-
The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
Price is$300$250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
WIP, Machined knife
- Thread starter Nathan the Machinist
- Start date
- Joined
- Dec 27, 2010
- Messages
- 6,852
Very nice. I, for one, haven't seen nearly enough of your processes, so anything you share is very much appreciated by me. I find this one fascinating. Thank you for sharing. I look forward to seeing the finished project (and anything else working up to that that you might end up sharing as well).
The Amazing Virginian
Gold Member
- Joined
- Feb 24, 2010
- Messages
- 9,881
Thanks so much for posting this here. I found it extremely interesting.
I know you said you were concluding the WIP, but if you want to add just one more "as completed" pic that we could compare to the original drawing/model at the start of this tread, I think that would be cool.
Nathan the Machinist
KnifeMaker / Machinist / Evil Genius
Moderator
Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
- Joined
- Feb 13, 2007
- Messages
- 17,602
Thanks so much for posting this here. I found it extremely interesting.
I know you said you were concluding the WIP, but if you want to add just one more "as completed" pic that we could compare to the original drawing/model at the start of this tread, I think that would be cool.
Yeah, I'll do that. I've moved on to some other stuff in the shop at the moment, but I'll photograph my work on this and when it's all done I'll post it here.
Thanks for following along.
- Joined
- Dec 3, 2010
- Messages
- 193
I LOVE this thread! It is a another way to do a knife like that,I think these knives can be easily hand rubbed in the bevel,Looks great!!!
J.bin
J.bin
- Joined
- Nov 2, 2009
- Messages
- 461
Love this WIP, awaiting for the final result
- Joined
- Jun 4, 2001
- Messages
- 14,912
very cool.
Nathan the Machinist
KnifeMaker / Machinist / Evil Genius
Moderator
Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
- Joined
- Feb 13, 2007
- Messages
- 17,602
Okay, so where did I leave this off...
My blades were milled out and ready for HT. The next step is scales. I'm making some in G10 and micarta, but I'm also making a few in wood which is always a little more tricky.
Here's something you don't see in a machine shop very often:
A wood cutting saw blade in the carousel.
The cutter next to it is this guy:
I used to use a chisel ground fly cutter for flattening wood but I found these and they're the best. The cutting edge is very acute, there is a lot of clearance and the edge is quite sharp and the whole insert is coated with "diamond like carbon" so it stays sharp in abrasive woods like ironwood. This setup cuts clean without tearing the wood or burnishing it where it won't take epoxy as well.
Then a vacuum fixture to start processing the G10.
That sheet looks like it's just sitting there, but it would take a team of horses to move it.
Some carbon fiber. I hate carbon fiber.
pretty interesting stuff though
Wood, which has its own challenges, is rewarding to work with. Every piece is unique.
My blades were milled out and ready for HT. The next step is scales. I'm making some in G10 and micarta, but I'm also making a few in wood which is always a little more tricky.
Here's something you don't see in a machine shop very often:
A wood cutting saw blade in the carousel.
The cutter next to it is this guy:
I used to use a chisel ground fly cutter for flattening wood but I found these and they're the best. The cutting edge is very acute, there is a lot of clearance and the edge is quite sharp and the whole insert is coated with "diamond like carbon" so it stays sharp in abrasive woods like ironwood. This setup cuts clean without tearing the wood or burnishing it where it won't take epoxy as well.
Then a vacuum fixture to start processing the G10.
That sheet looks like it's just sitting there, but it would take a team of horses to move it.
Some carbon fiber. I hate carbon fiber.
pretty interesting stuff though
Wood, which has its own challenges, is rewarding to work with. Every piece is unique.
Nathan the Machinist
KnifeMaker / Machinist / Evil Genius
Moderator
Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
- Joined
- Feb 13, 2007
- Messages
- 17,602
Learning to do a good job machining wood was a learning curve for me but with the right cutters and the right approach it's pretty reliable now.
I wouldn't go through the trouble for just one or two sets of scales, but when you're doing a batch there is a tendency to simplify the design of the scales. This approach gives me the design I envisioned on every set, but it is time consuming so it ties up a machine for quite a while.
The scales are held on pins with fasteners. Everything is a tight fit so they can go on and off and fall into the same spot without a lot a slop. Most people using this attachment technique use a countersunk hole and a flat head screw. Of course the screw can't fill the countersink completely so you get what I consider to be a little bit of a sloppy transition so what I do is make a counterbore rather than a countersink and then mill the 82 degree included angle for the countersink at the bottom of that bore with a special little V mill.
It's a little cleaner but it requires more accuracy in the fastener than you get out of the box so I turn all the screw heads down a few thou to .310 so they'll be the same head diameter.
This, in my opinion, gives it a little bit cleaner more buttoned up appearance.
my pin is an off-the-shelf standoff that I turn down to .249 and cut clearance for the screw head in the end so the pin supports the scales it's full width.
I like to use black screws on my tactical knives but regular black oxide screws rust with a little bit of hand sweat. I've found black oxide stainless screws but the length selection is not very good so most of the time I have to grind them down to size with a fixture like this:
There you go, more detail about screws that any sane person could possibly care about.
I wouldn't go through the trouble for just one or two sets of scales, but when you're doing a batch there is a tendency to simplify the design of the scales. This approach gives me the design I envisioned on every set, but it is time consuming so it ties up a machine for quite a while.
The scales are held on pins with fasteners. Everything is a tight fit so they can go on and off and fall into the same spot without a lot a slop. Most people using this attachment technique use a countersunk hole and a flat head screw. Of course the screw can't fill the countersink completely so you get what I consider to be a little bit of a sloppy transition so what I do is make a counterbore rather than a countersink and then mill the 82 degree included angle for the countersink at the bottom of that bore with a special little V mill.
