Work in progress...groomsmen knives

[silver_pilate]

Well, I've been wanting to do this for a while now, so I'll throw my attempt at a work-in-progress thread. This is basic stuff, but maybe some of the newer makers can find it helpful. My methods are likely not the best, but they work out for me.

First, I'll show you the shop. It's a 20X40 storage/shop unit with 110/220V.

Here's where most of the work goes down.

Here's my latest addition, a workbench for my heat treating area. Note the aluminum quench plates on the side mounted to a wood vice. The oven is one I built about a year ago. It races to 1500 in about 5 minutes and will reach excess of 2000 with good accuracy. Seals up pretty nice with the high-temp tadpole gasket with stainless strapping.

To be continued....

 

[silver_pilate]

I'm currently working on the groomsmen and best man gifts for my wedding. I've got five to crank out.

First step is to scribe out the pattern on a piece of 5/32" O-1 stock. The pattern I'm using here was the first of these knives I ground out with just dimensions in mind and an overall idea. It's similar to some of my other work I've done so far, but I like the idea of a one-off knife as a gift.

After the pattern is scribed, I use a right angle grinder with a metal cutoff wheel to remove bulky pieces from the pattern. Then I switch to a grinding stone to get closer. Though not shown, I use the 2x72" Grizzly and an 80 grit belt to finalize the shape.

I use a 1/2 round file to finish up the area of the finger grove and get it into a smooth radius.

You end up with something like this:

Next, it's onto the center scribe mounted in a small bench vise. Though most recommend using two scribed lines to determine your center thickness, I usually just scribe a center line and do the rest by eye. So far I've managed to work it up pretty consistently.

To be continued....

 

[silver_pilate]

I use these pieces of 440 scrap as a plunge guide while I'm grinding the bevels. You'll see later on that I also use the guide for holding the knife blade while grinding. The thickness allows me to grind longer between water dunks as it fends off the heat while I'm roughing in the bevels.

I start with a roughly 45 degree initial bevel to start the grind and break in the edge.

Then I begin working the bevel up the blade towards the spine, checking frequently on the progress and dunking in water as needed.

I try to grind about 1/2 way up one side and then switch to the other to keep things even and keep going back and forth. I start with 80 grit and grind up to around 2/32 edge thickness and bring the bevel up near the spine. Then I switch to 150 and bring the edge thickness to near 1/32 and the bevel up almost completely to the spine. Then it's 220, then 400 bringing the bevel and edge thickness to near final dimensions prior to heat treating.

Eventually (about 45 minutes total for me at this time), I end up with something like this.

To be continued....

--nathan

 

[silver_pilate]

Thought I'd throw my ugly mugg in here, but mainly, just wanted to thank my beautiful shop pixie/fiance who took the pics for me.

More to come soon as I've already drilled the pin holes and unweighted the tangs. I'll be at the shop tomorrow and will take more pics. It will probably be a couple of weeks before we get to a final product. I'll update as I go.

I'm open to any suggestions/critiques. Hope you enjoy!

--nathan

 

[butcher_block]

nice in work shots
BTW your shop is too clean and empty

oo thats cause i want a shop and space

 

[Jim Rehrer]

Hey Great Job cant wait to see the finished knife...what do you have in mind for the handle material?

 

[Karl B. Andersen]

I'm surprised you get any work done with her in there!

 

[smitty0331]

Great job grinding that one. Nice clean lines. The knife looks pretty good too! Just kidding, the knife looks great, thanks for the informative post. I hope my first knife turns out that good.

 

[silver_pilate]

BTW your shop is too clean and empty

I know...depressing isn't it. Next on the list for me is a KMG and a portaband mounted vertically on a stand.

Hey Great Job cant wait to see the finished knife...what do you have in mind for the handle material?

Thanks, Jim! For the 4 groomsmen knives I'm going to use black linen micarta for 2 and tan canvas for 2. My best man's getting desert ironwood. All knives will have a mosaic 1/4" front pin and a 1/4" lanyard tube in the rear as well as vulcanized spacers. The sheaths will be kydex except for the best man who is probably getting leather.

I'm surprised you get any work done with her in there!

That does present a problem, doesn't it? Erin's great. Luckily, most of the time I'm at the shop by myself. I can't tell you how much I look forward to marrying this girl (just 2 months to go).

