 60 - 61 HRC range. Great for this style of knife. It is a slicer not a chopper. Fresh out of the temper we get all kinds of colors, a lot of this color is caused by oil and stuff on the steel... Dont freak out if you get too much blue in there, I trust my Oven temp and check it frequently.

23. Luckily the spine was still soft enough to do the jimping I forgot to do before HT... I saw BenT do the two large notches around the fine (30TPI) jumping and liked the Idea since this will most likely be covered in Blood. I have a 20 TPI file on order and think it will create functional teeth

24. In my research and viewing some of the different grips used with this knife i decided to put some jimping on the Spine near the tip. UNFORTUNATELY this
was not soft steel so I did an after thought hack job with a Dremel and diamond Bit. Ugly I know but will give the users an idea if they like this feature or not.

Codger_64 gave me permission to show some of the different grips he sent me to get an idea of the versatility of this design. I will put a few up as they pertain to design features. These would seem to utilize the front Jimping and "Safe Choil", I am not sure if Codger is one that wants the jimping near the tip but I can see how they might help in these grips.

 

[Lorien]

I can attest to the quality of Ryan's heat treating of 1095. Been using the #*%@ outta the HUK!
Good thread my man- good looking knife too.

 

[RyanW]

Thanks Lorien! Glad the Lorien HUK is getting use. I especially liked the video you did, but then you followed with a CAS knife. haha!

I have been busy and finally got to sit and update the photos that is why they are coming so fast. The blade is finished up and ready for a handle. I hope to get some time tomorrow to get that going.

25. Here the blade is Slowly ground down to final thickness, Making sure to keep it cool avoiding work tempering the Edge. I grind with bare hands and dip in water with every pass.

26. Here is the Machine finish in Hand to help with Scale / Size estimation. I finish grind with Gator Belts.

27. This shows the tapered tang and unsharpened edge, The edge gradually tapers to the tip to accommodate the "Safe Choil"

28. I keep referring to the "Safe Choil" it is the portion (Approx 1") of the cutting edge left dull so that one can put their finger on the cutting edge without getting cut. The original Sharpfinger has it (I don't remember what they call it). Based on Codger's experience it is an essential element, I Believe him. The mark shows where the transition from Dull to Sharp will happen.

29. This is the Boring time consuming portion of the process - Hand Sanding. I start with 320 Grit and go through about a sheet of sand paper on a blade this size. then move to 600 Grit, I use a bit less of the 600. once I have it Clean I move on to Etching the Makers Mark.

30. Etching Process (I have the Personalizer):

• I wash the entire blade with Hot water and dish soap then dry with paper towel.
• Wipe area with Acetone.
• I Then Elec. tape exactly where I want the stencil
• Attach Negative alligator clip to Tang
• I place the felt on the positive "Etch Block" drizzling a small amount of solution on the pad. Rubbing with finger over Felt then dabing excess off with a paper towel.

• With the Etcher set to "Etch" I do the following

45 Seconds on
15 Seconds off
45 Seconds on
15 Seconds off

• Then switch the Etcher to "Mark"

5 Seconds on
5 Seconds off
4 Seconds on
4 Seconds off
... and so on down to 1

• I remove the stencil and spray with Windex (With Amonia) to neutralize the Solution and dry off with a Paper towel
• I then start hand sanding to sharpen up the mark. Using Windex as a wet agent.

31. I had this Mark laying around from my kitchen Knives... Thought It would look cool under that Thumb jumping. I like it

32. My standard mark

My Hamon Etch Process:
I am doing what I call a "Dirty Hamon" on this knife. Going for High Contrast and less ashi activity, IMO the time involved shooting (and failing) for a "Wheeler" (and Others) Hamon is not worth it on this knife because it is going to see heavy use and get bloody. Most likely the hamon will fade into the Patina over time.


