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wormil
Sep 12, 2002

Hulk will smoke you!

Spermy Smurf posted:

Is this something I could do with tools ranging from "a really wobbly vise" all the way to "a couple of beers" ?

I don't know much about knife making but I really enjoy this guy's videos and he has some for people with basically no metal working tools.

Trollskyy:
http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCM1Bnpxipb8H4GJoITnJ0XQ

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ArtistCeleste
Mar 29, 2004

Do you not?
At some point I will contribute some of my blades to this thread. In the meantime I thought some of you would enjoy seeing images from the bladesmithing class where I work as a TA. It's taught by Jeff Pringle, who make historically correct swords and other blades. He has made accurate Uthberts among other things. He does iron smelts a few times a year. And he is talented enough to make a living off of his work.

These aren't mine. A journalism student took the photos. I think he is writing an article about the class as well.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/115890096@N05/sets/72157641728656083/

ReelBigLizard
Feb 27, 2003

Fallen Rib

ArtistCeleste posted:

At some point I will contribute some of my blades to this thread.

Please do. I'd love to do a historical bladesmithing course, I've been hinting to my girlfriend for birthday/xmas ideas for a while. I'm in the process of arranging a run of re-enactment safe viking/norman swords but these require no actual forging as the blanks will be waterjet cut from pre hardened / tempered sheet stock, including the fuller.

Does razor restoration count for the purpose of the thread? I'm working on forging my first razor on the forge but I also fix up old ones occaisionally


The one on the left is a moderately beaten up 20s model that I have cleaned up and honed to a working level and use for my day to day shaving needs; I have a beard most of the time and a straight razor gives you nice clean lines when you trim.

The middle one is probably from the 90s, I bought as new old stock from a local gentlemens shop that was going out of business, it's my "nice" razor.

The rightmost naked blade is my latest acquisition from the local farmers market for £1. The old cellulose handle was shattered and the blade was rusted with big nicks in it. After careful cleaning it turns out it's a cast steel James Johnson from around 1818-1825. I've taken the blade back to an even polish with grades of Wet'n'Dry up to 1200 grit, then re-honed the bevel with 1200, 4000 and 12000 grit stones. I have some black buffalo horn coming to make new scales with, and I'll be re-using the original lead/pewter wedge.

If anyone is interested I'll post my progress. I have a couple other blades coming in for fix up soon.

fps_bill
Apr 6, 2012

Care to tell more about your razor restoration process?

Beardless
Aug 12, 2011

I am Centurion Titus Polonius. And the only trouble I've had is that nobody seem to realize that I'm their superior officer.
I just found out that I'll be getting a propane blow-torch for free in about a month. Some quick googling tells me that I'll need to build a forge in order to do any real blacksmithing. Have any of you guys done that kind of thing, or should I check out the blacksmithing thread?

TheFargate
Oct 6, 2007
Theres a bunch of diy forge info in that thread

Kasan
Dec 24, 2006

Beardless posted:

I just found out that I'll be getting a propane blow-torch for free in about a month. Some quick googling tells me that I'll need to build a forge in order to do any real blacksmithing. Have any of you guys done that kind of thing, or should I check out the blacksmithing thread?

2nding the blacksmithing/metalworking thread. We talk shop about general blacksmithing including forge design and setup there. Two good web resources for blacksmithing (generalized, not bladesmithing specific) would be anvilfire.com and iforgeiron.com

edit:

A propane blowtorch is also terrible for anything short of a coffee can/firebrick blade furnace which isn't suitable for wholesale blacksmithing. You can build a charcoal/coal forge for about $25 if you have access to a welder or somebody who can do welding, just from visiting an auto junkyard. (google brake drum forge for a zillion different plans).

Ishamael
Feb 18, 2004

You don't have to love me, but you will respect me.

fps_bill posted:

Care to tell more about your razor restoration process?

Seconded. I use a straight razor as well and I have a couple old ones that could use some resto work, so I'd love to hear your process!

