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Posted: 2/21/2024 9:59:50 PM EDT
I started a Thread in here back in '19 when I was first getting started making knives. I had gotten pretty involved with it until I had to pack up my shop while my family and I explored the country looking for a new place to call home.
We got settled in the inland Northwest last fall and we've just gotten to a point where I can spend some time working on knives again. I enjoy having a thread to post my projects in because there's usually more discussion in here than I get on Instagram. If you have any questions, criticism or suggestions, feel free to speak up. I'll do my best to help anyone out with what I can. I was trying to think of a good place to start this thread but I already have a few irons in the fire, so to speak, so I figured that I'll just start on what I'm doing today.  Attached FileIn this picture, the three horizontal knives are getting ready to be marked and the three vertical ones on the right need a few lightening holes ("speed holes"  ) drilled in the tang before heat treat. I'll give more details about the knives as I get going. |
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Posted: 2/21/2024 10:48:46 PM EDT
[#1]
 Attached FileGot the marks done. I need to order some new stencils from IMG because my second to last one got a couple of cracks in it, leading to some artifacts that needed a little bit of extra sanding to get out, so my mark is a little more washed out on the middle one than I would like. I need to coffee etch the bottom one again for the same reason. |
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Posted: 2/23/2024 1:35:12 AM EDT
[#2]
Today I had some weirdness happening with the Damascus blade. The coffee had turned the 15n20 black as well so I sanded all of the old etching down to smooth, bright steel with a 400 grit finish and etched it in FC and have it soaking in the coffee again.
I also got this 5" belt knife glued up and these two kitchen knives sanded on the flats and ready to start grinding on.  Attached File |
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Posted: 2/23/2024 1:41:47 AM EDT
[#3]
Looks good. Do you know we have a BLADES forum? Might get some more help and feedback.
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Posted: 2/23/2024 3:37:52 AM EDT
[Last Edit: DFARM]
[#4]
I do, but knife nerds hang out in there. Lol
(I'm a knife nerd) In here we make stuff! |
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Posted: 2/24/2024 3:49:40 PM EDT
[#5]
Alright, I'm putting goals in here to help hold myself accountable. Lol
 Attached FileThis weekend I want to get the top two ground and ready for handles and the bottom two heat treated and ready to start grinding. |
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Posted: 2/24/2024 9:16:00 PM EDT
[#6]
I'm doing better than I was expecting (knocks on wood).
These two are done being ground. They just need to be marked and then handles glued on but I'm waiting on the material for that. The other two knives are in their first temper cycle and they'll get the second one today as well so I might be able to start grinding on them tomorrow.  Attached File |
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Posted: 2/24/2024 10:45:17 PM EDT
[#7]
micarta all the things
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Posted: 2/24/2024 11:08:52 PM EDT
[#8]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By WIC: micarta all the things Blue canvas micarta on these two, with some bright/loud liners. |
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Posted: 2/24/2024 11:21:29 PM EDT
[#9]
good man
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Posted: 2/24/2024 11:51:42 PM EDT
[#10]
Nice grinds.
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Posted: 2/25/2024 1:13:28 AM EDT
[#11]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By JKrammes: Nice grinds. Thank you! Grinding bevels is one of my favorite parts of the process. I think it's because it's pretty honest. You either get them how you want them or you don't. There's nobody to blame but yourself. |
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Posted: 2/29/2024 11:06:43 PM EDT
[#12]
Oof. 5 days without updating. I haven't had a ton of time in the shop due to life but I have made some progress.
The two sets of scales on the right are for the prep and utility pair. They're blue canvas micarta with orange and green g10 liners. Next to those are a set of burlap micarta scales with black g10 liners On the end is one of those little drop points from the first post that I ground a little off center so I'm putting some walnut scales on it and it'll be my new toolbox knife at work. I got the second one ground as well. The burlap scales are for that one. I'm thinking it'll get brass or copper pins and lanyard tube.  Attached FileI've also started on a "side" project. A slip joint has seemed like a fun project for a while now and I figured it was time to give it a try.  Attached File |
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Posted: 2/29/2024 11:48:23 PM EDT
[#13]
dibs
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Posted: 3/1/2024 1:04:38 AM EDT
[#14]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By WIC: dibs On? |
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Posted: 3/1/2024 10:22:34 AM EDT
[#15]
you know I am a folder guy
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Posted: 3/1/2024 10:46:27 AM EDT
[#16]
I need to figure out if I can actually make one that works or not. Lol
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Posted: 3/1/2024 2:22:32 PM EDT
[#17]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By DFARM: I need to figure out if I can actually make one that works or not. Lol Can you heat treat the spring bar? Are you going to pin it together or use screws? Slip joints are really popular right now. Lots of guys are using screws instead of pinning everything. I have seen some that are works of art. I have been making folders for many years. I have never tried a slip joint. |
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Posted: 3/1/2024 8:35:54 PM EDT
[#18]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By JKrammes: Can you heat treat the spring bar? Are you going to pin it together or use screws? Slip joints are really popular right now. Lots of guys are using screws instead of pinning everything. I have seen some that are works of art. I have been making folders for many years. I have never tried a slip joint. I don't think heat treating the spring will be an issue. I have a heat treat oven. I'm going to pin this one. I had thought about using screws or other threaded hardware but pins are the traditional way so I'm going to give it a try that way. I would like to try back lock and liner lock knives in the future as well, just for the experience, if nothing else. |
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Posted: 3/1/2024 9:09:09 PM EDT
[#19]
I know an easy way to try the backlock.