33. Here you see my Nasty Ferric Chloride Tank, with Rubber gloves and Makeup pads.

• After the Makers Mark I hand sand it back to a Clean 600 Grit finish.
• Wash the blade in HOT water and Dish soap, then run out to the shop and start.
• I do a quick Dip in the FC and rub the fluid all over both sides of the blade with a makeup pad to assure I get a clean even etch
• I place the blade back in the solution stirring it around for 5 - 10 Seconds. pull it out and rub both sides again removing the oxides.
• Repeat a few times (5 - 10 Seconds Each time)
• Here is where I am a bit different than others:
• I then do one quick dip and rub one side very hard with the now saturated makeup pad. like I am trying to remove a layer of steel.
• Dip and do the other side....
• Repeat until you have a look you like, Usually I do this (Both sides) 5 times.
• I then spray the Blade with Pure Amonia to neutralize FC and wipe dry with paper towel.

34. This is what the blade looks like after cleaned up with ammonia.

I then (After taking a photo) wash off the blade with water from the outside hose and dry with towel. Wife gets angry when the kitchen sink rusts from Etchant Solution!! Then use Heavy oil to coat entire blade, holes and all to prevent rust from the Ferric Chloride.

35. This is what the blade looks like after the oil is applied

36. I then leave the oil on the blade and polish the blade with Flitz.


Here are the finished blades ready for Handle work!

 

[Codger_64]

For anyone wondering what the heck I use such odd grips for, I use the fine tip under close control to work around hip balls and sockets, cutting the ligiments and cartlidge without prying and breaking the tip. Some folks use a saw and cut the bone, but I hate bone dust in my meat, so I take deer apart at the joints... hips, knees etc., by cutting just the connective tissue. I use the tip like a scalpel.

 

[GTH11]

Looking great Ryan, wicked hamon and mark on that thorn!
Bravo:thumbup:
Greg

 

[Mack]

This is a really scary thought for me. You may just be making the perfect knife.

 

[BenR.T.]

This is shaping up to be my favorite one of this style from you!
I can't take credit for that style thumb groove, I think I copied it from John Doyle.
I like the grooves further up on the blade also, I wouldn't have thought of that!

 

[JParanee]

Really looks great

 

[Bigfattyt]

Really glad I clicked on this thread! Even though I need to sleep!

 

[Mike Davis]

Very nice Ryan, and a very concise WIP. Two thumbs up brother!!! Will be watching my friend.

 

[338375]

This is a really scary thought for me. You may just be making the perfect knife.

+1... It is looking really great. I can't believe how quickly this knife is taking shape.

I really like the jimping towards the tip. I always choke up on my knives, when working on an animal. It gives me better control and feel, and having the jimping is comforting. Somewhere around here, I have an old Western fixed blade knife that I did the same thing to, a few years back.
I used a dremel and a small cut off wheel. It worked great.
It always surprised me that very few hunting knives have any jimping towards the tip .

 

[RyanW]

Thanks everyone for the comments and following this.

Sorry if there is too much "How To Info" I just want those that will be using this knife in the Passaround to know what they have in their hands. I have left some info out, if you feel you need more specifics on any part of the process please feel free to ask. No secrets here.

This is a really scary thought for me. You may just be making the perfect knife.

Lets not get out of control Mack! haha. It has been great having feedback from those that know.

+1... It is looking really great. I can't believe how quickly this knife is taking shape.

I really like the jimping towards the tip. I always choke up on my knives, when working on an animal. It gives me better control and feel, and having the jimping is comforting. Somewhere around here, I have an old Western fixed blade knife that I did the same thing to, a few years back.
I used a dremel and a small cut off wheel. It worked great.
It always surprised me that very few hunting knives have any jimping towards the tip .

It may have been one of your past posts that sold me on the tip jimping.

Ryan

 

[Shaw Blades]

Fantastic WIP. Thanks for taking your time to do this.

 

[AVigil]

Your thread is far more helpful then you know Ryan.

Thank you very much

 

[RyanW]

Great thread Ryan, thanks for the information! Looking forward to the rest of it.

My Pleasure Justin, Shaw and AVigil!

We have a long one, so bear with me!

37. I am a very visual and hands on person. I always trace the finished tang onto paper, mark the pins and pull my materials together. Looks like African Blackwood and Curly Mahogany is calling!

