View Full Version : For Darrel - TC4's


GordonK
07-19-2002, 02:40 PM
Darrel - many thx for the prompt delivery of the TC-4's. I received them yesterday!!! This is my first attempt at G-10 and it requires a lot of patience!! I think more than Dymondwood or micarta. You definitely have a winner with this one!! I used the blue scales first just to give it a try. I'm trying to bevel the sides just enough to show a bit of a pattern. I tried using my 1" belt sander on it and that was fine for top edge, but not that good for the bottom. I tried a small drum on my Dremel and that's better, but it sure clogs the drum in a hurry. I'm using a crepe block constantly. I'll post a pic of the "next one" in a couple of weeks or as I get time. I'm thinking cocobolo dymondwood with brass mosaic pins. This blade has tons of possibilities!!!!

I've been working with handles and pre-finished blades for a couple of years now. Work schedule and finding blades to play kind of stopped me from "playing". The newsletter I received prompted an order right away. I ordered a couple of DDR-II's a few days later - I'm pretty excited about these - this will be my first foray into folders.

Thx again for the prompt service - gord

Darrel Ralph
07-19-2002, 03:00 PM
Thanks Gordon.

Here's a tip for ya.
Cocbolo scale material is on the way to knifekits.com as we speak.
We found a vendor that we were pleased with.
The material we chose was sawn on the cross grain for us and I am very happy with the look in the wood that we are getting. I feel this is the best looking cocbolo I have ever seen.
We will be offering raw stock in 4.5 x 12 inch pieces milled to about .17 thick.
We will also be offering pre-machined handles for all our models soon.
I feel the TC4 is a good blade for many uses. It just takes a little drawing and thinking to make the blade and handles fit your purpose.
The easiest way to make the scales rounded (contoured) is to use a disk grinder. I have several of them in my shop that I built myself. I have them slowed down for control. They are set up horizontal also.
I just lay the blade with the handles glued on the disk and sand them flat to the scales (makes the pins flush), then go to the knifekits hor grinder attachment and finish the outsides of the knife to a satin finish. Then I just go back to the disk again and contour the handles until there domed. Next I go to the 1 inch belt to make palm swells ect. I also slack belt the radius around the outside of the knife this way. Then I off to hand finishing.
I run the disk sand paper up to 400 grit. This saves me much time!
My disk runs at about 500 rpm.
A inexpensive disk grinder can be made with an motor (1/3 hp or more) a few step down pulley's and a disk that can be bought from many supply houses.

GordonK
07-19-2002, 03:52 PM
I've been doing a lot of hand finishing, Darrel. I'm getting better at using the slack belt part of my sander, but still not that proficient (practice makes perfect!!). I have limited tools at this point, but will be adding as I do more. I tend to be a little impatient with myself and in many cases, make those "little" errors that end up taking more time. I've been going a bit slower with G-10 because I wanted to experiment a bit with it with different grades of sandpaper for finish, etc. I also do my own sheathwork, so it keeps me hopping between this and some other hobbies, plus the "home" things.

Looking forward to the cocobolo scales!!

Will the cocobolo scales be available about the time the GPC-1000 become more readily available?

Thx - gord

Darrel Ralph
07-20-2002, 02:44 PM
Gordon
The cocobolo should be ready close to the delivery time for the new models.
We should have it next week as a matter of fact.

Keep working at the g10 .
I like a 120 grit to rough the it and then on the 400 grit. It sands out very nice. From there you can polish or hand satin finish it to a excellent finish.

GordonK
07-23-2002, 09:37 AM
Many thx, Darrel.

I'll probably order these scales with my next order. As of yesterday, my folders had not arrived yet, so I'll get those done first. Current plan after I do the next TC-4 (day job keeps getting in the way), is do the folders, all things going well (approval from Finance Dept for an "allowance extension"), I'll probably order a couple more folders and put on the cocobolo scales. These will be done as gifts for my two sons.

First impressions on the TC4 - this is a pretty neat knife!!! I still have a bit of handle work to do, but the knifes handles "fast", which is the only term I can use at the moment. With the G-10 scales, is balances pretty well dead centre. I was playing with the edge a bit and honed it on a DMT hone (1200x) and then on a ceramic stone. You weren't kidding on the "wicked edge"!!!

I'm expecting that the Dymondwood handles I put on the other one will make it slightly handle heavy (they are 1/4 inch scales) but not to the point of it being annoying. The 1/8 inch G-10 felt just slightly thin for me, but I have small hands and fairly long fingers. In saying that, as an experiment, I put on winter gloves and it fit just about right.

Many thx again - gord

Darrel Ralph
07-23-2002, 10:04 AM
Gordon,
Its great to hear the word on the TC4.
For thicker scales just stack two g10 scales together . This will give you more handle to work with if you like them that way.

I like the down and dirty style of knife. They are easier to carry IWB and hideout.
The cocobolo scales we will be offering soon will be about 1/6 thicker than the g10. These will give you more to work with also.

The balance is just right on the TC4. One thing we may consider on the second run is to blank out some of the handle material to lighten the knife up. This will put the balance about 1 inch forward
of the index finger . I feel that if your within this range the knife is still within the parameters of a good design. The thought here is for backpacking and folks who like a light reliable carry

Lets see the pictures!

GordonK
07-23-2002, 12:20 PM
OK - I'll try to post a pic including the sheath in the next day or two (I have league 9 ball this evening - my other passion). With any sort of luck, I should be very close to finishing the other one early next week. I have part of the handle profile done now, and should be able to go at it more tomorrow evening.

One thing I'm doing different on this one is doing more of the preliminary shaping before I attach the handles. What I've been doing in the past, is drilling the pin holes, profiling the handle, some very basic shaping, polishing the handle at the blade end, gluing, and then doing the final shaping. The one thing I found with this (I think it's more inexperience than anything!!) is that there is some shaping I'm do using my belt /disc sander and invariably (despite lots of masking tape on the blade, and trying to be careful), I'm putting a grind mark of some sort on the blade or some area of the handle that I hadn't counted on. On the bad side, it's my impatience showing through. On the good side - if I want to play with file work, I have a lots of blades I can play with!!! My wish list for additional tools is also growing!!

After seeing some of the file work, it looks like it would be worth the effort to learn this skill. Compared other hobbies, I've found this one (knives & sheaths) to among the most involving and enjoyable. It really allows for a lot of creativity just within handles, let alone getting to work with the blades themselves. One step at a time, though.

- gord