WIP - Loveless Style Hunter by Erik Boese

[TekSec]

Well, I've been wanting to do a WIP so I figure I'd start one on one of my newest ventures...a Loveless style drop point. Now, since I've never seen how to actually build one, this is my best guess / effort. Let me know of any suggestions, etc.

I started out with a plate of CPM-154 and my pattern. I can't draw worth a sh*t, so I design all my blade on the PC with CAD and then print out my templates.



I cut out the template and size it up on the material and using 3m Super77 or HangTite, I paste the cut out on my steel

Then using my high tech (read Harbor Freight) bandsaw, I start roughing out my pieces. I usually Dykem the template first because the paper cut out doesn't hold up real well to oil and grinding but I ran out.

As you can see, the paper is almost toast but here they are roughed out.

I strap up the Grizzly with a 60 grit and do my profiling

 

[John M Cohea]

Should be interesting to see it come together.

 

[TekSec]

Here they are after grinding the profile. Notice the slightly burned paper. Thus the need for Dykem

Using some acetone, I wipe the steel clean and get all the paper / adhesive off. I also spot drilled my tang holes prior to removing the template.

Here I am starting the edge bevel. Look ma', no jigs!

Here's the beginning bevel.

Moving upwards and onwards. Gotta love Norton 60's, really tear it off quick!

Getting there...

And that's it at 60 grit

 

[TekSec]

Here's it is looking at the edge. Not bad for a hack with a Grizz. I have a Bader, just no 220 yet to hook her up. Maybe by spring

Here it is at 80 grit

At 220

And 400 (cork belt)

 

[TekSec]

Here are the two sides at 400 cork. Next, on to hand sanding....oh, goodie... :yawn:

 

[Sam Salvati]

Hey tute' buddy!!!!!

Nice work Erik, I cannot wait to see it finished, I wish I could grind like that! Must drive you crazy to have the Bader just sitting there. You do damn good though on that grizz.

 

[TekSec]

Well, I wish I could forge like you so we're even And yea, I walk by that dang machine every day and say "man I wish I had my new shop finished" :grumpy:

 

[Will Leavitt]

Why not adapt a dryer cord plug onto the Bader? Make a long extension cord to your electric dryer... assuming of course you have an electric dryer.

 

[TekSec]

I thought about this but part of the deal with my wife letting me pick up the Bader was that I had to finish my shop (and basement) first. Sooooo....needless to say I spend a lot more time messing around with blades than doing the framing

 

[Keith Montgomery]

Looks interesting. I'll have to make sure to check back every once in awhile to see how things are going.

 

[Bruce Bump]

Nice project Eric.
Yours is classified as a "framed handle" construction. Loveless was a one piece full tang. His double guards would slide on over the blade from the tip and seat against two small stops. I like both methods. Many high end bowies use the framed handle.

 

[Chuck Gedraitis Knives]

It looks like your piece of steel was large enough so why not just make this a full tang knife?

 

[TekSec]

Bruce,

Thank you! For the life of me I couldn't remember the term!

Chuck,

I just wanted to do it in this style. I really wanted to cut the frame from around the tang but my slitting saw died and I didn't feel like using the Dremel on it. Plus, I had forgotten Loveless slid his guards on from the blade side and this just seemed like a logical way to do it

 

[TekSec]

Okay, got a couple of hours in today in between birthday present shopping for my step-daughter and a rousing round of Puppyopoly (Monopoly for little ones).

I started by coloring the blade over with a black Sharpie as per my previous lack of Dykem

I have one of these portable worklights as well as fluorescent lighting in my shop. It's still no substitute for direct sunlight, but hey, I'm in a basement and it's cold outside

I use a space age material for my sanding block (Micarta ) and a 1/8 sheet of paper. Perfect size to wrap around the block.

I take 3 or 4 initial swipes to check the lay of the land....er, blade as it were...

10 or 15 minutes and we're down to a nice 220 grit finish

As you can see on the ricasso, precision ground only seems smooth, a few swipes with 220 and you see the real finish...

