Knives

[bigegg]

Iv been meaning to pull my finger out and make a knife for a while

do you just cut with a grinder and shape with a flap disc then sharpen on the belt sander?

also how do the brass pins work?

Basically, yes - my first knives were cut with the angry grinder, then shaped AND sharpened on a Bosch pbs60 belt sander, held in the vise.
Bit of hardwood pallet wood for handles, held on with poundshop poxy and a couple of copper nails with the heads cut off.

The brass pins are just dowels that strengthen the Pixy resin which is what actually holds the scales on.
I'm not even sure if they are needed, really, for small knives, but it's traditional.

<edit: not going to change the typo/auto correct - it will now be forever known as "Pixy resin">

 

[h-dom]

Yeah I cut with the bandsaw or grinder if the bandsaw struggles, I do most of the shaping with a 60 grit ceramic belt on the belt grinder.

For grinding the bevels I would suggest to start with you make a jig. I made one with a bit of 40x40x5 angle with an m10 bolt through a tapped hole so I could adjust the angle. Clamp the knife to the angle and you can adjust. You'll get nice even bevels by doing that and after a bit of practice you will probably find it easier freehand.

Brass pins are just a mechanical fixing which are epoxied into the scales as well as the tang. I imagine they prevent a lot of shear stress on the epoxy if you just had the scales glued to the tang and were hammering the knife hard.

There are mechanical fixings called Corby bolts which are effectively a male and female which screw into each other. I've never used them, never felt it necessary for if you are making a knife that will be used hard I think they would be a good option.

 

[bigegg]

Yeah I cut with the bandsaw or grinder if the bandsaw struggles, I do most of the shaping with a 60 grit ceramic belt on the belt grinder.

For grinding the bevels I would suggest to start with you make a jig. I made one with a bit of 40x40x5 angle with an m10 bolt through a tapped hole so I could adjust the angle. Clamp the knife to the angle and you can adjust. You'll get nice even bevels by doing that and after a bit of practice you will probably find it easier freehand.

Brass pins are just a mechanical fixing which are epoxied into the scales as well as the tang. I imagine they prevent a lot of shear stress on the epoxy if you just had the scales glued to the tang and were hammering the knife hard.

There are mechanical fixings called Corby bolts which are effectively a male and female which screw into each other. I've never used them, never felt it necessary for if you are making a knife that will be used hard I think they would be a good option.

The Americans call them "Chicago screws" I think.
I've used cut down "connector bolts" (as used to join IKEA cabinets) as well.

 

[stuvy]

Thanks for the above replies will give a quick one a go and see what it’s like

 

[bigegg]

Small Chicago screws/Corby bolts are used a lot with "teklock" belt clips to fit them to sheaths. They are cheap from China. (As are the clips themselves).

 

[h-dom]

The Corby bolts I've seen have a groove for a flat head screwdriver on each side which would then be ground off after tightening. Seem like a good option if you can be arsed counterboring the scales.

 

[bigegg]

The Corby bolts I've seen have a groove for a flat head screwdriver on each side which would then be ground off after tightening. Seem like a good option if you can be arsed counterboring the scales.

I don't get that? Surely you'd have to counterbore/countersink anyway, otherwise you'd have to take off the entire head?

The only knife I've owned which used Corby screws was a "Whitby knives" lambsfoot folder.
It came with a choice of (replaceable) scales (and blades).

<Edit> This one, but apparently they don't offer the alternate scales, or blade shapes any more.

 

[h-dom]

I don't get that? Surely you'd have to counterbore/countersink anyway, otherwise you'd have to take off the entire head?

The only knife I've owned which used Corby screws was a "Whitby knives" lambsfoot folder.
It came with a choice of (replaceable) scales (and blades).

yeah I just meant in general rather than using pins. They must give a stronger mechanical connection.

 

[Lewis_RX8]

Iv been meaning to pull my finger out and make a knife for a while

do you just cut with a grinder and shape with a flap disc then sharpen on the belt sander?

also how do the brass pins work?

Same here must really get round to it seeing all these great looking knives in this thread

 

[h-dom]

I'm pretty pleased with this one still and my partner took some nice photos today

 

[RichardM]

"do you just cut with a grinder and shape with a flap disc then sharpen on the belt sander?"
@stuvy

That's how I made mine out of an old file. Welded a screw thread on for handle retention.

