Buffer casualty

[Rusty Blade]

I guess it was bound to happen! I was 99.5% finished with one of Darrel's SG4 kits, just got my sheath from knife kits, going to the buffer to do the final jackson 51 polish on the imitation ivory scales and the loose buff wheel grabbed the knife from my hand and slammed it on the floor. Have you ever seen a bowling ball with a chip in it? That's exactly what the right scale looks like now. Big chip out of it and a crack all the way down to the tang!!!!!

I guess I'll have to grind everything away and start over, but I don't think I'll put the imitation ivory on there again. It's too soft when sanding and too hard when it hits the floor!!

I'm skipping on to a new DDR1 for my daughter's boyfriend with some beautiful ironwood scales I got from Koval at the Richmond, VA show over in the back, on the side, off the beaten path room where they stuck the knife guys like Dennis.

I told my wife I was never going to make another knife but I lied I'm starting the new one tonight!

Robert

[Jamey Saunders]

We gotcha now!

Once you pop, you can't stop.
No, wait, that's Pringles...

Betcha can't eat just one.
No, that's Lays...

Betcha can't make just one, then stop!!!

Sorry about the scale cracking. I think it's happened to all of us at one time or another. But look on the bright side -- it wasn't a set of presentation ironwood or abalone scales!

[Osprey Guy]

Bob-

Sorry about the "incident"...you're right, it was bound to happen....thank goodness you were lucky,...it could have been far worse. There's a reason why all experienced knifemakers will tell you that the buffer is far and away the most dangerous piece of shop equipment. It has a nasty tendency to grab sharp things and toss 'em around.

I very much believe that everything happens for a reason...especially when it comes to knifemaking! I have said this often enough here in the forums...I've yet to make a knife where there wasn't some sort of problem...each occurence has ultimately resulted in a better knife and/or an important lesson. Obviously this was the case here for you as well.

Now you get to have fun with one of my favorites...Desert ironwood! I noticed that there were several great-looking sets over at the Koval table...I'm sure you came away with something real nice...

The big handle of the DDR I offers a lot of real estate to show off that sexy wood If you have any questions while working with the Ironwood feel free to shoot me an e-mail,...I've come to learn a thing or two regarding this awesome wood (Give me a chance to repay you for your generous help at the Richmond Show).

Have fun...and go easy with that buffer...next time it happens.......well, just don't let there be a next time. We wouldn't want to hear about your exciting trip to the emergency room!!!

Might be fun to see pics of the "injured" knife...could help reinforce an important lesson for all of us.


Dennis

Yeah Baby!

[whv]

bummer, robert. at least you weren't injured! you can usually fix a knife for less $$ than a doctor bill (or worse).

[SharpByCoop]

Rusty,

Thanks for the reminder. I have a buffer and because I don't know squat about buffing, I keep away from it. Not such a bad thing, I figure.

Keep us posted on the repair and the new addition!

Coop

[Rusty Blade]

Thanks to everyone for their words of encouragement. Dennis, we're square on the show, I think I owe you for all the tips from the past, not the other way around, but I may still tap your knowledge. If I can get some pics that show the "blown chunk" I will post them. I don't know if I can get the white to show enough contrast to give any detail, but I'll give it a shot. On to other projects.

When I do get around to salvaging the casualty, does anyone have any ideas for removing the scales other than grinding them off down to the tang? I assune that the pins will be a challenge too.

One thing I learned early on when doing the rough shaping of this imitation ivory, and another reason I don't like working with it is that when grinding the pins, they got so hot they melted the faux ivory. Luckily I had a can of compressed air and I turned it upside down and shot some liquid cold on the pin before it melted any more than just around the top of the pin. I was then able to grind below the melt and recover. This baby has been a pain all the way through!

As far as the buffer goes though, it was bringing out some beautiful stuff and putting a beautiful shine on the scales. Looked like glass! At least they don't have to call me three fingered Bob!

[Osprey Guy]

Hey Bob-

Just thought you'd like to see some ironwood put to extraordinary good use...

This is Kelly Carlson's latest and boy is it a beauty!

In case you didn't know, Kelly made a heck of a lot of kitknives before just recently starting down his own path...if ever anyone needed a reason to make these kitknives...just take a look at where it can lead:

http://www.ckdforums.com/showthread....threadid=11695

Now that's enough to get anyone psyched up!!!

Dennis

Yeah Baby!

[Rusty Blade]

That really is beautiful!!

I've heard so much about ironwood, and I'm looking forward to using it. I had never had my hand on any until last weekend, and it was a learning experience. Now I understand why it is priced individually. Every piece has a unique charcater and pattern.

Would you guess, Dennis, that it is stabilized or not?

Robert

[Jamey Saunders]

From my experience, ironwood doesn't need to be stabilized. It's dense, solid, and hard as Chinese arithmetic.

[cwp]

Originally posted by Rusty Blade
As far as the buffer goes though, it was bringing out some beautiful stuff and putting a beautiful shine on the scales. Looked like glass! At least they don't have to call me three fingered Bob!

The first thing I thought of with a buffer thrown knife was the problem of getting a vasectomy without going to the MD. That would be even worse than three fingered Bob!

--Carl

[fitzo]

Drill out pins at least partway. Heat scales to release epoxy; most epoxies let loose about 250F. Heat gun or a trip to the oven...

Ironwood neither needs not takes stabilizing real well. It will probably stink like old nasty shoes, so expect to do some ventilation. Great wood, funky to work.

[Osprey Guy]

One of the neat things about Ironwood is that it rquires nothing more than some "elbow grease" ...I take mine up through the grits typically going as high as 7000grit...then add a thin coat of Rennaisance Wax...and it's done!

I love it the best when you can actually see down into it...caused by sap...acts much like amber where it truly becomes a little transparent...very 3D-like quality...nothing else quite like it!*

*I am starting to have a similar love affair with snakewood, for some of the same reasons...it's very dense...just do your thing and it's basically done!

Dennis

Yeah Baby!

[Colin KC]

Bad luck on losing the scales Robert,

P'rhaps now, though you'll find some even more suited for that there knife

[Rusty Blade]

I've got to be honest, I don't mind losing the scales, they were not very expensive and I didn't enjoy working with the material, nor was I craszy about the way the completed project turned out - BUT - as Carl said, something about throwing sharpened blades around -- especially below the waist -- makes me cringe still.

So, fitzo, do you think if I melted the junk off or heated it enough to turn the epoxy loose I could just take the whole thing apart?

Robert

[fitzo]

I can't tell from the description whether these handles are pinned or attached with Corby-style blind bolts. Also, I can't tell if the bolsters are attached with pins and solder or what. If the bolsters are soldered, ,maximum heat is a concern to not release the solder. Low temp solder melts around 350F. If the scales are pinned, then drill a pilot hole down the center and then a larger hole the size of the hole in the tang. If these are screws, then you must first cut a slot with a dremel or whatever, ,then heat em with a gun or soldering iron until you can unscrew em. Then, heat your scales, slowly, until the epoxy comes loose. It can be a little dismaying how easy they come off at the right temp! Discussions in the past have suggested about 250F will effect release. It's just a little easier than grinding the whole danged scales off. That said, however, it is a nice tension release to sit there and destroy the little bastids that just disappointed ya so much by grinding em off.... If there's solder, watch that temp as you grind. Either way, you will have to do a good bit of cleanup to get it to where you can attach a new set of scales. Very aggravating, to be sure, but another nearly universal step in becoming a knifemaker. You don't learn near as much when things go right as when ya have to correct an error!! Welcome to the club...