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TURKEY DINNER TUTORIAL- begins on post 247!
- Thread starter esnyx
- Start date
- Joined
- Feb 10, 2014
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Thank you for the nice comments everyone! These tutorials can be tedious, but the gratification I get out of them makes it all worth it! Learn, my pretties, LEARN!!
Ready for part 2?? Ok, here we go!
Time to do some soldering!! This is the most essential part to getting tight fit on all the parts, and to make sure everything looks even and perfect.
Here I am heating up the liner and applying the solder. I have been using an acid core solder, and that seems to be working much better on stainless steel.
And now the bolsters:
Done with the first half, now for the fun part...
The solder lumpy, so in order to prevent it causing the bolster to shift while I am trying to solder them together, I lightly drag the liners and bolsters on my file to provide a flat surface on the solder.
Before this next step, wipe the bolsters and liners down with some acetone so no dirt or oil gets in the way and weakens the bond.
Now we use the scale template to fit the bolsters onto the liners.
Lay the bolster against the scale template, and clamp it in place with some vice grips.
Heat up the clamped bolster and liner until the solder squeezes out from between them. When you see that, you know that both sides are hot enough, and that they are bonded together tightly.
When that bead of solder comes out, I usually use a shop knife to lightly scrape off that extra solder between the liner and bolster so that I won't have to try and file or sand it out of there. Top bolster is now attached and we are ready to set up the second one.
Mark your bone scales to distinguish which scale goes on what side. Use the scale as a guide for your bottom bolster. Doing this ensures that there will not be any gaps between the scale and the bolsters.
I clamp my scale in place, then drop the bottom bolster onto the liner and clamp it with the vice grips. Make sure that the bolster doesn't move while you are trying to clamp it.
Blurry pic, but a nice tight fit on there. The scale will not move, I have to slide it out from the side in order to remove it.
Here it is after soldering.
Everything is looking nice and snug! Tomorrow I'll see how much more I can get done and post another update!
Thanks for looking!!
Ready for part 2?? Ok, here we go!
Time to do some soldering!! This is the most essential part to getting tight fit on all the parts, and to make sure everything looks even and perfect.
Here I am heating up the liner and applying the solder. I have been using an acid core solder, and that seems to be working much better on stainless steel.
And now the bolsters:
Done with the first half, now for the fun part...
The solder lumpy, so in order to prevent it causing the bolster to shift while I am trying to solder them together, I lightly drag the liners and bolsters on my file to provide a flat surface on the solder.
Before this next step, wipe the bolsters and liners down with some acetone so no dirt or oil gets in the way and weakens the bond.
Now we use the scale template to fit the bolsters onto the liners.
Lay the bolster against the scale template, and clamp it in place with some vice grips.
Heat up the clamped bolster and liner until the solder squeezes out from between them. When you see that, you know that both sides are hot enough, and that they are bonded together tightly.
When that bead of solder comes out, I usually use a shop knife to lightly scrape off that extra solder between the liner and bolster so that I won't have to try and file or sand it out of there. Top bolster is now attached and we are ready to set up the second one.
Mark your bone scales to distinguish which scale goes on what side. Use the scale as a guide for your bottom bolster. Doing this ensures that there will not be any gaps between the scale and the bolsters.
I clamp my scale in place, then drop the bottom bolster onto the liner and clamp it with the vice grips. Make sure that the bolster doesn't move while you are trying to clamp it.
Blurry pic, but a nice tight fit on there. The scale will not move, I have to slide it out from the side in order to remove it.
Here it is after soldering.
Everything is looking nice and snug! Tomorrow I'll see how much more I can get done and post another update!
Thanks for looking!!
I really love stuff like that. At the company I work, they used to have old guys fitting things up and finishing parts for the machinery. We're talking illegal, hidden red lead for fitting things up and scraping in and stuff like that. Castings galore. As the years have gone, they have gone to better engineering to try to eliminate this hand fitting as much as possible. They never can completely of course. I ended up in machining where fit up means just making both parts precisely.
Seeing those old school tricks to ensure perfect fit is slicker'n slug snot.
BTW, that "my pretties" comment was a little strange. So I liked it quite a bit.
Seeing those old school tricks to ensure perfect fit is slicker'n slug snot.
BTW, that "my pretties" comment was a little strange. So I liked it quite a bit.
- Joined
- Feb 10, 2014
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Thanks guys!
Dave, I don't know how old school my techniques are... I've made most of them up! I'm glad you liked my Wizard of Oz reference!
Some people think I'm strange, but I think people are strange. Does that make me the weirdo??
Dan, I hid it on purpose!!
Dave, I don't know how old school my techniques are... I've made most of them up! I'm glad you liked my Wizard of Oz reference!
Some people think I'm strange, but I think people are strange. Does that make me the weirdo??
Dan, I hid it on purpose!!
Well for instance, getting the solder on both pieces, getting it flat, locating well, then just enough heat to do it. Don't know if that's old school but it's elegant.
You're strange, I'm strange, people are strange. Ya gotta believe in live and let live. Anyone that doesn't agree with that should be taken out and shot. ☺
Last edited:
- Joined
- Feb 10, 2014
- Messages
- 1,119
In today's knife world, it is old school, as are most hand made knives. Thank you for your compliments!
:thumbup: LOL, I see what you did there.
