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TheUSMC2017

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Nov 24, 2010
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I'm starting to make my first knife; can anyone tell me more specifically what I should get? I was planning on getting a grinder, but I don't know anything about them. Would I get more use out of a drill press? What should I do about heat treatment? What kind of files do I need?
I'm doing stock removal and my budget is around $200. Thanks a lot in advance.
 
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TheUSMC2017 said:
I'm starting to make my first knife; can anyone tell me more specifically what I should get?

I was planning on getting a grinder, but I don't know anything about them.

Would I get more use out of a drill press?

What kind of files do I need?
My budget is around $200. Thanks a lot.
Click to expand...


A drill press is a very useful tool.

IF you look into this info, there is some that applies to you .

The Standard Reply to New Knifemakers v14

The answer to a 13 year old student is different than to a 40 year old engineer.
We may recommend a local supplier, you may have a helpful neighbour, or local Hammerin; but that depends on where you are. We have members worldwide.
Please fill out your profile with your location (Country, State, City), age, education, employment, hobbies.

Look at the threads stickied at the top; many are expired, but not all.

The basic process in the simplest terms
Absolute Cheapskate Way to Start Making Knives-Printable PDF-Right Click and Save
Absolute Cheapskate Way to Start Making Knives-Website


Web Tutorials
Detailed instructions by Stacy E.Apelt

The Things I Advise New Knife Makers Against-Printable PDF

Handle Tutorial - Nick Wheeler-Website

http://www.engnath.com/manframe.htm

Books
A list of books and videos

BladeForums - E-books or Google books


I like:
David Boye-Step by Step Knifemaking
Tim McCreight-Custom Knifemaking: 10 Projects from a Master Craftsman
These are clear, well organized, widely available and inexpensive too.

Knife Design:
See the Google books thread for Lloyd Harding drawings & the Loveless book. Google books thread


Forging Books:
Lorelei Sims-The Backyard Blacksmith
An excellent modern book with colour photos for forging in general - no knifemaking.

Jim Hrisoulas- has 3 books on forging knives. Check for the cheaper paperback editions.
The Complete Bladesmith: Forging Your Way to Perfection
The Pattern-Welded Blade: Artistry in Iron
The Master Bladesmith: Advanced Studies in Steel

Machine Shop Basics -Books:
Elementary Machine Shop Practice-Printable PDF

The Complete Practical Machinist-Printable -1885-PDF
It’s being reprinted now; you can get it for $20 ish

The $50 knife Shop
It confused me for a long time.
Forging is NOT necessary; you can just file and grind to create a knife (stock removal)

The goop quench is total Bull.
Use commercial quench oil & match oil speed to the steel type; even grocery store canola oil works much better.

Junkyard steels require skill and experience to identify the steel and heat treat it properly.
You can buy proper steel like 1084FG from Aldo very cheaply.

I like cable damascus, but that advanced project has no place in a beginner’s book.

The grinders are the best thing about this book, but there is a huge amount of info for 2x72” belt grinders on the web, including free plans.

Forget about Lawnmower blades and start with a new known steel type.


Videos

Heat Treating Basics Video-downloadable
Right click and save this. Watch it once a day for 10 days.

Safety-video
Right click and save this. Watch it once a day for 10 days.

Many specific how to knifemaking videos are available, some are better than others.

The best overall Knifemaking video I have seen is
“Steve Johnson-Making a Sub-Hilt Fighter”

Basic Bladesmiting
“"Ed Caffrey - Basic Bladesmithing-Full DVD-ISO"

The best video on leather sheath making for beginnersI have seen is
“Custom Knife Sheaths -Chuck Burrows - Wild Rose”
-(Paul Long has 2 videos, his sheath work & videos are fantastic, but more advanced.)

Green Pete's Free Video
Making a Mora bushcraft knife, stock removal, hand tools, neo tribal / unplugged heat treat.
"Green Pete" posted it free using torrent files.
Be sure to look at the other titles too-The account index has disappeared, but search for LOTS of info. Using the keywords “LurkerLurker torrent”
Greenpete Knifemaking Basics-on TPB

How to download that video
http://www.utorrent.com/help/guides/beginners-guide

You can see a list of videos and reviews at this rental company; some are worth buying, some renting…
http://smartflix.com/store/category/9/Knifemaking

Draw Filing Demonstration
YouTube video -Draw Filing-for a flat finish

Steel
The “welding steel” at Home Depot / Lowes… is useless for knives.
If you send out for heat treating, you can use O1, A2, D2, CM154, ATS34, s30v, 440C, plus many others.

