A Trio of New Knives

[BrokenOlMarine]

Getting old sux.  The worst part is that I find I forget things that I knew, things like shortcuts or little tricks in the shop that makes things work better, or projects come out nicer.  I forget things that need to be done in a certain order.... so, like we did in the Corps for working on Aircraft, or running the Range, or just about any dang thing... CHECKLISTS.  I have one for certain jobs, or certain processes, why not my knifemaking.  I'll likely make up one for certain sheaths.

Here is the knifemaking checklist.  It's on the computer so I can add to or modify as needed.

   


I find I am on step four, where I tape the scales together and round the end that will be on top of the knife blank.  You can't easily shape that once the scales are in place.  I learned that lesson the hard way the first knife I made.  I DO remember that one. 
  So I taped these three up.

   



I was using a bench top sander, but a few months ago, I caught one of these puppies on sale on Amazon and ordered it.  It's a 1x30 vertical belt sander, and I have used it for all kinds of things.  The first thing I did was remove the plate that is normally behind the belt, and the platform.  For my use, they were IN THE WAY.  I'm sure others would find them useful.  

   


When I ordered the sander, I ordered two packages of belts.  They are much cheaper ordering them in bulk, but I read all the reviews.  Several of the bulk packs looked like great deals until I read the reviews... then they weren't a good buy at all. 
  I have belts ranging from 60 to 1000 grit.  That should do 'er.

   

[BrokenOlMarine]

Rounding off the ends is not that hard, or that time consuming, it's a matter of feel.  I round them until I feel they are where I want them.  The rest of the shaping will take place farther down the checklist.  I took them to 400 grit and stopped.  That should do 'er for now.

The first one is the lacewood drop point scales, and they are  looking good.

   


Next up were the Dark Cocobolo for my Tanto, that is the hardest of the wood and I took my time and they are also looking pretty sharp.

   


Last are the medium cocobolo scales for the other drop point for the daughter.  They look like glass.

   


The hardest part of the entire evolution was changing the belts.  They are easy to take off and reinstall.  The worst bit is taking off the blade shield.  This requires taking out three screws after unplugging the vacuum hose and setting that aside.  Once you are re-belted with the next grit, you have to realign the flimsy shield and tighten the screws.  This gives you protection should the belt let go, and more importantly... creates the VACUUM to keep the dust down. 



Tomorrow, glue ups and drilling.

[BrokenOlMarine]

Just so's y'all will know.  I ordered something special from AZ for the next knife builds. 

Tis a soo prise.

[BrokenOlMarine]

Finally got back out into the shop this morning.  I was tied up most of the day yesterday.  Errands.  The job today was to peel off the tape holding the scales together, position and mark the front edge of the scales on the blanks, and take 220 sandpaper and rough the metal of the blanks so that we will get excellent adhesion from the epoxy.  First up was the Lacewood drop point, knife number one.

   


Knocked 'er out and she will be ready for glue up.  Did the same for knife number two, the cocobolo Tanto.  The key here is NOT to rough up anything not to be covered by the scales.  Knocked this one out.  Doesn't take much, just knock the shine off.

   


Last, but not least, the cocobolo drop point that will be my daughters.  Got it marked and scuffed.  They will all be pretty knives.  Sorry, They will all be ATTRACTIVE knives, but I won't be able to decide which I like best until we are done.  The grain can change as we shape and finish.

   


Oh, yeah, the package from AZ arrived yesterday.  Thanks to Alexis from Kingman turquoise for all her help.  My next group of knives will have at least ONE with an inlay.  Wanna guess What?  I was going to order the mini wet saw to cut the inlays, but my daughter bought the exact saw I was going to order, to cut two tiles for her bathroom that got chipped.  She could buy the saw and the continuous diamond blade from HF cheaper than renting one.  We are picking it up in the next few days.

   


This is real turquoise, not fake stuff.  Straight from the mine.  I can attest to the fact that it's not cheap.  That is .48 pounds, but I should be able to do several knives and a few other things with it. 


Next up for the trio, gluing on the first scales, one side for each blank.

[Timberwolf]

Finally got back out into the shop this morning.  I was tied up most of the day yesterday.  Errands.  The job today was to peel off the tape holding the scales together, position and mark the front edge of the scales on the blanks, and take 220 sandpaper and rough the metal of the blanks so that we will get excellent adhesion from the epoxy.  First up was the Lacewood drop point, knife number one.





Knocked 'er out and she will be ready for glue up.  Did the same for knife number two, the cocobolo Tanto.  The key here is NOT to rough up anything not to be covered by the scales.  Knocked this one out.  Doesn't take much, just knock the shine off.





Last, but not least, the cocobolo drop point that will be my daughters.  Got it marked and scuffed.  They will all be pretty knives.  Sorry, They will all be ATTRACTIVE knives, but I won't be able to decide which I like best until we are done.  The grain can change as we shape and finish.





Oh, yeah, the package from AZ arrived yesterday.  Thanks to Alexis from Kingman turquoise for all her help.  My next group of knives will have at least ONE with an inlay.  Wanna guess What?  I was going to order the mini wet saw to cut the inlays, but my daughter bought the exact saw I was going to order, to cut two tiles for her bathroom that got chipped.  She could buy the saw and the continuous diamond blade from HF cheaper than renting one.  We are picking it up in the next few days.





This is real turquoise, not fake stuff.  Straight from the mine.  I can attest to the fact that it's not cheap.  That is .48 pounds, but I should be able to do several knives and a few other things with it. 


Next up for the trio, gluing on the first scales, one side for each blank.