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Posted: 3/1/2024 10:09:08 PM EDT
[#20]
 Attached FileBroken pictures don't make it any easier. Lol I appreciate the thought though. Weekend goals:  Attached FileI need to get the three on the left marked and glued up. The shop knife needs the handle shaped and the edge sharpened. I wasn't going to mark it but I might if I'm feeling frisky. I'd love it if I could get the handles shaped on the three before Monday. I'll have to build sheaths for at least 4 knives, so I'll probably have to switch gears and start doing leather work next weekend. Extra bonus points for this weekend if I can get the parts for the folder and the new pattern fixed blade in the picture cut out and heat treated. I'll have to hit it pretty early tomorrow to have time for that though. |
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Posted: 3/1/2024 10:10:19 PM EDT
[Last Edit: DFARM]
[#21]
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Posted: 3/1/2024 10:19:33 PM EDT
[#22]
Weird, it shows for me.
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Posted: 3/2/2024 1:50:11 AM EDT
[#23]
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Posted: 3/2/2024 2:44:00 AM EDT
[#24]
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Posted: 3/3/2024 11:45:44 PM EDT
[#25]
Unfortunately other things came up this weekend and I wasn't able to work at all yesterday and only about 90 minutes this evening.
About all I got done since the last update was to get pin holes drilled.  Attached File |
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Posted: 3/3/2024 11:49:56 PM EDT
[#26]
Do you use a band saw to remove some of the excess material from the scales after it is glued, or is it all removed by the grinding belts?
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Posted: 3/4/2024 12:28:44 AM EDT
[#27]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By WIC: Do you use a band saw to remove some of the excess material from the scales after it is glued, or is it all removed by the grinding belts? Band saw to remove the bull of the material. It's a lot faster and less chance of burning the material. |
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Posted: 3/4/2024 12:29:39 AM EDT
[#28]
can you ride the steel handle as a guide, or will the band saw bite into it?
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Posted: 3/4/2024 10:41:41 AM EDT
[#29]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By WIC: can you ride the steel handle as a guide, or will the band saw bite into it? It's hard on band saw blades. If someone wanted to do something like that, I think a router would be the way to go. If you could find a bit with a good shape and the guide bearing thing, I think you could knock out simple handles pretty quickly. |
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Posted: 3/5/2024 7:03:55 AM EDT
[#30]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By DFARM: It's hard on band saw blades. If someone wanted to do something like that, I think a router would be the way to go. If you could find a bit with a good shape and the guide bearing thing, I think you could knock out simple handles pretty quickly. Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By DFARM: Originally Posted By WIC: can you ride the steel handle as a guide, or will the band saw bite into it? It's hard on band saw blades. If someone wanted to do something like that, I think a router would be the way to go. If you could find a bit with a good shape and the guide bearing thing, I think you could knock out simple handles pretty quickly. Just keep doing what you are doing. Don't over complicate it. |
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Posted: 3/5/2024 4:16:32 PM EDT
[#31]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By JKrammes: Just keep doing what you are doing. Don't over complicate it. I don't have any intention of adding extra tools or processes at this point. I don't do enough volume that having faster simple handles would help me much. It was just an idea for a way to make slab handles easily, similar to using the tang of the knife as a guide for the band saw. |
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Posted: 3/6/2024 12:49:55 AM EDT
[#32]
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Posted: 3/6/2024 10:59:38 PM EDT
[#33]
Thank you for the inspiration! Keep 'em coming!
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Posted: 3/9/2024 12:34:01 AM EDT
[Last Edit: DFARM]
[#34]
Unfortunately I wasn't able to get much done this week due to other commitments and feeling a little under the weather.
