On second thought..........

[Steve]

Have you been doing something for years and finally decided, or just found out, that you don't do it anymore, or have found a better way?
I used an adjustable pliers, called "Lever Wrench?, to clamp handle scales onto the tang for many years. It's a self-adjusting Vise Grip?-type of plier. I just noticed, today, that I use spring loaded clamps exclusively now and never use those old pliers anymore. Funny, there was a time when the company quit making them that I panicked and tried to buy all I could find to make sure that I'd have them around for the future. Seldom use them anymore, maybe in place of regular pliers, now and then, but generally choose Vise Grips? instead.

The electrochemical marking systems that we use nowadays have totally taken the place of the old KMER (Kodak Metal Etch Resist) process that was so technical that it took 1/2 hr to put a logo on a blade. Things are good!
Any thoughts?

[Thad Buchanan]

How about the days of epoxy that had to sit over night before it cured. Now you barely have to pause after you squirt that new fangled glue through the holes in the tang. The only tricky part is not gluing your fingers together.

[tmickley]

I use a pin press now instead of peining pins on a bolster. I don't think I'd go back and didn't see a big need for a change but I made a press on a whim one day and I like using it.

[Steve]

The adhesives of today are the bomb, aren't they? Love my pin press, too! However, I find that I get the pin well started with a ball pien before I finish it up on the press, of late. Not sure that is a better way to go, but that's what's working at present. How about the "old" aluminum oxide grinding belts. Love them ceramics!

[tmickley]

I agree on the adhesives. I'm working a project that would normally be welded but I will use some Loctite adhesive and I expect it to hold up just fine.

For abrasives, I use ceramics over everything else on metal. For wood I still use AO but only because it doesn't load up like the close bonded ceramics do.

Every piece of wood I now use is stabilized except Ironwood or hard Maple.

[michaellovett]

I have a couple of drawers full of large jaw vice grips. I don't use any of them anymore. I don't know how many different kinds of clamps I have in the shop. I mostly use the spring clamps now. I'm using th polishing techniques the Steve is using now with great success. Messy though! While I'm thinking of it, Steve, I found some FP-10 for us. I"ll ship it to you right after blade. Still don't know if I can attend. Terrible Storms here in Killeen Tx. over 100 homes lost to tornado, another 12 to floods. We are really getting hammered. I'm trying to make it. Mike and Manuela

[Charles Vestal]

I don't use to many 120,240,and 600 grit belts anymore since I started using Steve's cork belt technique. The epoxy is a thing of the past also, and I don't miss it one bit.

Try to stay out of that weather Mike, hope you can make it to Blade.

Take Care
Charles

[michaellovett]

Thanks Charles! Trying! Mike

[Steve]

Times and techniques surely do change, don't they? We'll be hoping that the weather calms down and you change things done for the show, Mike. Take care, OK? I buy 400x Alox and Trizact Gators and 50x grinding belts, then the two cork belts, 400x and 600x. Thank you for your input.

[trav]

Steve, i have never, in 25 years, used a pin press ,but you guys make it sound like i need to. shamed to say so , but what does it look like and can i make my own? BTW, your video is the most helpful of any that i have seen and your work is the best

[Don Robinson]

Hey, maybe I should check this forum more often!

Cork belts for grinding? Please tell me about them and the belt sequence you use, Steve.

[Steve]

If I cold figure out how to post a picture, I would trav, but here's a link to a pin press: http://www.knifeandgun.com/PhotoGall...ProductCode=PP
They work great, seem to help the most in making the pins disappear. Send me your email addy if you want more detailed photos of my press.

Don: There have been major discussions on cork belts here on this forum, below are the links that I compiled at one time, some are live some seem to have gone, who knows where? If they don't help, get back to me, OK? Thanks for joining us! The short story is: Grind with a 50-60x Cubitron, or Hogger, or the like, remove those scratches with a new 400x Alox belt, j-weight, not j-flex, OR the new Trizact Gator belts, (I use these almost exclusively now for this step), then go to a broken in 400x cork belt, then next, to a broken in, 600x cork belt. Then RCH SS300 polishing compound on POP Knife Supply's yellow un-stiched buffs, stacked up 3-4 pads. We show this pretty well on the DVD, I believe, though you don't have to get the DVD to see how it's done. The links below explain it very well, and I can answer any questions you have, just email or call. srj@mail.manti.com Phone: 435-835-7941

This one is the basic link to my polishing process, it'd be good to start here, which includes cork belt information:
http://ckdforums.com/forum/showthrea...threadid=3519&

And here is a list of most of the posts having to do with cork belts, with the one above being listed last:
http://www.knifenetwork.com/forum/sh...ght=cork+belts

[tmickley]

I took some pictures and scribbled a few things down when I made my pin press.
Here is a link:
http://www.mickleyknives.com/html/pa...pin_press.html

[trav]

Tracy, thanks so much for the link. that will help me get started. Steve, if you have other pictures i would be greatful. email..... tedaniel@mail.com BTW, i retire in SEVEN days. N.C. will never be same and maybe i can get in here with you guys more often. thanks again. Travis

[trav]

Since you are talking belts, i have a question. i have used the micron belts for years. after the 60 grit initial grind, i go to the 100, 60, 30, and sometimes to the 15 before buffing. no one talks about these too often. any thoughts or comments.