Mambo No. 5
Feb 25, 2009

Admiral Parry "Terror" Sornis,
Dead Birds Society

When it comes to bladesmithing, if I start with blade quality steel, then I don't have to do any heat treating right? The steel just needs to be shaped and sharpened, yeah?

Kasan
Dec 24, 2006

Tumbleweed Chingada posted:

When it comes to bladesmithing, if I start with blade quality steel, then I don't have to do any heat treating right? The steel just needs to be shaped and sharpened, yeah?

Unless you do 100% of your sharpening with a file, you're going to need to heat treat it, because any mechanical processor that uses a high speed (sanding belt, grinder, etc) will create latent heat in the blade, changing the hardness at various points in the blade.

Sagebrush
Feb 26, 2012

How did blacksmiths explain things like quenching and annealing and heat-treatment before the physics of it were understood? Did they try to come up with explanations that made sense with the science of the day? Did they ascribe it to gods and magic? Did they just say "gently caress it, that's just how it works, who cares why?"

Fiend
Dec 2, 2001

Sagebrush posted:

How did blacksmiths explain things like quenching and annealing and heat-treatment before the physics of it were understood? Did they try to come up with explanations that made sense with the science of the day? Did they ascribe it to gods and magic? Did they just say "gently caress it, that's just how it works, who cares why?"

Haephestus wills it so.

the wizards beard
Apr 15, 2007
Reppin

4 LIFE 4 REAL

Sagebrush posted:

How did blacksmiths explain things like quenching and annealing and heat-treatment before the physics of it were understood? Did they try to come up with explanations that made sense with the science of the day? Did they ascribe it to gods and magic? Did they just say "gently caress it, that's just how it works, who cares why?"

You can study the results of different processes without knowing how they work. If cooling steel faster means it tends to be harder then you try to cool quickly when you need steel to be hard. I think you're giving a huge amount of credit to modern day metalworkers if you think they all have a comprehensive understanding of metallurgy.

Gealar
May 2, 2013
I had a question. I know earlier in this thread or the blacksmithing thread someone mentioned places they used to get metal for knives. I was browsing through amazon and they had blanks and bars of steel for sale. Has anyone tried buying from there?

TheFargate
Oct 6, 2007

Gealar posted:

I had a question. I know earlier in this thread or the blacksmithing thread someone mentioned places they used to get metal for knives. I was browsing through amazon and they had blanks and bars of steel for sale. Has anyone tried buying from there?

This place is hard to beat for knife steel
http://newjerseysteelbaron.com/

Gealar
May 2, 2013
Thank you for the link. It is definitely a great resource. Specifically the details of heat treating are really nice.

LeeJam
Nov 24, 2009
I have done a bit more on that knife. Started tapering the tang. Album

mewse
May 2, 2006

I ordered some G10 scales for my spyderco squeak. Would a dremel be a good tool to work on the finicky stuff? The screw posts are like circles with a side lopped off, and there are tiny channels for the wire clip.

Butterwagon
Mar 21, 2010

Lookit that stupid ass-hole!
I used to be into knives but unfortunately that was before I really knew how to make stuff.
Anyway, here's something I made in 2008/2009:





Blade is D2. Contour machined on a CNC mill, then draw-filed, sanded, and bead blasted. Handle is (commercially pure iirc) titanium, also CNC machined. Hardware is whatever stainless was lying around in the shop.

See the screw with the funky slot in it? That's because I didn't really figure out how deep to drill :doh:
Also, one of the screws is missing but it didn't really need 3 screws anyway...

Solly
Mar 21, 2005

That's a side effect of the marijuana poisoning.
Not sure if this is the best thread for this but I'm figuring people who make knives also know about sharpening them. I've made my own sharpening jig


http://i.imgur.com/YA5kGyl.jpg

To start with I'm putting a compound edge on my s30v leatherman blade. The cutting angle is between 36 and 38 degrees or so. I started working on it only to realise two things, first my oil stone is no where near flat and second grinding paste is no substitute for honing paste.

