Shop Talk Q1 / 2024 - Build Challenge - Bowie Knife

[Joseph Bandeko]

Not sure I'll finish on time, but I got this started yesterday. 1095 under 410SS.
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Where'd you get the San Mai? Or did you make it?

 

[Richard338]

Where'd you get the San Mai? Or did you make it?

No, I'm still just doing stock removal. Someone was kind enough to send me a piece.

 

[Forrest Taylor]

That's beautiful, great work!

May I suggest something that was suggested to me by @TK Steingass when I made a frame handle. Do a couple of tabs on the frame which go into the guard. These help a lot on proper alignment to the blade.
However, since you have an integral flat spacer, it might not be necessary for the tabs.

PS: Since I'm not sure whether my explanation makes any sense, I'm attaching a picture from a @Karl B. Andersen knife. The little tabs on the frame are clearly visible here.
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Again, really great work so far, can't wait to see the rest of the build!

That's a good idea. Will have to do that on the next one.

 

[pafka]

The frame handle has been kicking my butt, however the worst is over I think.
I made holes for the alignment pins in the frame

and the holes go all the way through - because I want them to also hold this decorative stainless spacer. The scales also accept these pins.

The fit looks ok so far

Sorry for the extra crappy pictures today - don't know what is going on.

Now I need to just shape the handle, which should be fairly straightforward. Then shape the guard, polish the blade, and that's pretty much it. I am not sure whether to use peened pins to hold everything together, or whether I should use threaded sleeves and make it a take-down construction. I will sleep on it and see.

 

[Tony Mont]

Coming along nicely!

I think the peened pins would look better on this piece.

 

[pafka]

Yes, I also think they would look better (and more true to the original). However I did a dry assembly today with small stainless torx screws (the head is 3.5 mm in diamater) and it looked better than I thought it would. But I don't have to make that decision for a while so I'll keep pondering and we'll see.

 

[Forrest Taylor]

Finally got the blade back from heat treating. That took too long. I gotta buy an oven.

 

[Way-Barney]

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Finally got the blade back from heat treating. That took too long. I gotta buy an oven.

That's Going to be a beauty, love that "well thought out" design.

 

[Forrest Taylor]

Thanks.
Though it seems every knife I make starts out as an idea and then morphs as I go along and ends up looking different.

 

[Way-Barney]

First attempt at some buttoning on the guard, I am going to attempt some weird "D" type handle. I thought it best to see what it looks like before a final fit up.

 

[Way-Barney]

It is starting to look a bit like a pirate sword.
Template for "D" guard made.

 

[pafka]

I did some layout on the guard, then tried to follow that - and I made a huge mess that is now scrap.
So I made a new guard blank, then I lasered the guard outline onto it, and that made it much easier to stick to the lines.

To get into the tight corners I looked into this stash of tools that I purchased for a song some time ago, from the son of an old-school engraver who passed away.
It's full of swiss made gravers, and also some rifler files. That's the guy's name engraved in the lid of box (serves as a sharpening stone holder).

Now the guard needs polishing.

 

[navman]

Not part of the challenge, but this thread inspired me to do some bowies. CPM 4V, profiled today.

 

[pafka]

I need to call this thing done, because I am spending too much time on it. As expected the pins were a major problem - I opted for spun heads, practiced a little, but in the end the result is somewhat subpar. Overall the fit&finish is not where I would like it to be, I will call this one "more rustic" than usual. But still, it was a fun build and I learned a lot. The frame handle is pretty cool.

https://imgur.com/ceKuHsZ

 

[Richard338]

I still need to fuss with the polish and etch and I'm planning a clamshell guard so who knows when this will be done.

 

[Tony Mont]

pafka that's a really good result, I really like the way everything turned out, great job!

 

[pafka]

Thanks, Tony! I have since decided I will redo the handle scales, they really are not that great (esp. the fit). But that will be in the future (TM).

 

[Pinoy Knife]

Ok guys, we are past the half of Q1, time to put workpants on and make some bowies.

This week so far I managed to fit a guard blank. It's stainless, it was a pain to machine.
I mill the slot with heavy reliance on DRO.
Here you can see how I proceed - after drilling out most of the material, I make a pass with a given offset from the centerline (left column) and then I note the resulting slot width (right column - measured with gage blocks).
This way I can get a feel for how much material I will remove in a pass, including tool deflection and all that.

I was aiming at 6.03 mm, ended up at 6.01 - so about 1 thou under. I thought I will be able to hammer it home, but nope - so I made some spring passes and in the end the fit is ok (I may tweak it more later).

Then it's time for the frame. I had this idea about doing the frame and a spacer behind the guard from a single piece of material. I do not advocate this approach, I think it's not an efficient use of material. But I had a chunk of scrap brass that was the perfect size so I went for it. This is the basic layout.

First I wanted to mill the "mouth" of the slot into which the tang will fit. But to do that I thought I will first make a space behind this "mouth" so that chips can evacuate easily.

Then stand the blank up, and do the usual dance of milling a slot - predrill to remove the bulk of the material, then make a milling pass around the centerline, check width, repeat.

After that I laid the blank back down, and milled away one side. The blank is then flipped, referencing the front using a stop block you can see at the left side of the milling vise. That way I can mill to the same number in the X axis and I know both sides will be milled to the same point. For depth I also use DRO - that is the MVP of all this.

And here we are after all the milling

Now to remove the inside - I used 10 mm drill to get rid of most of the material.

And then file, check fit, file, check fit, rinse and repeat.

Getting closer

Almost there - removing material where it's in the way (as best as I can tell)

Once a good fit was achieved I roughly ground the outside to match the handle profile.

It's starting to look like something.
Now I am thinking the guard may be too thick, and I may shave a milimeter or two in thickness. But let me know what you think.

so why not mill out the tang shape ??? instead of perforating it and filing it in ??? just curious
ive hand milled lots of weird shapes....seldom need to do much clean up afterwards

 

[pafka]

so why not mill out the tang shape ??? instead of perforating it and filing it in ??? just curious
ive hand milled lots of weird shapes....seldom need to do much clean up afterwards

that was certainly an option, but I do not have that much experience with "etch-a-sketching" on a mill, I usually do only one axis at a time. So the reason you are asking for is lack of skill and experience I guess

 

[Richard338]

Thanks, Tony! I have since decided I will redo the handle scales, they really are not that great (esp. the fit). But that will be in the future (TM).

The flaws don't jump out at me, but you clearly nailed the guard fit, so I can understand trying to get the handle as nice as possible.