Take Down Fighter Work In Progress

Joss said:
Josh - what portion of those tools are readily available vs. made to order vs custom made vs home made?

Thanks,

JD
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Sorry to drift, but I'm also very interested in maker's tools/equipment and love to visit maker's shops to see their "tools of the trade" and also equipment layout.

Along these lines, thought I would share a photo Don Hanson sent me yesterday showing him using an old antique lath in making tiny gold screws for a folder he's making me. Sorry Josh if including another maker's photos in your WIP is inappropriate, however thought it was a very good example of the unique tools/equipment in some maker's shops.

Hope Don's collecting those filings. :eek: ;)

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Very informative thread Josh. Thanks for sharing your learned techniques. Is this knife going to be done by the hammerin?
 
Joss said:
Josh - what portion of those tools are readily available vs. made to order vs custom made vs home made?

Thanks,

JD
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Joss,

The majority of my equipment is readily available at supplies. My press and rolling mill were custom built. I had forged for years on numerous different presses and had a real good idea of what I wanted. Matt Whitmus in WA built the press and mill. Ed Schempp had the first rolling mill that I had seen. I asked Matt to build a rolling mill in which both the top and bottom rolls were powered. I also wanted a dial indicator mounted on it so I could forge my bar to within thousandths of an inch and I also wanted to be able to twist bars on the side of the mill.

I asked Matt to have a press that was fast with plenty of power and also have the ability to know how thick my bar was. Matt had some fantastic ideas in regarding die design and limit switch design. Matt builds equipment with extreme precision, and he makes some Damascus so he knows what we need.

My forges are home made as are my heat treating set ups. I've been fortunate to obtain some great equipment in the last 17 years.

Kevin Jones,

No problem posting other pics here. I enjoy seeing things like that.
 
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Here I am lighting my heat treating forge. This forge is no spectacular set up. I would like to set this up better eventually, but it works.

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You can see the fire after the forge has just been lit. The 3" pot in the middle has heat treating salts that will melt once heated. The blade will come up to heat in this salt thus not allowing the blade to scale.



First I heat the blade just a bit in the flames. This burns off any foreign substance such as dirt, oil, or worst of all water. Even condensation on a blade will make the salt explode.

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The blade is now going into the salt.

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First I thermal cycle the blade starting out around 1550, pulling out to let it cool, then reheat the blade two more times each at a lower temperature before I heat it to quench.

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Next I have to heat up my heat treating oil. I heat a re-bar rod and put it in my oil. The next pictures don't usually happen but I did them just for your enjoyment.

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Here's the salt hot. Notice the probe in the salt. This indicates my temperature.

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Once the oil is warm and the blade has been thermal cycled and heated it is ready to quench.

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Once the blade has been quenched for a short time, I pull it out while still quite hot and clamp it between two copper jaws. The blade will then finish hardening in a straight position. I think proper thermal cycles is most critical in solving warping but with this added step I maybe have one or two blades a year warp at all.

Back to the grinding process, if you don't have distal taper at least going into heat treat then you will have a parallel spine to clamp on.

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Hardened blade ready for tempering. I now clean any excess salt and oil off and place the blade in my toaster oven for tempering.

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Garage sale special!

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After tempering its back to the grinder and disc for finish grinding.

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Shot from my finish room into my small "dirty room." Includes buffer, 2 belt grinders, disc, and small band saw in about a 9x9 area. I had to unbolt my grinders and move them out when I made those big sword because I was hitting the wall as I pulled across.

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This is shot from the doorway of my grinding room. This is my cleaner area where I spend most of my time filing, sanding, milling, drilling, and assembling. At this point I am now hand finishing the blade after grinding.
 
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Blade camped and ready for sanding.

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Sanding

I spend a huge amount of time sitting here sanding. This is the place that if you don't spend enough time it can make a great knife poor.

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The blade is now hand sanded to 600 grit. Notice the scale still on the blade. I have not yet ground my false edge. I like to grind them after all major hand sanding is done. I feel they look so much more crisp when you don't allow the paper roll that nice crisp edge off.

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Grinding the false edge. There is NO room for error. The blade is finish ground and nearly mirror polished.

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Here it is right off the grinder. You can see the vertical lines from the grinder on the false edge.

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Here I'm using fine stones to dial in the false edge. I then switch to fine sand paper.

I then final sand the blade with 1200 grit paper buff it and it's ready to etch.

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Is the blade hardened through? You've got a really nice set up there.
 
this thread has officially been bookmarked as one of my favorite knife making tutorials......this is jam packed with great information.

Thanks Again Josh
 
Threads like this give us a idea as to where our $$$ go when purchasing a custom knife. More labor and planning hours involved than some may think, then there's the maker's equipment, materials and overhead.
 
Awesome!! I love these WIP threads. Great pics too. :thumbup:

I may have learned a trick or two also;)
 
Bruce Bump said:
Very informative thread Josh. Thanks for sharing your learned techniques. Is this knife going to be done by the hammerin?
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Bruce, I'm please to say this piece along with it's beautiful Paul Long sheath is already dressing up my display case. :):)
 
Joss said:
Is the blade hardened through? You've got a really nice set up there.
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Yes it is. This blade is not differentially heat treated. It is hard from edge to spine.

Roger,

I do still have eye brows but they are trimmed nicely!

Thank guys for the compliments on the thread.
 
Awesome thread Josh!


The profile (especially the false edge) is perfect.
 
Great thread Josh. Any pictures of the finished knife and sheath?:D

I would love to have the opportunity to see them at the hammerin, but a logistical problem of about 2500 miles precludes that.

Peter
 
Very cool thread Josh, thank you for posting the pictures in small sizes, usually I don't get to follow threads like this because our dial up connection takes forever to load the photos, yours come up very quickly. :thumbup:

Bill
 
The precision that you work within is amazing to me, especially on a 'straight knife'. :cool:

As stated, one of the BEST WIP's I have ever had the pleasure to follow. :thumbup:
 
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