Now this is a nice 220 finish. Notice I do a 45 degree swipe with the 220. My 400 will be straight from tip to butt, 600 45 degrees again, etc. By alternating strokes not only do you get a better bite with the paper, but you can easily see the heavier grit scratches disappear.

 

[TekSec]

And on to 400 grit. I use Klingspor sheets that I bought at Pop's Knife Supply but have some of the new Norton Black Ice on its way. 400 is as high as I'll go pre-HT and I should have the Black Ice in by the time the blade comes back. The final finish I've chosen for this blade is 600 grit, mainly because I hate mirror finishes.

Here is the ricasso down to 400 and blade still sitting at 220. For any of you that haven't seen the difference, it's a huge contrast.

I sometimes lay the block like this to get down into the plunge, not to mention use up as much of the paper as I can. Waste not, want not!

And now we have a nice even 400 grit finish.

Using some blue painter's tape after wiping the blade down clean with some acetone, I firmly tape up the finished side so I don't have any marring when I do the other side. Sidenote: If you're wet sanding with anything water based (I use Simple Green and water in a 30 / 70 mix), make sure and remove the tape immediately after finishing or you'll get some nifty rust.

Now onto side two. I've already stamped my blade as I've had issues in the past with the ricasso getting just a little off during sanding and then my mark not stamping quite right.

Here it is about halfway to a full 220...

And at a full 220...

And here we are at 400...time to tape up and move on...

 

[TekSec]

Now it's time to work on the tang shoulders. I use a set of 1-2-3 blocks because the are more versatile for me. I didn't get a shot of it, but I marked a line using a jeweler's square from the spine so my shoulder's would be exactly square with it. I lock the blocks together on the blade and then mount it in the vise for that extra little security.

Using a small chainsaw file, I radius the corners of the shoulders to minimize the chance of any stress during HT.

10 to 15 strokes is all it takes and you have a nice radius.

I wrap a little 400 grit around the file and polish it up a little.

I used a file on the flats and cleaned up the other side and then check it with the square. The slight gap is from the tape. Looks good, moving on...

I lock the tang into the blocks now so I clean those up.

I cleaned it up with some 400. Not bad, gonna be sealed up anyhow

I did the other side and radiused the tang end a little. Now to drill some holes...

 

[TekSec]

Using my mini-mill I step through the bits starting with a 3/32" up to a 5/32". I'm using 1/8" pins because I don't like the oversized look, I think they detract from the overall knife. I go a 1/32" over to allow for a little wiggle room and for the epoxy to migrate through the hole around the pin.

Moving onto the second piece, I drill the second pin and lanyard holes.

The lanyard hole is going to 1/4" stainless tubing, so I bore it out to make is perfectly round with a 9/32" reamer.

I chamfer all the holes slightly so there won't be an issue with heat risers. I've never had an issue and don't want any....

I put a block of stainless on my sanding setup with a sheet of 400 clamped to it so I can flatten out the tang frame a little and get rid of any burrs the drilling left behind.

Rub rub rub...

Not nearly as pretty as the blade but I think it will suffice

 

[TekSec]

Now, at the point where I was cleaning up the tang frame, my camera battery went dead, but basically I just laid the blade tang on the tang frame and marked around it with a Sharpie. I then used the 1-2-3 blocks on the frame to file and radius.

I'm happy with the results. Not bad for a couple of hours of work. I nicked a little far with the band saw on the frame when I was making the rough cutout (see top pic) but it's not that bad. Let me know how you think I'm doing!

 

[gixxer]

I have been checking out this thread, I use 123 blocks also. Your plunge is so smooth! Should be real nice. What handle material you gonna use?

 

[TekSec]

I'm not sure. I'm debating on either African Blackwood or maybe some Buckeye burl. The Buckeye burl is a nice grey mix so either one would contrast the stainless hardware. The 123 blocks work okay for this app. I wouldn't want them to grind plunges, but I don't do that anyway.