There's got to be an easier way...

F

fenixforge

Joined
Apr 7, 1999
Messages
74
I make mostly forged, through/hidden tang knives. I get frustrated fitting the guard (so that it slides up the tang to the ricasso area). I drill holes in a row through the guard material, then hog out the metal between the holes using a Dremel and a HSS router bit. This is very time consuming and it seems like the hard way to do it. Can I hear from some of you guys about shortcuts and other methods, both low-cost and those involving high dollar machinery (lathes, punches, etc)?
 
If you drill the holes close together and then drill in bitween the holes, you can drill square holes. The more material that you remove while drilling , the easier it is to fit to the knife. You could also get an 1/8 inch end mill and mill out the area.
I drill the holes and then file away the excess material, this way you get the best fit, but it takes the longest. Or you could buy pre-cast guards with the inital hole already cut, it's more expensive than buying barstock, but less time consuming.


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A Knife is no more than an Iron Tooth

 
in my humble opinion you should save up and buy a low cost milling machine....if you are making knives and selling them on a consistant basis the time you save will more than pay for the machine....look around for a taiwanese mill/drill...should be able to get a good solid one for around $500...and you will bless the day you did....believe me.
 
I would have to agree with Striper28. I do mine the long way by drilling, then using a small file. Then keep trying the fit untill it is tight, & almost in place, then hammer gently the rest of the way then pin. I know that it is a slow process & I have thought many times, like you, there must be a easier way.
I have been told as above that the easier way is a Milling machine. When I can afford it, I will get one, but for now it's the slow way.
frown.gif
 
Until I could afford an inexpensive mill I used a cross slide vise on my drill press.

I had to jury rig a clamping device on the quill but the setup came in under $100 and I was able to do some not very accurate milling which at least was a good starting point for final filing to fit.

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george
 
When I started I did what george does . cheap cross slide and an end mill.
Koval and Uncle all sell mills for about 500-600 dollars that really work!!
Thats the best way.. mill it and leave a few
thousands. Then press fit it .
works great

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Web Site At www.infinet.com/~browzer/bldesmth.html
Take a look!!!




 
Thanks guys. I've been eyeing that mill Uncle Al has for a while. It is going to be my next equipment purchase. It should help make folder production within the realm of possibility also.
 
fenixforge I bought a $600 mill and it was not bad, but it still was lacking. So I got a Shop Task, it cost about $1500 delivered. It is a 3 in 1 machine, and it is a good one. They have a web page, you might check them out. I think it is
www.shoptask.com . I used a drill press and a cross vice and had good luck. I have finally learned to wate a little while and get the better tools. It has taken me 3 drill presses to finally get the right one. This was just a waste of my time and money, and so was the $600 mill. I know we can't have everything we would like to have. Now I need to learn to stop buying the cheep grinding belts. It really don't make any sense for me to buy a $1150 Burr King, ( in 1995 dollars) and to use these cheezy grind ing belts. Anyway, this is just the way that I have started to think about equipment. I just wish I had started thinking this way mucho dinero ago. I wish you luck with what ever you get.
Chris, Top of Texas Knives
www.toptexknives.com

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[This message has been edited by ToTKnives (edited 07 May 1999).]
 
I've been through all of the above and agree that the best thing is to wait until you can afford quality. I remember a couple of the ways I used to do it by hand in fact still do occasionly, is to drill the holes then cant the guard in the vise and drill at an angle through the web between the holes. the other thing is to use a round chain saw file. It makes pretty quick work of the web.
Hope this has been of some help.

www.imt.net/~goshawk
 
I use a short drill bit to eliminate the bit from bending. I drill the holes on a line I have scribed. I then use a Jewelers saw with a deep throat to saw from the top to the last hole. The little saw blade will bend enough to do the right & left side all the way down-leaving a space for you file. I like a X-Narrow Warding 4" or 6" needle files for the final fitting. Jantz, Fargosteins Jewerly Supply, or any Jewerly supply company has the stuff-just order the biggest blades they have. Usually a 6, 10, or 12 size blade. They come 12 to a set & by 2 sets because the break when you bind them.

I love hidden tang Knives too-but I have more trouble w/handles than guards.

Good Luck.
John S.
 
I've used jeweler's saws for other purposes, mostly for jewelry work but I find applications for them in gunsmithing, too, and I think it's a good solution to this problem -- much faster than files and dremels and much cheaper than a milling machine. You'll break a lot of blades at first and maybe always if you're impatient -- like John said, buy the biggest you can find and buy plenty of them, at least two dozen to start. Fortunately they're cheap, and many people learn not to break them eventually -- not everybody, though.
smile.gif


-Cougar Allen :{)
 
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