A question for Trapper Makers

[Chris_Crawford]

I've been working on a trapper, and I've run into a little problem. I emailed this question to Don Morrow, who makes beautiful trappers by the way, but I wanted to ask it here also.

I?ve already made the blades, springs, and liners for the trapper that I?m working on. I?ve fitted up each blade and spring set so that the spring returns to the same position when the blade is opened, closed, and in the half stop position. When I put the knife together to test it I noticed the first real problem. The backs of my blades did not line up even with each other in the half stop and closed position. I ground them so that they matched when the knife was opened, but had not considered that they would fall out of alignment in the other positions.

What steps are required to make the backs of the blade match up in all three positions? Logically I would assume that the tangs of the blades and the ends of the springs have to be identical. What method do you use to achieve this? I usually use files to finish out the tang area, but I don?t believe I could file two tangs out by hand identically. I do have a small milling machine which I?ve not used so far on slipjoints, but it is available.

Thanks -chris

[pknives]

Chris
If you are making a trapper with a clip point and a spey blade this is how I do it. I rough grind the blades to shape, then I put a pin through the pivot holes and clamp them in my vice. ( it has brass jaws so to not mar the blade flats.) Then file the top of the tang of both blades exactly alike. Then you can super glue the blades together and finish the bottom of the tang and the half stop. Be sure to leave the bottom of the tang a little over size then do the final fitting after the knife is almost finished, this should solve the problem
you are having. I sure hope this helps. I have a difficut time explaning the way I do things.
If this is not clear to you let me know and I`ll try again.
Bill Ruple

[Chris_Crawford]

Thanks for the help and advice, Bill. I've applied some of the things you suggested here and some things Don mentioned in an email and I got the knife finished. I ended up glueing the blades together and milling the top of the tangs even. I then ground a little at a time off the half-stop area until the half-stop position matched the opened position. I did the same to the bottom of the tang so that the closed position also matched the other two positions. Here is a picture of the finished knife. Thanks again for the help. -chris

[DaveL]

Another fantastic job, Chris. That looks so very good and my compliments to you.

[Trenton Entwistle]

Chris, very nice as always.
What are you using to cut your nail nicks now?

Trenton

[Chris_Crawford]

Thanks guys. I've started cutting my nail nicks with a 1-3/8" dovetail cutter. I grind the left side of the blade and leave the right side solid and flat. I then attach the blade to a bar of steel so that the flat side of the blade rests against the bar. This offers support when the cutter contacts the blade. The bar is then clamped into a milling vice attached to the milling table. I move the cutter slowly into the blade and back out when I have the length I want. I do not move the cutter left or right, just in and out. The blade is held upside down by the way. I'm thinking of getting a bigger cutter so I can cut a longer nick without having to go deeper into the blade. -chris

[navajas]

Are you heat treating before you cut the nail nick?. If you are, are you using a carbide dovetail cutter?. T.I.A.
Roland

[Chris_Crawford]

I cut the nail nick before heat treating. I usually grind the bevel into the nail nick side of the blade, cut the nail nick on the mill, grind the bevel into the other side of the blade, and then heat treat. Heat treating after cutting the nail nick leaves the nick nice and black. The cutter that I'm using is a high-speed-steel 1-3/8" dovetail cutter. I run it pretty slow to cut the nick. Once I get the depth I want, I speed the cutter up to smooth out the nick before backing the cutter back out.

-chris

[navajas]

Hi Chris, Thanks for the info re: the nail nick. As usual your knife looks awesome, very nice work.
Roland

[Don Robinson]

Absolutely beautiful knife, Chris.

Where've you been, Navajas???