I did figure out that this blue micarta is among the worst materials to work with that I've experienced. It's almost plasticky in that it overheats extremely quickly, gums up and plugs saw blades and belts, it burns and discolors and will tear out in chunks if I'm not careful. I think I have it figured out though. Very slow belt speeds and sharp belts while just pecking at the material to keep the heat down seems to work well. I don't know if I'll attempt to go any finer than maybe 80 grit on the grinder before I switch to hand sanding. I had to reglue liners on the burlap scales because I messed one up roughing it up to prep it for glue. Here's where we are tonight, I'm hoping to get these three glued up this weekend. It's supposed to rain and we don't have plans beyond maybe meeting some friends from for lunch as they're passing through tomorrow so hopefully I'll have time to get these moving this weekend.  Attached File |
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Posted: 3/9/2024 8:49:38 AM EDT
[#35]
it's a nice blue once you open it up
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Posted: 3/9/2024 11:35:47 AM EDT
[#36]
It's much better than it first looked. It doesn't seem to want to stay a little fuzzy like canvas micarta normally does though. I'm going to have to play with that a bit.
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Posted: 3/9/2024 2:45:19 PM EDT
[#37]
I've always hated working with Micarta. It stinks and burns easily. You have to use sharp belts. I much prefer G10 or carbon fiber for synthetics.
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Posted: 3/9/2024 4:16:09 PM EDT
[#38]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By JKrammes: I've always hated working with Micarta. It stinks and burns easily. You have to use sharp belts. I much prefer G10 or carbon fiber for synthetics. This stuff is "extra". I use green and black canvas micarta somewhat often and this stuff is way worse. So much so that I emailed pop's about it and asked for tips or if anyone else had issues with this particular stuff. They told me that it wasn't just me but whoever made it told them that in order to get the blue color in the resin it had to be like this. I don't know if that's true or not but I'm probably not going to order any more of it. |
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Posted: 3/9/2024 5:55:14 PM EDT
[#39]
toss it and stick to ODG
preferred by tier 1 operators everywhere |
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Posted: 3/9/2024 9:13:36 PM EDT
[#40]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By DFARM: This stuff is "extra". I use green and black canvas micarta somewhat often and this stuff is way worse. So much so that I emailed pop's about it and asked for tips or if anyone else had issues with this particular stuff. They told me that it wasn't just me but whoever made it told them that in order to get the blue color in the resin it had to be like this. I don't know if that's true or not but I'm probably not going to order any more of it. I have a sheet of vintage natural canvas Micarta from the 1980's. It is kind of red/burgundy. 3'x3'x .130 thick... Still trying to figure out what to do with it. |
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Posted: 3/10/2024 3:27:04 AM EDT
[#41]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By JKrammes: I have a sheet of vintage natural canvas Micarta from the 1980's. It is kind of red/burgundy. 3'x3'x .130 thick... Still trying to figure out what to do with it. I know what you could do with at least some of it.... |
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Posted: 3/10/2024 10:27:39 PM EDT
[#42]
I can't complain too much. Yesterday was pretty nice for most of the day so I worked at cleaning up some blown down trees and limbs until the afternoon.
I got the prep knife handles mostly shaped and sanded up to 600(then bumped one scale on a 36 grit belt dressing the Corby bolts down  ) and got all three knives glued up. Today I cut and ground the pins down and got the profile of the handles cleaned up a bit.  Attached File |
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Posted: 3/14/2024 11:37:20 PM EDT
[#43]
Thursday update.
I got the handle rough shaped on the little EDC knife and the handle mostly sanded on the prep knife. The utility knife isn't in the pic because it's still clamped in my finishing vise getting the handle sanded.  Attached File |
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Posted: 3/15/2024 10:12:35 PM EDT
[#44]
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Posted: 3/15/2024 10:17:17 PM EDT
[#45]
When do you start building?
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Posted: 3/15/2024 10:46:38 PM EDT
[Last Edit: DFARM]
[#46]
Most likely not for another year.
We're saving money to do it without a loan. At least that's the plan for now. I can see me talking myself into a mortgage by telling myself that time is more valuable than money. Lol |
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Posted: 3/20/2024 8:14:51 PM EDT
[#47]
Putting a fork in this pair. Aside from the headache of dealing with this blue micarta, things went pretty smoothly. There was definitely some things that I'm a bit rusty on but I think it's just because I haven't made any of these for a while.
 Attached File Attached File |
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Posted: 3/20/2024 8:36:14 PM EDT
[#48]
very nice.
very. |
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Posted: 3/20/2024 9:28:04 PM EDT
[#49]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By WIC: very nice. very. Thanks! I'm going to be working on sheaths for a bit. |
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Posted: 3/20/2024 11:40:50 PM EDT
[#50]
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