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The Newbies Arena Are you new to knife making? Here is all the help you will need. |
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#1
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First Knife Progress w/ pictures
Well after multiple posts on hypothetical knife making I jumped right into it. Very relaxing and rewarding. I really like the hand filing myself...I cut it out with a cutting wheel and touched it up with the grinder along with those sanding paper flap type wheels. I have alot more filing to do on it. Taking it slow and enjoying it.
I think I am hooked... Thoughts? Last edited by Ray Rogers; 03-29-2013 at 07:14 PM. |
#2
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Well, what little I can see of it I think you're off to a good start. But, your pictures are so huge that slow internet connections will have trouble getting them downloaded. Even then, they seem so physically large only a small portion of a picture will fit on my 17" screen. You need to edit the size of your pictures to cut them down to a reasonable size. That's easy to do and there's lots of free software available to do it. I use the old PhotoShop 4 Home Edition but most any photo editing software should get the job done.
Or, if you are using a digital camera and not a phone then most cameras can be configured for the rough size of the pictures they take. Even that should help . After that, we might get to really see what you've been working on .... |
#3
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Your bevel looks like it is getting pretty uneven and sloppy. That's probably okay as long as you straighten it out before you go to far. You can push the file to remove material quickly, but then you need to do some draw filing to even it back out. Start your draw filing before you think you need to or you might run out of steel to correct it with. Also it looks like your profile needs to be squared up some. Those flapwheels are useful for inside curves, but they don't leave perfectly square edges especially if you use much pressure. This is another reason to practice draw filing. Those are the things I notice, but please don't take my advice blindly. I'm just a novice. There are tons of step by step tutorials on the net with pictures of every step, and some of them are incredibly detailed. I found it very helpful to look through these because you pick up on little details that people don't always mention and you see what the knife should look like at different stages.
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#4
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Agreed. Everything you mentioned I thought so my self. I'll look up draw filing. The bottom edge of the blade and spine need the help of a belt sander. I have more filing with different files so it will clean up.
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#5
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My knives start out much like your knife here, but I always lose my profile line, the hardest part of knifemaking hands down, for me :P The slow internet out here on the farm leads to not being able to watch videos on draw filing, which may be my problem.
I look forward to seeing the rest of the knife progress! __________________ Si Ventus Non Est, Remiga. "If There is no Wind, Row." |
#6
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I haven't done much with it since I last posted. I have some holes drilled and just need to file some more. I've been getting side tracked.
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#7
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The primary bevels can be completed with draw filing and will clean up well. It takes time so be patient, the effort will be worth it. The profile looks good. I think the next step for you will be establishing a plunge cut. I have used a small round file for this but there are other methods. Keep us posted, you are off to a good start.
Last edited by Bowman; 04-18-2013 at 07:48 PM. |
#8
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So I finished the grinds. Alot of time has been put into the knife. I have a good 10 hours into it.
I hardened it yesterday. I enlisted a couple of family members so I could focus on the color and rotating the knife in and out of one brick forge. I thought I had the right color. I quenched in my 3 parts peanut oil and single part canola oil (didn't have enough depth in my test run) and plunged tip first in. I moved it up and down in the quench fluid. I did the file test and it caught on the spine. So I tried it again and had the affect I desired. Right or wrong that's what I did. So I then wire brushed the knife. I made a set up like Goodards has in his book for the tempering oven. I picked up a Goodwill toaster oven and with my oven thermometer I could only get it up to 375F. I let the oven get up to temp, put the knife in the jig and in the oven. I did a hour, cooled it to touch by just pulling the jig out letting it sit on the burner pad thing. Then after the first run took some sand paper and got to bare metal somewhat. After the third run in the oven it came out with a light hayish/ yellow pewter/ light bronze color which I think is what I am after. I went and picked up some sand paper all the way up to 1000 grit. Working my way up to that. If I need to get something higher I will. Sharpen and buffer wheel. Then handles and sheath. When my photos stream catches up to my IPAd I will post some pictures. Thoughts? |
#9
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Since this is your first blade I wouldn't go to all that trouble with the fine sanding or fancy handle. Finish it roughly and then test the dickens out of it to find out if you even have a knife or just something that looks like one. Once you know you're doing the heat treat right THEN worry about making it pretty ...
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#10
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What's the best way to test?
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#11
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Depends on the knife. Use it for whatever type of task it is intended for and then push it further. Common tests include cutting rope, shaving 2x4's, slicing cardboard, chopping almost everything...any difficult, dirty cutting task. Ideally, after all that I'd stick the blade in a vise and break it first to see how difficult that is and second to see the grain structure.
All that cutting and chopping will test the blade but if you do hard work with the knife you'll also test the handle design. If you can't hold onto it or if you get a lot of blisters then it fails ... |
#12
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Awesome pointers. Do you have any preferences for stones? The blade is about a 1" and about 4-5" long + handle. Appreciate the help!
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#13
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Stones for sharpening? I start the edge with my belt sander then finish up with an Edge Pro (which is like a big Lansky). There are many good stones out there - Norton, diamond hones, Arkansas, water stones - all kinds and they all work if you learn to use them correctly. Personally, I'm not much good with stones which is why I use the Edge Pro ...
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#14
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I love my Japanese Water Stones very good for an extra Fine edge and extremely sharp blades
Sam __________________ R. Yates 13 & On Forge Live and Let Live , Do Not trespass on Life or Me! As we are not so kind or forgiving ! |
#15
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Well made a lot of progress. Just been to darn busy to tell any of you about it. Already started on the next one. Learned a lot that I want to do different this time around. It's sharp and keeping a edge too putzing around with it. It's going to be a Christmas present to my dad. Hope you can see the attachments.
Any pointers on epoxy of prep? |
Tags |
advice, art, back, bee, bevel, blade, digital, easy, edge, file, files, forge, hand, home, knife, knife making, knifemaking, knives, making, material, sheath, software, steel, step by step, store |
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