The question is what sort of stone should I buy? I'm looking to spend less than £40 if possible, on the stone and am thinking some kind of combination stone would be good. The other thing I'm after is recommendations on honing paste because as far as I can see they all look the same.

Solly fucked around with this message at 22:17 on Jan 12, 2015

TerryLennox
Oct 12, 2009

There is nothing tougher than a tough Mexican, just as there is nothing gentler than a gentle Mexican, nothing more honest than an honest Mexican, and above all nothing sadder than a sad Mexican. -R. Chandler.

Diggus Bickus posted:

I used to be into knives but unfortunately that was before I really knew how to make stuff.
Anyway, here's something I made in 2008/2009:





Blade is D2. Contour machined on a CNC mill, then draw-filed, sanded, and bead blasted. Handle is (commercially pure iirc) titanium, also CNC machined. Hardware is whatever stainless was lying around in the shop.

See the screw with the funky slot in it? That's because I didn't really figure out how deep to drill :doh:
Also, one of the screws is missing but it didn't really need 3 screws anyway...

That blade looks badass, like something out of Blade Runner. Did you sell it?

ReelBigLizard
Feb 27, 2003

Fallen Rib
Cross-posting from the blacksmithing thread:

:siren:Euro/UK Goons:siren:

I found a source of proper wrought iron :woop:
http://www.workshopheaven.com/tools/Genuine-19th-Century-Wrought-Iron.html#SID=181

AND high quality knife / tool steel flats including Hitach Blue and pre laminated Japanese billets
http://www.workshopheaven.com/tools/steel_billets.html

thespaceinvader
Mar 30, 2011

The slightest touch from a Gol-Shogeg will result in Instant Death!
Workshop Heaven is the tits, by the way. The guy who runs it is lovely, if you take a trip down there he'll gladly let you try out tools before you buy, sharpen and tune planes etc etc. I've not tried him out for raw materials but I'm sure he'd be great for them.

You pay a premium for the service, but you get a lot for your money.

Raluek
Nov 3, 2006

WUT.

TerryLennox posted:

That blade looks badass, like something out of Blade Runner. Did you sell it?

It looks a lot like the Chris Reeve Sebenza, if you want to buy something similar.

TerryLennox
Oct 12, 2009

There is nothing tougher than a tough Mexican, just as there is nothing gentler than a gentle Mexican, nothing more honest than an honest Mexican, and above all nothing sadder than a sad Mexican. -R. Chandler.
Thanks, looks interesting. Too bad those cost as much as a testicle transplant.

http://www.bladehq.com/cat--Chris-Reeve-Sebenza--636

$520

MC Hawking
Apr 27, 2004

by VideoGames
Fun Shoe
This thread is cool and now I want to get a knife kit. I know it's just slapping together some pre-made parts but hey, at least I can do the wood finishing myself!

That's what I get for coming into diy every year or so :v

Crazyeyes
Nov 5, 2009

If I were human, I believe my response would be: 'go to hell'.
Just bought a couple sheets of kydex and playing around with making some sheaths for my knives on account of the stock ones being utter garbage. My first attempt turned out ok. Cracked my DIY press in the vice but easy to fix so whatever.



Those lines were from me trying to work out cuts for a belt but it would fall way too far down the blade and by expression would sit really weird.

10 Beers
May 21, 2005

Shit! I didn't bring a knife.

MC Hawking posted:

This thread is cool and now I want to get a knife kit. I know it's just slapping together some pre-made parts but hey, at least I can do the wood finishing myself!

That's what I get for coming into diy every year or so :v

Watches and knives, man. Watches and knives.

HenryJLittlefinger
Jan 31, 2010

stomp clap


Can someone recommend a good filet knife blank? I'm looking at the Green River one in the Smoky Mountain Knife Works catalog, but don't know anything about it. This would be for a real working filet knife, not a decorative piece.

TIA.

nm got one from North Coast.