If you heat treat yourself, find some 1070, 1080, 1084,
1084 FG sold by Aldo Bruno is formulated for knifemaking.
http://njsteelbaron.com/
Phone # 862-203-8160

You can find a list of suppliers here

Heat Treating
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showpost.php?p=9143684&postcount=7

You can send blades out for heat treating at $10 or $15 per blade for perfect results, and avoid buying the equipment.

This PDF brochure gives a good overview
http://www.buckknives.com/resources/pdf/Paul_Bos_Brochure.pdf

http://www.petersheattreat.com/cutlery.html
http://www.texasknife.com/vcom/privacy.php#services
http://www.knifemaker.ca/ (Canadian)


Grinder / Tools

Hand Tools
You can do it all by hand with files and abrasive cloth like the Green Pete video.
Photo of a nice bevel filing jig

Entry Level Grinders
Many makers start with the Sears Craftsman 2x42 belt grinder
Low Speed Modification Craftsman 2x42 belt grinder

Commercial Production 2 x 72” Belt Grinder Reviews
http://www.prometheanknives.com/shop-techniques-3/grinders
http://www.cnccookbook.com/CCKnifeMakingGrinders.htm

Mapp arm – Grinder Toolrest


DIY 2 x 72” Belt Grinders

KMG Clone Free Plans
http://www.dfoggknives.com/PDF/GrinderPlans.pdf

NWG No Weld Grinder
http://www.usaknifemaker.com/plans-for-the-no-weld-grinder-sander-nearly-50-pages-p-723.html

EERF Grinder (EERF =“Free” backwards)
http://wilmontgrinders.com/EERFGrinder.aspx
http://blindhogg.com/blueprints.html
http://www.atlasknife.com

Buy the kit
http://polarbearforge.com/grinder_kit.html

What Belts to buy ?
http://www.usaknifemaker.com/abrasive-belt-basics-what-kind-should-i-buy-p-1393.html


Safety Equipment
Protect your -Eyes, Ears, Fingers, and Lungs – remove jewellery and put on safety gear.

Respirators
Chronic lung disease and cancer really suck the joy out of life.
The minimum I would consider are the 3M 7500 and North 7700 silicone half masks with a P100 Filter.
Use a VOC & P100 combo cartridge for protection against acetone and solvents.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=788837
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=726309



Searching
Search works for all users, even unpaid users.
Try it, I’ll bet you’re not the first to ask the question here


V14 Edited dead links
 
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If you are planning on forging them, I would recommend (Knife making unplugged) by Tim Lively. On the DVD he shows how to make knives using nothing but hand tools for someone on a budget.

I bought it about 3 or 4 years ago and I have no use for it anymore, so if you're interested in it just send me a PM or e-mail and I'll see what I can do about getting it to you.
 
I'm going to be doing stock removal to get started; but that reminds me; what can I use for heat treatment? Is sending it to a company a good idea or not?
Thanks a lot for the offer, though.
 
hey marine (that is if you are one) where you at ?
what steel you planning on using?

i will help if i can
 
I think that there are a few on hear, including myself how could heat treat 1084 for you if you are close enough.
 
There have been recent threads with info about setting up shop. What the Count posted is invluable. I recommend a drill press $100, a high tension hack saw w/ 1 blade $20, half round bastard and second cut files $30, the rest ($50) on good sand paper. SiC paper only. This is all spent on tools since you went to blade and got your materials last week. Craftsman files are decent and you can return them when worn out. Other small things include 1 file card, 2 medium C-clamps, chalk, drill bits (sets are cheaper to start) and various other items including epoxy, acetone, rubber gloves, etc.

Hope this helps, its basically everything I needed when I made my first. Still using almost all of it too.


-Xander
 
TheUSMC2017 said:
Is it better to get a drill press instead of a grinder?
Click to expand...

This type of grinder is really useless, except for polishing.
3.918371.jpg


A 2x72" grinder and drill press are in vastly different price ranges.

A drill press is fantastically useful over a hand held drill
 
I know, I wanted to know if it was worth getting over a drill press; the ones at Sears are about $100 to $150, if I remember right.
 
Just tagging this thread for future refference.... when I have time to read it all! :)
 
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