Two Latest

etp777

etp777

Joined
Aug 12, 2002
Messages
2,259
OK, first off, I know this first one isn't really a style that most of you like here, and they both have noticable flaws, but I decided I could post both of them anyways, as the second on is my first "real" knife as I keep putting it, and first one shows, albeit not a great picture, my camo micarta, which was a fun little learning experience(the second knife was all KINDS of firsts, new heat treat, hand rubbing, exotic wood scales, bolsters, and jb weld also on bolsters). Both are off to sheath makers now.

Background material is black linen micarta on both, with a piece of camo micarta that I cut those scales from on the first picture. Seems to have about consistency of canvas micarta.

IMG_0461.JPG


1/8" O1, triple normalized, edge quench in goop, triple temper
Flat grind, or as close as I could get then(getting better)
1200 deg F Header Paint
Custom Camo Canvas Micarta scales
Brass 1/8" pins


IMG_0464.JPG


1/8" O1, triple normalized, edge quench in goop, triple temper
Convex Grind
Hand Rubbed to 2000grit(it is NOT mirror polished, even though you can see the tree above it)
Brass Bolsters with JB Weld(if picture was closer you could see JB weld around pins, one of mistakes that makes it a keeper instead of seller)
Bocote scales, 2x72 up to 220grit, hand sanded to 400, 3 coats of TruOil with 0000 ultra fine steel wool between them.

This one has several mistakes too, and isn't realy done, but I had to send it out to sheath maker today to hopefully get it back in time for a campout(since I'm keeping it for myself, giving it a real world test). When I get it back, that sanded part at base of blade/above bolsters leftover from making sure tang was perfectly flat to bolsters will be touched up using Bruce Evan's Utility blade/masking tape sanding trick, the bolsters will be polished, and I'll probably touch up a few more spots on the hand rub, then put on a final edge and some Ren Wax or similar.
 
Very good. I like that bottom one alot. I haven't seen camo micarta advertised. I'll have to look for some of that.

Roger
 
Pretty sure I had already mentioned this to Nightstalker, which is why he had advantage here.

it's not advertised anywhere I've seen either. I made this stuff myself. Still haven't quite gotten it way I want, but it's coming out pretty well.
 
Okay, I gotta know.:eek:

How'djadoit?!

BTW,
Flaws or no, I like your knives. I really like the design of the first one. It looks both interesting and useful.


All the best,
Mike U.
 
Yeah, I like that(Wharncliffe, I think, correct me if anyone knows better) style blade and the knife is useful, without being too big. Thanks for the compliments everyone.

And the micarta idea was courtesy of input of several here, but sadly, I can NOT remmeber who all advised on this one. The micarta was made from plain old PepBoys(person who originally posted, or one of them, said they bought it at walmart, which I shoul do next time to save some money :) ) used to soak pieces of surplus camouflage BDU's. I would suggest though(and I seem to remember seeing this in the thread when I looked back, AFTER making this stuff), thinning it some with some acetone. I have some problems still with little bubbles/voids in the micarta. I will be adding some more weight to the pressing step next time, but I think the thinning will be real key.

Take two boards, one for top, one for bottom of press. Wrap them each in aluminum foil(or just put a piece down, either way, just need this so the resin doesn't stick to the board). Using a cheap polyester(nylon?) bristled paint brush, paint a good thick layer, pick up a piece of the fabric, press it down into the resin, spread another layer of resin over top of fabric, add another piece of fabric, etc. I, depending on the fabric, have added some black layers too. think with the BDU fabric like this, did about 6-7 layers, like maybe 3 camo, one black, then three camo. Can't quite remember on this one, and I did not get enough weight on to flatten it, so had to grind off a lot off top to get it flat. Also, the thinning will help to give you more time. I believe the resin says you have 15 minutes until it starts to harden, which isn't always enough time. lastly, WEAR GLOVES, WEAR RESPIRATOR, and have GOOD VENTILATION. The resin can very easily make you high(and most likely damage your brain) without good ventilation, and the hardener is one of nastiest things 'ive played with, including during chem classes. carcinogenic and a bunch of other things. You can very amount of hardener toalso help increase the set time, but you will end up with extra then. Chemist I asked suggested taking whatever hardener you have left towards end, and last batch of resin, and mix it up and let it harden, as safest way of disposing of this stuff.
 
Oh yeah, and be careful of seams in the fabric, try not to have any. The batch I used for that micarta was a long strip my mom had left over(she made me a camouflage themed quilt for my apt for christmas. I got a good mom. :) ) She had just sewn what she had left into one long strip, and there was one seem in it. I figured it wouldn't show up in micarta, but at least to me, it's very obvious, at the left hand side of the piece of micarta under the knife. So trust me from experience, it will be noticable. :) Or if you have to leave it in there, try to hide it in a middle layer or bottom layer that you won't grind to
 
working right now, but I'm on campus. That server might just have been screwed up(admins here aren't very good). if it's still not working later today let me know and I'll move them somewhere else.
 
It's working for me right now. They look great -- how is that paint going to hold up to cutting?
 
The durability is one of the things that I'm still looking to test. BUT, I did have two neck knives from another maker, one of which had this treatment(he then told me how he did it), and it seemed to hoold up well. And I've done to other ones with this that both also seem to be holding up well.

It is a 1200deg F ceramic enamel paint made for painting headers/exhaust systems. It supposedly will cure/harden fully after first time product heats up. The can though also gives directions on how to do this yourself in the oven ahead of time. So what I did is to do a coat of paint before each temper cycle, then use the tmpering to both cure the paint and do the normal tempering of the blade(450 I think, off top of my head for this one). So we'll see, but I think it will hold up alright. Plus, as this is just one for my own use, if I do wear it away somewhere, will just throw some more on, or even cold blue it, as I know this O1 takes a nice almost black cold blue.

Oh yeah, ad keep coats thin. If you get it on too thick, gets bugbbles there when you cook it in oven.
 
ETP, just a quick $0.02 to say that I REALLY like that camocarta (feel free to trademark that name if you like ;) ) you made up there. Email me when you perfect the process enough to start selling the stuff. I've got a couple of blades that would look :cool: with scales made of that stuff.
 
I might have to take you up on that name, I think I like it. :)

Have had several people ask me about this stuff now, here on the board, and onanother board and in some emails. So will ahve to see. If I ever get anyuthing that I'm willing to sell(both from being good enough and having enough more than I can use at the time), I'll post on here. Pretty sure though that it will end up costing more than standard micarta, just because I don't quite produce as much in a batch(probalby on order of hundredfold there. :) )

BGut if you do get sick of waiting, the infois all here to tyr it yourself. :)
 
Nice work, like the idea of the exhaust paint. I've been thinking along those lines for an easy to repair coating for a combat knife desighn. What would be the lowest temp. you could use to cure it?

Like your work with the mycarta, seems to be promising, especialy since you cant get rag type anymore.

Thanks for shareing
 
The curing heats are all too high for epoxy/micarta, at least ones I used on this.

300F for 2 hours, or 400F for 1.5hrs or 600F for 1 hr. So does give a curing time that will fit in temper range of most any steel. It's the touching up that might be a problem. I had another one, micarta and O1, that I just used cold blue to touch up. that O1 came out almost black. and that was with just quick dabbing of steel with qtips
 
If you don't want to possibly scratch your new knives, I've got a "tester" knife that I made to ensure that my heat-treating and tempering is good. I think I'm going to coat it with your header paint and give a good test. I'll let you know how it comes out.
 
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