I hope my first knife turns out that good

Thanks, smitty. I wish my first knives had turned out this good as well! Actually, these knives are closer to number 20+ for me. I'm finally getting a handle on a good flat grind. Once the KMG is afforded, I'll be starting all over with hollow grinds.

--nathan

 

[toecutter]

Great stuff all around. I've been in a few weddings and gotten a few knives for it but they were all swiss army's (actually pretty useful). Point being, no one took the time to craft them themselves. I'm sure those guys will treasure these for a long time to come. Can't wait to see the end product, thanks for sharing.
Nathan

 

[Bruce Bump]

Nice shop and beautiful lady. I hope you two have a wonderful life together. The real test is if she loves you enough to let you fill that shop with tools and still come out there smiling that pretty.

 

[Edro20]

Awesome! You giving any shop tours for the locals?
I bought a band saw yesterday to add to my stuff and
don't really have time right now to use it.

BTW, Nathan my computer cratered and I had to build
another one and I managed to lose your email addy in the bargain.
Shoot me an email when you get a minute. Thanks!

 

[fitzo]

Congratulations on your impending nuptials, Nathan. I wish you two lifelong joy together.:thumbup:

 

[silver_pilate]

Thanks everyone! I'm a lucky guy.

Ed, you're more than welcome to stop by, as long as you loan me some time on that new bandsaw! Email on the way.

 

[nate3993]

Shop and knife looking good

 

[Ryan Minchew]

Looks good can't wait to see the finished product. Congrats again on the up and coming marriage.

Off topic saw that you were a physical therapist. My sister is a PTA up here in Pampa for Pampa Orthopedics and Rehab but they are based out of Lubbock and have a couple of offices down there. I don't know what they are called down there though. Take care. Ryan Minchew

 

[silver_pilate]

Ryan,

Don't know what they're called either. Could be PT Today. I used to work with the guys who started that place. I'm a PT for University Medical Center in Lubbock. We do mostly neuro rehab. I used to know some PT's up in that area, but they've gone on to other places.

--nathan

 

[silver_pilate]

Out to the shop for a short while today...trying to get over a sinus infection.

Anyway, here are the five all drilled and ready for sanding.

I made a rough sanding/draw filing jig patterned after one I saw posted here at some point. Basically mild steel drilled and tapped for 3/16ths bolts with stop nuts. I cemented some scrap leather to the top and clamp it up to the work bench.

Here's a close up of how the bolts can be advanced to support the tapering blade. The jig is oversized to allow work on larger knives.

Thanks for looking. Time to get sanding this week.

To be continued....

--nathan

 

[silver_pilate]

Well, time to pick this back up for a quick update. I pre-heat treat sanded the blades to 400 grit and then hardened them all tonight. They're in the oven as I type this for the first temper cycle.

Here's some pics of the sanding process:

My jig setup with the angle iron+leather sanding stick. I tore about 50 pages of paper into squares the other day that are quickly changed out on the sanding stick. I use windex to keep the grit in play.

Here's the blade pretty well done prior to heat treat. I don't worry about pretty as much as I do evenness prior to heat treating. I keep a halogen light on the bench while I work and a flourescent handheld worklight nearby to check the finish as I go.

After the sanding, I reamed all the holes and filed in the choils using a chainsaw file, starting the choil with a dremel and cutoff wheel to nail the location.

Next is the heat treat. The oven has been warmed to 1475 and let stand to come up to temperature. I place the blade edge up in small refractory holder, and soaked at temperature for 20 minutes after the temperature equalized. After 5 minutes of soak, I checked the steel (O1) with a magnet, and it was above curie point, so at least above 1400. I let it soak for another 15 mintues and quenched in 130 degree canola oil.

I used the timer on the camera to capture this shot of the blade just as it was going into the oil. I submerge the blade, and after a few seconds, begin gently moving the blade in the oil to continue the rapid cool. I went ahead and let the blades cool all the way to oil temperature before removing them and cleaning them up.

After I quench one blade, I close the oven door and let the oven return to temp. Once there, I place another blade in and let it soak for 20 minutes. By the time the soak is done, the oil has cooled back to right around 130.

So that's it for now. The blades are hanging in the oven tempering at 400 for 2 hours right now. Next I'll be hand sanding and making handles.

--nathan

 

[Nathan the Machinist]

Cool thread. I like that oven you made. I also like that you're not afraid to give O1 a good long soak. I'll bet these turn out to be great knives.