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  #1  
Old 02-07-2009, 08:46 AM
reddirt reddirt is offline
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Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 15
Dremmel or Rotozip

I'm a newbie. I'm about to make my first kit knife.
I don't own or have room for a large belt grinder.
Has anyone successfully shaped a handle using a Dremmel or Rotozip?
Thanks,
Reddirt
  #2  
Old 02-16-2009, 11:38 PM
GISspecialist GISspecialist is offline
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Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Rural Oklahoma
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reddirt, sorry you haven't gotten any responses yet. I'm a relative newbie myself, but I've been putting handles on "kit" blades for a while now. I have a Rotozip (actually the Craftsman clone) with the flexshaft, but I don't use it much for handle shaping except in very tight curves such as finger grooves with a little drum sander mandrel.

I use a cheapo 1 x 30" belt sander from Harbor Freight that I think only cost me about $60. You could easily spend that much on a dremmel and accessories. It only takes up about a square foot of bench space and even has a 5" disc sander on the side. I took off the rinky-dink platen and use it "slack belt" style to shape handles. It does a great job for not much $$$

This is definitely NOT adequate for grinding blades - not even close; but even when you get to the point of needing a bigger grinder to make blades, the little 1 x 30" will still be useful for shaping handles.

Of course, you can also just do it all with hand tools (rasp, file, sandpaper) but I don't have that kind of patience.

Good luck with your first kit, but be warned - it's adictive!
  #3  
Old 01-14-2014, 08:20 AM
vic2367 vic2367 is offline
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Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 11
Quote:
Originally Posted by GISspecialist View Post
reddirt, sorry you haven't gotten any responses yet. I'm a relative newbie myself, but I've been putting handles on "kit" blades for a while now. I have a Rotozip (actually the Craftsman clone) with the flexshaft, but I don't use it much for handle shaping except in very tight curves such as finger grooves with a little drum sander mandrel.

I use a cheapo 1 x 30" belt sander from Harbor Freight that I think only cost me about $60. You could easily spend that much on a dremmel and accessories. It only takes up about a square foot of bench space and even has a 5" disc sander on the side. I took off the rinky-dink platen and use it "slack belt" style to shape handles. It does a great job for not much $$$

This is definitely NOT adequate for grinding blades - not even close; but even when you get to the point of needing a bigger grinder to make blades, the little 1 x 30" will still be useful for shaping handles.

Of course, you can also just do it all with hand tools (rasp, file, sandpaper) but I don't have that kind of patience.

Good luck with your first kit, but be warned - it's adictive!
excellent suggestion,,i have one of these and im in a little apartment ,,,works great for your application
  #4  
Old 01-15-2014, 04:16 PM
Doug Lester Doug Lester is offline
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Location: Decatur, IL
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I have had a great deal of luck with some Japanese carving files from Woodcraft. They are a little pricey but the ones that I use are the smaller flat and half round medium cut and they basically run $19. These are rather aggressive at removing wood, including Osage Orange. Just clamp your padded blade in your vice and start removing wood to the shape that you want. It also might be a good idea to sketch the profile that you want on the top of the scales.

After you have your scales roughed you can refine the surface with hand sanding.

Doug


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art, bee, blade, blades, carving, craftsman, file, files, flat, grinder, grinding, hand, handles, japanese, kit, knife, make, newbie, nylon, profile, sander, scales, surface, tools


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