HenryJLittlefinger fucked around with this message at 18:19 on Jul 1, 2015

wormil
Sep 12, 2002

Hulk will smoke you!
Anyone watching Forged in Fire on the History Channel? They make it vaguely historic by having them build distinctive weapons like the katana, Viking axe, katar, etc. Overall the contestants and judges are a lot more positive than most reality shows and there is no manufactured drama.

Also I bought a Bernzomatic TS8000 high intensity torch and am edging toward being able to heat treat steel.

wormil
Sep 12, 2002

Hulk will smoke you!
I finally decided to make something. Cut from an old 10" saw blade. I couldn't drill the hardened steel so the handles are only epoxied.







Slung Blade
Jul 11, 2002

IN STEEL WE TRUST

drat that looks nice. What kind of wood is the handle?


Also, do you guys think some left over maple flooring bits would make a decent handle?

wormil
Sep 12, 2002

Hulk will smoke you!

Slung Blade posted:

drat that looks nice. What kind of wood is the handle?


Also, do you guys think some left over maple flooring bits would make a decent handle?

Padauk. I happened to have some scraps from a xylophone project that fit exactly. Maple flooring would make a fine handle.

One more, I'll have better pics tomorrow.

wormil
Sep 12, 2002

Hulk will smoke you!
Done






Crazyeyes
Nov 5, 2009

If I were human, I believe my response would be: 'go to hell'.

wormil posted:

I finally decided to make something. Cut from an old 10" saw blade. I couldn't drill the hardened steel so the handles are only epoxied.









That thing looks slick.

What kind of epoxy did you use?

wormil
Sep 12, 2002

Hulk will smoke you!

Crazyeyes posted:

That thing looks slick.

What kind of epoxy did you use?

Thanks. 5 minute, Loctite brand I think. I use it almost everyday in the kitchen, it's become my favorite knife.

Kasan
Dec 24, 2006

wormil posted:

Thanks. 5 minute, Loctite brand I think. I use it almost everyday in the kitchen, it's become my favorite knife.

Saw blades that are high carbon the whole way through and not just the teeth (or are really mild steel with cemented carbide teeth) make absurdly good knifes. My first ever attempt was one I cut out of a 6" saw blade and welded a little extra sawblade bit to the tang long before I know anything about anything. I've worked on it for a couple years off and on sanding and filing it down by hand with sand paper and files (since I don't own a belt sander and my skill with sanding on an angle grinder is somewhat... lacking.) and it's got an edge that I managed to cleave my thumb down the middle with once. One day I'll finish it and have to figure out what to do for a handle. Maybe some antler or bone since I have a ton of that stuff laying around.

NPR Journalizard
Feb 14, 2008

What do you use to cut the saw blade to shape?

thespaceinvader
Mar 30, 2011

The slightest touch from a Gol-Shogeg will result in Instant Death!
Angle grinder with cutoff wheel is the usual way.

Or plasma cutter if you have one.

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His Divine Shadow
Aug 7, 2000

I'm not a fascist. I'm a priest. Fascists dress up in black and tell people what to do.
I dunno if this is the right place to ask this, but I am building a small belt grinder that will use 2x36" sanding belts. I intend to use it to sharpen chisels, plane irons and knives. It'll be a home built contraption like a wooden harbor freight lookalike. My question is where do I want to go slow and where do I want to go fast?

It seems like those that have bigger grinders like 2x72", prefer really fast speeds like 6000 SFM, I assume it's because it hogs of more metal faster and zirconium belts work better at higher speeds unlike AO ones. On the other side there's machines like the sorby pro edge which has a very slow speed like 700 sfm. What gives, why are so many people saying go for speed, but one of the pro sharpening tools on the market goes slow?

Is that just because it's for sharpening and doesn't need to remove as much material as other metal shaping operations, or is there more to it? Perhaps finer grit belts work better on slower speeds?

At any rate I am building this with step pulleys so I can have a range of speeds. I think 890rpm to 3500rpm is a suitable range.

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