Show & Tell (Homemade Tools)

O

Omega Leather Works

Joined
Jun 13, 2007
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So quint posted an excellent WIP as he forges a customers knife. Seeing some of his homemade tools and how they are used is quite cool.

Knifemakers tend to be problem solvers in that often times a tool must be made in order to address a problem in the shop, or maybe it just makes life a little easier.

I'd like to see your homemade solutions. Doesn't matter how small (or big). I'm talking about jigs or guides, forges, post anvils... Anything that you made that helps you make more, or better knives.

Don't not post because you think everyone has seen a device (or whatever). My goal is to help me ( :D ), but whatever it is, it very well may help someone else.

We say that knifemakers are a open and sharing lot. Prove it! :)
 
Ooh, I love this thread. At this point, I've made more tools than knives. These are a few that I've posted in the past.


I've made over 70 of these forges last year:PHOTO_20131027_150930.jpg
Here's my grinder!SANY0010.JPG
12-ton shop press used to make stainless san-mai12tpress.jpg
About 70 etchers built SANY0043.jpg
My first grinder.Grinder.jpg

I'll take some more pics and post later.
 
what steel would I want to use to make hot cut chisels? cold cut? hardy-hole tools? hammers? punches?

also to forge weld do I just heat stuff up as hot as I can, get the scale off with a wire brush, add a bit of flux (20 mule team borax), and hammer it together? I bet it's not really that easy.

check this epic project out:

[video=youtube;os0i63ZuaE4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=os0i63ZuaE4[/video]

[video=youtube;7rBlyJEOUrQ]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rBlyJEOUrQ[/video]
 
Zaph, is that a 4x36?? Too cool!

Btw, got the forge running (finally!) and I don't have anything to compare to, but MAN does that Atlas burner rock. :thumbup:
 
I don't have anything as exciting as that :( I do have a piece of 1x2 wood with a slot cut into one end, big enough to accomodate a narrow tang. I use it to apply even pressure when press-fitting guards. Just vise the blade securely, slip the guard and the board over the tang, thump-thump-thump with a rubber mallet.

Speaking of vises, I line the jaws of mine with scrap leather to prevent scratching the workpiece. Use whatever glue/epoxy you have handy to apply the leather and trim it flush. When it gets nasty and beat up, I scrape/cut it off and replace it. Some folks use thin soft wood for the same purpose.
 
James, I was going to line mine with uhmw. I like that stuff a great deal, but it is self lubricating. May not be the best choice. If it doesn't work out I've got a ton of leather and rawhide I can try. Thanks for the tip.
 
I have leather padded vise jaws as well but mine are magnetic. I ordered those magnetic aluminum vise jaws with rubber inserts but when you clamped something in them the rubber would squeeze and move tearing itself loose from the jaws. Awful. So I replaced the rubber liners with 9 oz veg tanned leather. Liked 'em so much I made three sets. They grip so well and they stay on the jaws without any movement. My guard setter is made from PVC pipe. Heat up one end with a heat gun or over the stove until it gets soft enough then clamp the end in a vise. Don't clamp it all the way, leave the hole wide enough to accommodate your blade tang. I made them in two sizes. One is to drive the guard on and the other is to remove it. The larger diameter pipe is wide enough to fit the blade. Drop the blade in until the guard rests on the squashed end of the larger pipe then a bop on the end of the tang will pop the guard back off.
 
I don't have any cool/neat/helpful/weird gizmos, gadgets, jigs, fixtures, etc.

And I NEVER modify any of my tools either....



:p :D

This thread needs more pics guys!!! :)


forgot to add*** That Chuck E kid is kind'a crazy/goofy... I get a kick out of his stuff though. :)
 
chemistguy said:
what steel would I want to use to make hot cut chisels? cold cut? hardy-hole tools? hammers? punches?


also to forge weld do I just heat stuff up as hot as I can, get the scale off with a wire brush, add a bit of flux (20 mule team borax), and hammer it together? I bet it's not really that easy.

check this epic project out:

[video=youtube;os0i63ZuaE4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=os0i63ZuaE4[/video]

[video=youtube;7rBlyJEOUrQ]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rBlyJEOUrQ[/video]
Click to expand...

#1: Tool steel. They call it tool steel, cause its for tools...

#2: Yes, it is that easy. Provided your 'hot enough' is hot enough to forge weld...

#3: Kids, don't do drugs.
 
These two are my favorite, depth gauge made from a piece of 1" plate steel that I found at the scrap yard, this was some really hard material what ever it is ;0)

And my trusty file guide made from a piece of truck spring, which came out surprisingly hard after a cold oil quench, my files skip off it unless I bear down real hard

Also I have a homemade Grinder, Anvil, Rip fence for my bandsaw, Home made heat treat oven, Blown gas forge..

The next thing on the list will be a new grinder kmg style 12" wheel and a flat vertical platen, I believe I have more fun building tools then I do making knives ;0)



 
On the forge welding thing I would venture to say you dont need flux if you have a gas forge. Temp and time.

Nick your full of it :D Half my tools came from looking at your WIP. Yeah that Chuck guy is pretty cool, he makes some great stuff and is a awesome resource for welding knowledge and how to, highly recommend anyone learning to weld take a look at his videos.

Great idea for a thread by the way.
 
A few...

Homemade PID controlled heat treating oven:

RandomPicsNathansShop097-1.jpg


IMG_6499.jpg


Sanding support (ugly but functional):

IMG_6489.jpg


IMG_6488.jpg


Anvil stand:

IMG_0204.jpg


IMG_0206.jpg


VFD switch box:

switchbox.jpg


2-stage PID controlled propane supply for my forge:

IMG_0705.jpg


--nathan
 
I wanted to try my hand at carving wooden bowls and here are a few of the tools I made (some worked, some didn't) to get the job done. An interesting aside: I made some of the tools for 1095 and some from 52100 and although I have never heard of a good test to compare tools made from different steel the 52100 out preformed the 1095 hands down. Ripping and tearing across the grain of hardwood really puts a knife to the test.

1-19-14_5.jpg
 
Jig for welding toolrests for the forges. Two supports hold the rod while the third support gets welded on.
SANY0029.JPG
Jig for holding firebricks while I drill them in the drill press
SANY0030.JPG
Jig for holding forges while I drill the 1" hole at an angle in the side. Yes, that's a 10 amp low RPM drill drilling a 1" holesaw at a 15° angle. It is powerful enough to spin the whole 25lb. forge and bruise the hell out of your leg. Yeah, it really is just a modified table, but it is made to the exact height and supports to keep the forge from spinning.
SANY0033.JPGSANY0034.JPG
Toolrest for my grinder. Mounts inside the platen arm instead of using a separate arm.
SANY0031.JPG
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/More to come later/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

PS Yes, that is a 4x36 converted to 2x72
 
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Most of mine is blacksmith related but...
guilliotine tool..

drifting post back before I got my swage blocks.

axe making tools

This vise stand(and others)

movable motor mount for grinder


I also made a powder hammer but Ive lost the pics..
 
I've always thought flatter hammers were pretty neat, but I never found one in a price range I was willing to pay, plus I never seem to have enough hands to use one. So, I made this to go on my anvil; pivots so it can accommodate angles. If I did it again, I'd make it a bit smaller, but it definitely helps take out some hammer dings (if I was better at forging, I suppose I wouldn't need it...).





Yes....really ugly welding....




Probably my favorite tool is courtesy of Bruce Bingenheimer. I used a disc grinder for the first time at his shop and stole his idea (thanks Bruce). I have a KMG, too so it all worked out rather well. I bought a longer shaft from MSC (I think) and a friend with a lathe turned the end down to fit the aluminum disc I bought. A pillow block and a few pieces of steel bolted to the end of the bench keep deflection to a minimum. I added a forward/stop/reverse switch to my VFD and now I have a reversible disc grinder, using the same motor and VFD from my 2x72-WAY cheaper than a stand alone setup and saves room in my small "shop". This was an in progress photo (the belts got moved to a new location):



I put on 1/16" cork gasket material to the face of the disc and just recently got an adjustable table put together. I'm hoping this will help me with liner locks and dove tailed bolsters/scales and a few other things. Please ignore the painfully ugly manufacturing...someday maybe I'll upgrade from a flux core wire welder...










Jeremy
 
A bunch of excellent items. Im gonna have to copy that giatine tool you made. Those vise stands are excellent as well.

Silverpilot is that oven 120 or 240v? Looks great. Did you do a write up on it by chance or have a link to one similar. Looks like my next project.
 
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