The 500 or 1000 dollar knife shop

rockgolfer

rockgolfer

Joined
Mar 1, 2008
Messages
4,570
Looking to increase my knife addiction and jump into making them :D. I have read a lot of threads around here and lots of good info to be had. Most of the "new guy" threads have a lot of parameters or ask specific questions about one aspect or another. I am looking for a little broader feedback and am wondering.....

If you where starting out now, how would you equip your new shop if your budget was $500 bucks? How would it change if you doubled it to $1000?
 
Five hundred....
Craftsman 2x42 for $150
Drill press from craigslist $100
Belts and sandpaper from Supergrit $100
Bench vise from Harbor Freight $50
Steel from Aldo $100
 
I was going to say almost the same thing. I would trade the drill press for dremel tool and hand held drill. A little harder to get straight hole but doable. The dremel helps a bunch.
 
Jason pretty well nailed it.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, if I had to start over and choose between the grinder and drill press, I'd start with the drill press and a bunch of files.

You will need pin stock or preferably Corby bolts. Try to sneak a few C-clamps and spring clamps in there somewhere... they don't have to be super high quality. Most of mine came from the Dollar Store.

Convert the Craftsman to run 2x72" belts (it's a very easy project) and put a ceramic platen on it. Get some Gorilla Glue and a package of JB-Weld and learn how to use them properly. If you follow the directions, they're almost fool-proof.

Forget Dremels. You can do pretty much everything with a drill press and sanding drums (provided you're gentle on the spindle) that you can do with a dremel, and even a cheap press will outlast it by years if not decades.

When you get the next $500, get a Foredom and a bunch more steel, paper and bits.

I haven't taken HT into account... that will depend on your choice in steel and how many blades you do at a time.
 
Last edited:
If you are going to do your own heat treat, definitely get a pyrometer. With a decent burner you can control temp well enough to use most carbon steels. Zaph1 makes some great burners and sells them in the exchange. A good quench oil will set you back a couple hundred bucks as well.
 
Honestly, After starting out with files I would recommend you keep saving that money to buy the very best of each tool you can afford At 5000 I think you should have the basic tools. 2 x 72, disc sander, metal bandsaw, drill press, ht oven, lots of sandpaper and hand files, vise. Remember, buy once cry once!!! This of course is assuming you are serious about the hobby. Happy tooling.
 
Willie71 said:
If you are going to do your own heat treat, definitely get a pyrometer. .
Click to expand...
Any advise on pyrometer shopping? There are a lot out there for many different applications and I'm not sure what works for our purposes. I will be making a 2-3 brick forge and using a similar burner as described.
 
I got mine from Auberins with a k- type thermocouple. It was about $100.00. I use mine without the ceramic sheath for heat treating, as the sheath slowed the response time too much. It's harder on the thermocouple but the heat treat temps don't damage it as quickly as higher temps will. If you get the basic PID controller, you can use it to control a tempering oven too.
 
Really appreciate all the great feedback so far. I have a few tools already (clamps, angle grinders, files) and am scavenging what I can. Just placed an order for a piece of 1084 the other day to get me started. I have lots of diamond and silicone carbide tools already(my day job is a stone fabricator) and will be playing around with them on my steel to see if anything crosses over.

I have a question on the thermocouple stuff. If I where to purchase a digital reader that has dual probe capability would it be worth it to measure temps in two places in a 2BF? I want to be as accurate as possible even if my process will be rudimentary, any links that point me in the right direction for heat treat stuff is also greatly appreciated. I have seen the videos on the process, I am after the exact products needed to make it happen.

Thanks
Jeff
 
Willie71 said:
I got mine from Auberins with a k- type thermocouple. It was about $100.00. I use mine without the ceramic sheath for heat treating, as the sheath slowed the response time too much. It's harder on the thermocouple but the heat treat temps don't damage it as quickly as higher temps will. If you get the basic PID controller, you can use it to control a tempering oven too.
Click to expand...

Are you using the PID controller with a gas style forge? If I use something like a 2 Brick Forge what do I use to regulate the gas flow to function on the PID's command? I am not set on just a 2BF but its a place to start and I want the parts I buy to be swap-able up to my next generation when the time comes.
 
There are plans in the stickies to make a pid forge. You need 2 burners, a blower, 2 solenoid gas valves and the pyrometer/ thermocouple. If you plan to go that route in future, then get a pid brain that can control those parameters. With a 2 brick forge, you could just use the temp reading function with the thermocouple. I have a pyrometer, and two pid controllers, but haven't set up the pid forge or kiln yet. The plans in the stickies list everything you will need.
 
rockgolfer said:
Looking to increase my knife addiction and jump into making them :D. I have read a lot of threads around here and lots of good info to be had. Most of the "new guy" threads have a lot of parameters or ask specific questions about one aspect or another. I am looking for a little broader feedback and am wondering.....

If you where starting out now, how would you equip your new shop if your budget was $500 bucks? How would it change if you doubled it to $1000?
Click to expand...

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...ing-knives-and-swords?p=12725180#post12725180


I wouldn't give up a drill press to get a dremel
There are lots of them around used


I'd buy or build a 2x72
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top