.........................
IIRC Jim, Turquoise is fairly "soft" as stone goes, so I am not sure how it will stand up to rough service...it is pretty tho..When I was into the lapidary hobby, I used some in jewelry..It can be easily shaped on your belt grinder..just don't let it get very hot..Keep a container of water handy to cool it. You can work it with a Dremel also...and you can sand and Polish it with any sharpening compound..just start out coarse and work upward through the grit sizes prior to polish..I would try polishing it with you leather belt on your belt sander.but a muslin buff will work also.

You might want to consider inlaying sometime with Paua shell..it is a deep water species of abalone but has much deeper and intense coloration and iridescence...You can cut it with a steel blade held in a piercing saw..polishes in the manner described above..but do not breathe the dust in either material..



https://www.google.com/search?q=paua+she...QF6BAgMEAE

Another edit..
For my inlays, I mix a tiny amount of lamp black {soot from a candle flame} with JBWeld and cement it in with that..Any slight imperfections will be jet black and look much better than plain epoxy..The lamp black can also be added to clear epoxy if you choose..any mistake will look intentional!!!!!

[BrokenOlMarine]

.........................
IIRC Jim, Turquoise is fairly "soft" as stone goes, so I am not sure how it will stand up to rough service...it is pretty tho..When I was into the lapidary hobby, I used some in jewelry..It can be easily shaped on your belt grinder..just don't let it get very hot..Keep a container of water handy to cool it. You can work it with a Dremel also...and you can sand and Polish it with any sharpening compound..just start out coarse and work upward through the grit sizes prior to polish..I would try polishing it with you leather belt on your belt sander.but a muslin buff will work also.

You might want to consider inlaying sometime with Paua shell..it is a deep water species of abalone but has much deeper and intense coloration and iridescence...You can cut it with a steel blade held in a piercing saw..polishes in the manner described above..but do not breathe the dust in either material..



https://www.google.com/search?q=paua+she...QF6BAgMEAE

Another edit..
For my inlays, I mix a tiny amount of lamp black {soot from a candle flame} with JBWeld and cement it in with that..Any slight imperfections will be jet black and look much better than plain epoxy..The lamp black can also be added to clear epoxy if you choose..any mistake will look intentional!!!!!
 

Thanks for the input Jack. 


I am going to do the turquoise inlay, try to do a deer antler, horn or bone... You know, change it up a bit. I have a collection of stones I've had forty years.  I might try to work with some of those. As inlays, or transitions.

Thanks for the warning about the dust.. I had planned on dust collection and my respirator. 
I have been doing so with black walnut and cocobolo for years. If I don't, I'll quickly get a nasty headache.

[BrokenOlMarine]

Out in the shop early, after a failed attempt to get to the post office to mail a package to Canada.  For some reason they didn't open this morning as they were supposed to.  Maybe our post office gal was sick or something. 
  I'll stick the package in the mail on Monday.  The puppy enjoyed the ride out and back.

First thing was to get everything I would need set up.  The epoxy is a five minute deal so once you mix it, you can't go, "Oh, I forgot to get so and so." 

Got it all laid out, and ... On your mark... get set....

   


I mixed just enough for each of the three blanks, and set up the one scale on each.  Verified the placement and tightened the clamps, rechecked the placement and set them aside to cure.  Moved to the next.  Repeated the process.  Three times, Three blanks.

   



Then, I moved to the leather work table and practiced on the sheath carving for a while.  I have plenty of time but I won't improve if I don't get the carving down.

[BrokenOlMarine]

The five minute epoxy says you reach a working strength in about twenty minutes.  I left the scales in the clamps for a couple hours  while we had lunch and watched an episode of a TV series on DVD.  Two hours passed and I went back out to the shop and prepared to drill the holes.  I use the holes in the blanks as guides, the drill press, and Press Clamps for safety.  If the blank gets away from you if the bit grabs and spins, the dang thing could slice you up like it was a knife.  
 Oh... wait... 

   


I set each hole up carefully, aligning the drill bit in the hole, holding the drill down in place and placing the first clamp.  Then, still holding the drill bit in contact, placed the second clamp.  No chance for the blank to move then.  EACH hole was drilled in multiple passes off the drill press to avoid overheating the steel.  The backer board under the blank helped to avoid tearout.


Once all three were drilled, I then mixed the next batches of epoxy, one blank at a time and glued up the second set of scales.  CAREFUL to insure the front edge of the blanks aligned, and the other three sides had coverage. They will all be trimmed and shaped later, but the front was shaped before assembly and can't be adjusted or shaped easily. 

DAMHIKT. 

   



Now the blanks and scales cure overnight to insure the epoxy reaches full strength.

Tomorrow?  Drill the second scale, using the holes in the first side as a reference.. then start shaping on the 1x30 sander.  I love this part. 


A bonus... 

When your memory is short, with all the tools and tool boxes in the shop, you label EVERYTHING.  This is how I labeled the toolbox drawers on most of the boxes.  Easy to Read, Easy to change as needed, when I rearrange things.

   

[clovishound]

You are WAY too organized!

[BrokenOlMarine]

You are WAY too organized!

I have to be.  After that last few surgeries... I found the memory issues were mainly short term.  I would find I spent WAY too much time pulling drawers looking for things I just knew.. Knew... Were right... Here.  Okay...here... There. Right there.  So, I labeled draws and bins.  I wrote filter and consumable numbers inside things they went to.  (Vacuum, air cleaner, dust collector.) 
  made life easier.

The mechanic opened the hood to my '80 ford pickup and laughed, "I love it," he said.  Written on the underside of the hood. .. Plug gap, part #, timing info, oil filter part #, tire pressures, etc.

Here on the farm, the tire pressures are written on the fenders above each wheel on the tractor, the utvs, the mower.  Permanent marker.  Hard to read on the tires, especially covered in mud.  Easy on the fender, and few people notice it. 


I don't need glasses to read it.