 

[nicko868]

that new knife looks the dogs danglys if you do get round to drawing up a set of plans for the belt grinder id love a set please!

 

[Gragson]

Anyone tried one of these https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/M14-Belt...484fa682cd29f4f91bc6|ampid:PL_CLK|clp:2334524

Or are they as rubbish an idea as they look?
Not got the room for a dedicated setup and the platens on the other 2 belt machines I've got don't lend themselves to doing a nice sweep with a blade..

 

[outofthefire]

Made this, this week out of 2 of the bandsaw blades in the photo. Its my best attempt at hammer welded steel yet. I forged a single stack about a foot long together and it welded perfectly. I cut it in half and tried to weld them together, the blade half welded great, but as I started to draw the handle out (originally I was going to make a 1 piece viking knife handle) it separated so I'm just going to resin a drilled out wooden handle on it, it's not like I'm going to give it to one of the wooden heads on forged in fire to test it

 

[VeryFEDUP]

Bevels done:

Now for the first stage of what is time wise, 80% of knife making; hand sanding. I have a couple of files that are so fine. I'll start with them. Then, 240 and 400 grit. Going to experiment on this one and only go as far as 600 before hardening and tempering. I usually try to make something that needs to be in the oven for an hour or two so that I can temper at the same time!

I am also roughing out a blade for a small folding knife at the same time. I must try to find a way to cut an accurate slot lengthways in the handle to accept the blade. I am going to try this setup:

That's a very cheap table bolted to my bench drill. A friend has made me some T bolts for holding down duties. He also made the blade arbour. Blade has a 2mm kerf and I have 2mm steel.

I will do some tests with softwood. I have some nice beech for when I know the setup will work.

 

[bigegg]

Bevels done:

View attachment 266045

Now for the first stage of what is time wise, 80% of knife making; hand sanding. I have a couple of files that are so fine. I'll start with them. Then, 240 and 400 grit. Going to experiment on this one and only go as far as 600 before hardening and tempering. I usually try to make something that needs to be in the oven for an hour or two so that I can temper at the same time!

I am also roughing out a blade for a small folding knife at the same time. I must try to find a way to cut an accurate slot lengthways in the handle to accept the blade. I am going to try this setup:

View attachment 266046

That's a very cheap table bolted to my bench drill. A friend has made me some T bolts for holding down duties. He also made the blade arbour. Blade has a 2mm kerf and I have 2mm steel.

I will do some tests with softwood. I have some nice beech for when I know the setup will work.

Please build a box to go around the saw blade, so only a cutting edge is exposed.



(Best pic I could find.)

So many ways it could go wrong with the first set up: timber is much less homogeneous than metal, there can be bits of stone in it, twists leading to blade grab. Plus the blade is much wider than a milling slitting saw: faster periphery speed, and TCT blade tips can fly off much faster.

The spindle of a drill press isn't designed for sideways load, so the blade could also oscillate, leading to binding and/or blade damage.

Also: the clamps are applying pressure across the slot you are milling. As the slot gets deeper, they will come loose, or at least start to press on the blade itself.


The less blade which is uncovered, the safer you will be.

 

[h-dom]

Done a couple of new ones, here's one

straight back camp knife
Ash handle dyed and oiled
Stainless 6mm pins x2

 

[stuvy]

That’s lovely I really like the shape of that

 

[Migmac]

I need to get back it too, enjoyed making the folder. Time for another

 

[h-dom]

If I'm honest it started out as a little tanto but I screwed up the bevel at the tip end so reground it into this and I think I prefer it this way. Got a tanto in the making because it annoyed me that I mucked it up. All ground and hand sanded ready for a handle.

I've made my own micarta with an old black cotton t shirt and some casting resin, hopefully it comes out ok once I do the finishing of the handle.

Everything has paused now because I decided to convert my belt grinder from belt drive to direct drive and in doing so discovered the motor shaft is running out of true and I have no idea how to ID the bearings, it's a bit noisy and I'm hoping it is just those. It's a 28mm shaft so don't think it's bent.