It's a little cleaner but it requires more accuracy in the fastener than you get out of the box so I turn all the screw heads down a few thou to .310 so they'll be the same head diameter.
This, in my opinion, gives it a little bit cleaner more buttoned up appearance.
my pin is an off-the-shelf standoff that I turn down to .249 and cut clearance for the screw head in the end so the pin supports the scales it's full width.
I like to use black screws on my tactical knives but regular black oxide screws rust with a little bit of hand sweat. I've found black oxide stainless screws but the length selection is not very good so most of the time I have to grind them down to size with a fixture like this:
There you go, more detail about screws that any sane person could possibly care about.
Last edited:
- Joined
- Nov 2, 2009
- Messages
- 461
An example of when talent, skill and knowledge are well blended..
Really opening my eyes...
Really opening my eyes...
Nathan the Machinist
KnifeMaker / Machinist / Evil Genius
Moderator
Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
- Joined
- Feb 13, 2007
- Messages
- 17,602
The ELMAX blades are back from HT. A set of protective scales are installed to keep the edges on the tang from rounding over and they go into tumble. The scales are ground back some at the ricasso so the media can clean that area too.
Some blades get the machining marks ground from the blade before tumble and are taken up to a fairly clean finish so they'll clean up in the tumbler. Some "field grades" are left as is. Some fancy blades will get a fine grind after tumble.
In case you've never seen one before, this noisy messy evil contraption hemorrhaging mud in the corner of my shop is a vibratory tumbler, which is used to remove heat treat color, round sharp corners and apply a frosty finish.
It shakes things pretty violently, my camera had trouble focusing on it.
After tumble some of the fancier knives get a nice hand grind to dress them up a bit.
The wooden scales get nitpicked over and then buffed
Which leads me to the finished, final knife.
money shot:
And this is where this WIP started. It is interesting to me to compare the two
This is a video illustrating the insane durability of the 3V, if you're into that kind of thing: http://youtu.be/IcovoTyGiRg
Thank you everyone for following along. I appreciate all the kind words. This properly concludes this WIP. :thumbup:
Some blades get the machining marks ground from the blade before tumble and are taken up to a fairly clean finish so they'll clean up in the tumbler. Some "field grades" are left as is. Some fancy blades will get a fine grind after tumble.
In case you've never seen one before, this noisy messy evil contraption hemorrhaging mud in the corner of my shop is a vibratory tumbler, which is used to remove heat treat color, round sharp corners and apply a frosty finish.
It shakes things pretty violently, my camera had trouble focusing on it.
After tumble some of the fancier knives get a nice hand grind to dress them up a bit.
The wooden scales get nitpicked over and then buffed
Which leads me to the finished, final knife.
money shot:
And this is where this WIP started. It is interesting to me to compare the two
This is a video illustrating the insane durability of the 3V, if you're into that kind of thing: http://youtu.be/IcovoTyGiRg
Thank you everyone for following along. I appreciate all the kind words. This properly concludes this WIP. :thumbup:
- Joined
- Sep 1, 2013
- Messages
- 842
Awesome.
I was wondering -- how much does it cost to finish a blade in the machine in terms of parts, gas, electricity, etc. whatever the machine and you use to finish a blade? Is the average per knife blade made in the realm of cents, dollars or a lot more?
Did you make that screw jig or? Does a screw adjustment rig even exist?
I was wondering -- how much does it cost to finish a blade in the machine in terms of parts, gas, electricity, etc. whatever the machine and you use to finish a blade? Is the average per knife blade made in the realm of cents, dollars or a lot more?
Learning to do a good job machining wood was a learning curve for me but with the right cutters and the right approach it's pretty reliable now.
I wouldn't go through the trouble for just one or two sets of scales, but when you're doing a batch there is a tendency to simplify the design of the scales. This approach gives me the design I envisioned on every set, but it is time consuming so it ties up a machine for quite a while.
The scales are held on pins with fasteners. Everything is a tight fit so they can go on and off and fall into the same spot without a lot a slop. Most people using this attachment technique use a countersunk hole and a flat head screw. Of course the screw can't fill the countersink completely so you get what I consider to be a little bit of a sloppy transition so what I do is make a counterbore rather than a countersink and then mill the 82 degree included angle for the countersink at the bottom of that bore with a special little V mill.
It's a little cleaner but it requires more accuracy in the fastener than you get out of the box so I turn all the screw heads down a few thou to .310 so they'll be the same head diameter.
This, in my opinion, gives it a little bit cleaner more buttoned up appearance.
my pin is an off-the-shelf standoff that I turn down to .249 and cut clearance for the screw head in the end so the pin supports the scales it's full width.
I like to use black screws on my tactical knives but regular black oxide screws rust with a little bit of hand sweat. I've found black oxide stainless screws but the length selection is not very good so most of the time I have to grind them down to size with a fixture like this:
There you go, more detail about screws that any sane person could possibly care about.
Did you make that screw jig or? Does a screw adjustment rig even exist?
- Joined
- Dec 3, 1999
- Messages
- 9,437
This is all mesmerizing my friend. 
I can't help but think of some of the fellas that I have heard brag about how they don't and would never use CNC in their shop... You know, because it's cheating and all.
I want them to carefully browse this thread so they can see the level of smarts and hands-on craftsmanship that is needed to utilize CNC at your level.
I think this is all amazing. :thumbup:
I can't help but think of some of the fellas that I have heard brag about how they don't and would never use CNC in their shop... You know, because it's cheating and all.
I want them to carefully browse this thread so they can see the level of smarts and hands-on craftsmanship that is needed to utilize CNC at your level.
I think this is all amazing. :thumbup: