Squishing guards

[Plain ol Bill]

I have a couple of knives underway that are thinner than I usually do. These are intended to be a matched pair, skinner and butcher both out of the same laddered twist damascus billet and matching damascus guards. They are both under 1/8" (.109 & .122) and the smallest end mill I have is 1/8". Dang, now how am I gonna get these guards to fit tightly without buying a thinner end mill and having to grind a file thin enough to fit into the hole?
Well I went ahead and laid them out, cut the back with a 1/4" endmill leaving .100 material. Flipped the guard over and cut the front side with the 1/8" endmill thru the .100 metal left. The guards both FELL on needless to say. So I slipped them onto the blade in final place and put the sandwich between an old set of flat dies on the press - bump, bump, still not tight - watch the pressure gage & bump, bump stop at 1350 psi and its a wonderment - these guards now fit tighter than spandex on a fat lady! Ya gotta love hydraulics.
http://www.billsblades.com/

 

[B . Buxton]

I hear you Bill, but that bump bump has also been followed by a O crap, actually it was a bit more violent reaction then that, but you know what I mean.

Bill

 

[Bruce Bump]

Did I hear bump bump? Yep I could have told you that trick. Too much pressure and sometimes it warps the guard and dents the blade but can be surfaced off again. I do it easy at first and sneak upon the just the right pressure. Nickel takes less pressure than steel.