38. I then trace the tang onto the material and get my angles right, then cut the materials on a Precise chop saw. I only have to cut each piece once then flip one half so the angles are right

39. Here I have all the pieces together, including the liner and spacers. rough sand all the sides that are going to be epoxied together and wipe down with acetone. You will notice the worm hole in the Mahogany, I thought I could work around it... Nope. Luckily I had another small piece that I used instead.

40. This is where I glue up the scales with two part epoxy. It takes a bit of work to get everything straight, it is critical to get all angles and edges together here. I use extra epoxy to make sure all voids are filled. I do this all on a thick piece of G10 wrapped in Saran Wrap to make sure the liners are dead flat.

41. This is what it looks like after the epoxy has cured. I then cut the individual scales out and cut off the scrap.

42. I then stack the scales liner to liner and overlay the blade EXACTLY where I want it on the scales.

43. I make sure to have the top and bottom spacer lined up before I clamp it all up.

44. I then clamp it Square in my drill press vise and drill through the front 1/8" hole and the back 1/4" hole. these will be my alignment holes so I can do the rest of the work through the liner side.

45. I then line the blanks up on the liner side, and Clamp it up in place

46. Put the scale back square in the vise and drill the rest of the Pin Holes

47. While I have it clamped in place I use a White Out pen to trace around the Tang.

48. I then put the scales back in the Vise (Squared Up) and drill out the holes with the #F and #30 bits

49. I then make small holes in the liner, making sure to penetrate the liner so that the AcraGlas Epoxy grabs the wood scales for extra strength. Don't go too deep though.

50. I then cut out the excess material on the Band Saw

51. I then get my assembly pins and see where I want to cut the Face of the Bolsters

52. I then cut and sand to final the face of the bolsters. I will not be able to access this after it is attached to the blade.

53. I slide in the assembly pins and check the face of the bolster to make sure I have it where I want it.

54. I then roughen up all the surfaces that will be glued

55. Cut my Pin Stock to size. I am using 1/8" Nickel, 1/4" Mosaic's and Stainless Tubing. roughen up the pin stock and wipe everything down with Acetone.

56. I prefer Acra-Glas as an Epoxy... Mix it up 4:1

57. I then spread epoxy on one scale making sure to fill all the little holes, Insert Pins in the scale then slide the blade over the pins. Epoxy the other scale filling the holes and slide it in to place over the pins.

58. I use strips of paper towel between the clamps to avoid permanently attaching the clamp to my pretty wood.

59. I then take a small towel covered in Acetone and wipe the Blade and Bolster face. Making sure there is no epoxy in the area. I then take some 3 in 1 oil and coat the entire blade and bolster face to help clean it up.

24 Hr Cure time started at Noon... Time to catch up on my day Job!

 

[daizee]

Ryan, this is awesome!
I'm still stumped on the geometry of hidden tang pins, however.
What part of your process ensures that the pin holes in the scales are straight once they are flat against opposite sides of a tapered tang?

 

[RyanW]

Ryan, this is awesome!
I'm still stumped on the geometry of hidden tang pins, however.
What part of your process ensures that the pin holes in the scales are straight once they are flat against opposite sides of a tapered tang?

Thanks Daizee,
I am very simple... Simple is as simple does.

Thanks for the question.
If you look at photo #2 where I drill the pin holes through the tang, I leave the steel square (not cut to shape yet) so that I can ensure the bar is dead level with the tops of the Vise teeth/jaw. Because I know my Drill press table is square with my Chuck I can stay consistent. Some people have commented in the past that I do this strange by drilling the pin holes before profiling or tapering the tang. Doing it this way removes any issues that come up when the holes are drilled later.

Then if you look at photos 46 and 48 I make sure the handle Liners are square with the top of the vice, Same holds true my Drill press table is square so the holes should be the same angle as the hole going through the steel. Using the F and #30 bits helps make up for any deviance if there is any.

Hope this helps explain the method to my madness.
Ryan