I think there is(read:should be) very little to no room in this world for wanton and unnecessary criticism. It just belittles and is counterproductive. There is no reason civil discussion cannot be had, and if terms of agreement cannot be met, the agree to disagree(live and let live). We are all entitled to our own opinions, but remember, they are just that. Opinions. Everyone has one. There is no need to offend or be offended if someone doesn't share yours. In the end, we are all microscopic specs on a large rotating dirt ball, here and gone in less than a blink of an eye. Why not just enjoy it?
Sorry for the rambling post...
Back to the tutorial! More pics coming soon!
- Joined
- Mar 1, 2012
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- 2,554
Very cool WIP thread Evan, thanks for sharing. Like many folks here I find this stuff to be very interesting and inspiring. 
I disagree!
Oh, wait a minute ... wrong thread.
Ah yes, the tutorials ... Excellent work! Keep 'em coming. You're gettin' my creative Jimmys in a rustle. Now I've gotta go out and round up some "fixer-uppers" to fix up.
In the mean time, I'll just look-n-learn.
Cheers
- Joined
- Feb 12, 2013
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- 1,122
Awesome WIP, Evan! Man, your shop is killer! Can I move in? I'll bring a lot of knives with me!!
(Back to drooling over pictures, and carefully studying the backgrounds, looking for a certain 15 that's being modded...)
Why are you looking for MY 15 that's being modded?
(I'm doing the same thing)
- Joined
- Feb 10, 2014
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- 1,119
Thank you for the nice comments everyone! This is definitely my most in depth tutorial yet! So, without further ado, let's jump right into it.
So, we left off with the scales looked something like this:
Now I have to grind the bone down so that it is flush with the bolster. I just hold it flat against the platen until it is flush. Make sure to keep dipping the scale in water so that you don't burn the bone and cause it to warp.
Now that is it flush, you can grind off the excess bone around the liner. (yes, my hands are blue... thanks a lot Sarah)
While I'm at it, I grind off the excess bolster material and straighten things up a little.
Ready for drilling!
Action shot of drilling the 1/16th scale support pins:
Drilling out the 3/32nd pivot and spring pin holes:
Holes drilled:
Now, I inlay the shield using a template and my handheld dremel extension shaft attachment, but first, there is some planning out.
Drawing a center line to make sure I line up the shield properly:
Here I mark a center point of where the shield is so that I can line up my template correctly. This doesn't need to be perpendicular to the other line, or straight. It is just a visual aid so that I have an idea of where I want to clamp the template.
Template clamped to the scale using this repurposed plate I had around the shop:
Here is the end mill bit that I use to carve out the spot for the shield:
These shots were tricky to get, since I use two hands to do this correctly, but you get the idea.
Nice fit!
I put a drop of thin CA to seal up any gaps around the shield, and to help secure it in place while I drill the pin hole for it.
Here I use an automatic punch to set up where I will drill through the shield:
Drill through the shield and scale with your 1/16th bit:
Surface grinding to get the shield flush with the rest of the scale. Remember, keep it cool, or the hot steel will burn the bone.
Ream the holes for peening. I start out with a wide angle reamer to give a spot for the pin head to snag onto and to allow me to sand the pins flush without losing the pin heads. Then I shift to a reamer with an acute angle, giving the pins some space to expand without cracking the scale material.
Only ream the scale holes on the inside of the liners, and ream all the holes on the face of the scales.
Reamed and ready for pinning!
Stay tuned for more progress pics coming soon!!
So, we left off with the scales looked something like this:
Now I have to grind the bone down so that it is flush with the bolster. I just hold it flat against the platen until it is flush. Make sure to keep dipping the scale in water so that you don't burn the bone and cause it to warp.
Now that is it flush, you can grind off the excess bone around the liner. (yes, my hands are blue... thanks a lot Sarah
)
While I'm at it, I grind off the excess bolster material and straighten things up a little.
Ready for drilling!
Action shot of drilling the 1/16th scale support pins:
Drilling out the 3/32nd pivot and spring pin holes:
Holes drilled:
Now, I inlay the shield using a template and my handheld dremel extension shaft attachment, but first, there is some planning out.
Drawing a center line to make sure I line up the shield properly:
Here I mark a center point of where the shield is so that I can line up my template correctly. This doesn't need to be perpendicular to the other line, or straight. It is just a visual aid so that I have an idea of where I want to clamp the template.
Template clamped to the scale using this repurposed plate I had around the shop:
Here is the end mill bit that I use to carve out the spot for the shield:
These shots were tricky to get, since I use two hands to do this correctly, but you get the idea.
Nice fit!
I put a drop of thin CA to seal up any gaps around the shield, and to help secure it in place while I drill the pin hole for it.
Here I use an automatic punch to set up where I will drill through the shield:
Drill through the shield and scale with your 1/16th bit:
Surface grinding to get the shield flush with the rest of the scale. Remember, keep it cool, or the hot steel will burn the bone.
Ream the holes for peening. I start out with a wide angle reamer to give a spot for the pin head to snag onto and to allow me to sand the pins flush without losing the pin heads. Then I shift to a reamer with an acute angle, giving the pins some space to expand without cracking the scale material.
Only ream the scale holes on the inside of the liners, and ream all the holes on the face of the scales.
Reamed and ready for pinning!
Stay tuned for more progress pics coming soon!!
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Great update Evan. Folks, those are what a craftsman's hands look like!
