Guards and pommels

[Tex65]

How much do you try to make and how much do you buy from knife supply stores?

[argel55]

I make all because I would rather do it to dimensions I need rather than modify existing material

[Ray Rogers]

I buy screws and fasteners and other such supplies. I make the blades, guards, and sheaths....

[jimmontg]

It is cheaper to boot. I have some 1/8 thick sheet for smaller knife guards or for a butt plate versus a pommel. I also bought some 1 inch by 1/4 thick for guards and for pommels I have 3/8 thick by 1 inch wide also some 1 inch round. If you have a wood bandsaw you have a brass bandsaw too, 10 tpi is good, 12 is fine too. I use Tap Magic cutting fluid for cutting, I rub the oil onto both sides of the part I'm cutting. Never use oil poured onto your bandsaw. It makes a mess and will make your blade want to slip off the drive wheel. You can also use cutting wax instead. If you have a bandsaw that cuts steel you should use the wax as I've found in over 30 years in the metal trades it's better for steels and keeping the temperature down. Use a cutting/tapping wax.

I have a precision cross travel X-Y table. DO NOT TRY TO MACHINE WITH A DRILL PRESS! as it will damage your drill press because it isn't designed to take sideways pressure. I use the table to make my drill line holes straight. I use my table for jeweling too using round Cratex. It's also handy for drilling a pin hole for a stub tang and return to the same spot. Also invest in a good needle file set, word is a GOOD set. I have a Nicholson Needle set in a small box from the 70s and have taken very good care of them as they are still working very well. Cutting a brass guard hole isn't hard, but stainless takes more elbow grease which is why I seldom do a stainless guard. LOL

[Crex]

I salvage and re-purpose metal for my guards and fittings. Always been a scrounger so I have tons of scrap that can be recycled. I like using a lot of WI anyway so there it is.
Agree with Jim on use of drill press, very few can last long from side pressure - they weren't designed for that task.
I think maybe fitting guards is my least favorite task, but has to be done right to make the finished knife look right. I can forge and prep three or four large blades in the time it takes me to fit up a guard the way I want. Ergo - lot of blades hanging in the shop waiting for guard fittings all the time.

[Tex65]

Originally Posted by jimmontg

It is cheaper to boot. I have some 1/8 thick sheet for smaller knife guards or for a butt plate versus a pommel. I also bought some 1 inch by 1/4 thick for guards and for pommels I have 3/8 thick by 1 inch wide also some 1 inch round. If you have a wood bandsaw you have a brass bandsaw too, 10 tpi is good, 12 is fine too. I use Tap Magic cutting fluid for cutting, I rub the oil onto both sides of the part I'm cutting. Never use oil poured onto your bandsaw. It makes a mess and will make your blade want to slip off the drive wheel. You can also use cutting wax instead. If you have a bandsaw that cuts steel you should use the wax as I've found in over 30 years in the metal trades it's better for steels and keeping the temperature down. Use a cutting/tapping wax.

I have a precision cross travel X-Y table. DO NOT TRY TO MACHINE WITH A DRILL PRESS! as it will damage your drill press because it isn't designed to take sideways pressure. I use the table to make my drill line holes straight. I use my table for jeweling too using round Cratex. It's also handy for drilling a pin hole for a stub tang and return to the same spot. Also invest in a good needle file set, word is a GOOD set. I have a Nicholson Needle set in a small box from the 70s and have taken very good care of them as they are still working very well. Cutting a brass guard hole isn't hard, but stainless takes more elbow grease which is why I seldom do a stainless guard. LOL

I have a bit of a machining background so I’m familiar with milling machines, lathes etc. Probably be a bit before I can buy a small milling machine so I think l will see what I can do by hand. I do need a good vise for my drill press. Went cheap and got what I paid for.

[Doug Lester]

Having sent a drill press chuck sailing across the workshop while trying to use the drill press as a milling machine, I concur, don't try it.

Doug

[M&J]

+1 with them. I've done a bit of "light" milling on the drill press and the press isn't really capable of tolerating side loads. The chuck will be pushed from the taper and when that happens your work piece is ruined. A freed spinning chuck that is put into low orbit is quite dangerous.