Weld an extension onto your vice grips. That's what a lot of guys do starting out.
Amateur Knife Making
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Weld an extension onto your vice grips. That's what a lot of guys do starting out.
Mokwepa
Member
LOL, Classic.
Im a bike rider and your idea sonds good. Going to stick to leaf springs for now. How does leaf spring steel compare to bought stuff? Is leaf spring considerd fairly good stuff for knife making? It seems to hold an edge.
Mokwepa
Member
Have you by any chance got a pic? I cannot picture how you would extend the handles without interfearing with the locking mechanism.
Got to go home now, doing a day drive(7 hrs), must find buffalo and leopard.
Thanks for all the advice.
HoosierQ
Member
Mokwepa
Very kind of you to ask. I have put handles on existing blades and that is the extent of my experience.
Here is my most recent. The blade is my grandfather's butcher knife that he used his entire life. Used an antler and pinned in the blade.
Here is a walnut handled Green River.
And here is a walnut handled basic knife I made many years ago from a blade that is pretty good steel that originally had a plastic handle.
So I can put a handle on 'em but I have never made a real blade from real steel.
Very kind of you to ask. I have put handles on existing blades and that is the extent of my experience.
Here is my most recent. The blade is my grandfather's butcher knife that he used his entire life. Used an antler and pinned in the blade.
Here is a walnut handled Green River.
And here is a walnut handled basic knife I made many years ago from a blade that is pretty good steel that originally had a plastic handle.
So I can put a handle on 'em but I have never made a real blade from real steel.
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I'll try to get a picture from one of the local smiths, but they tack onto the outside of the handle that doesn't have the adjustment screw.
bikerdoc
Moderator In Memoriam
AppalachianMtnMan,
Welcome to THR!
HoosierQ, Nice handle work
To all, I will be lurking and posting but the Doc has put my gringing to a halt due to increased nunbness in my hands and arms and posibly damage to my C5.
But I am still a Knife guy
Welcome to THR!
HoosierQ, Nice handle work
To all, I will be lurking and posting but the Doc has put my gringing to a halt due to increased nunbness in my hands and arms and posibly damage to my C5.
But I am still a Knife guy
Valkman
Member
Yes it is - it's good carbon steel.
AppalachianMtnMan
Member
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Heres the video I said I would add. Its not much, we did all the shaping with the 10 pound hammer laying at the anvil base, we were in the clean up and final shaping stage by this time. Doing the beating is my Dad.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmVVm27hclc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmVVm27hclc
Careful about leaf springs, the conversations with experienced makers I've participated in view springs from equipment made before 1980 as being superior to those after. The discussions center around the quantity/quality of scrap used in the manufacture of steel after that time and the resultant quality of the leaf springs. The rule of thumb is that higher end euro vehicle springs or pre '75 springs were preferable because they would be hight quality 5160. Mercedes and Volvo being especially preferred.
maskedman504
Member
Although I said this on the second page of this thread:
This thread is brimming with information for anyone with a desire to enter into knife making. No opinionated B.S., no attitudes, no anecdotal evidence. One of the best threads I have ever read on THR. Thank you to those are are forging (literally) the way.
This thread is brimming with information for anyone with a desire to enter into knife making. No opinionated B.S., no attitudes, no anecdotal evidence. One of the best threads I have ever read on THR. Thank you to those are are forging (literally) the way.
Mokwepa
Member
Morning guys, will chat later. about to leave on my day drive.
Mokwepa
Member
Hi guys
Got started on my bowie yesterday. Didint have too much time but did get the basic beating done. My guests leave today so ive got the next week to work on it. The counterbend tecnique works like a charm. I didnt counterbend the end 2" so that it would curve at the tip. I do find im working quicker and getting the hang of beating consistently. My new/old vacuum works great, 3 speed settings and doesnt overheat the steel on the lowest. Ill keep posting over the next few days the progress of the bowie.
messerist
Member
Looking good! I'm gonna do some forging tomorrow if the weather holds
Mokwepa
Member
Made some progress yesterday. Profiled the blade. Ill get a pic up today if i can. Have andy of you casted a bolster/gaurd out of brass, how did it turn out and how did you do it?
Mokwepa
Member
Here it is so far.
You're going to need to even the edge out. That curve in the middle is going to make grinding a real pain.
Heat it and whack it on the rail/anvil. Literally, just use the flat surface of the anvil to whack the whole length of the blade spine to flatten it just like you were chopping the anvil in half with the spine. That will push that hump toward the cutting edge and even it out.
Heat it and whack it on the rail/anvil. Literally, just use the flat surface of the anvil to whack the whole length of the blade spine to flatten it just like you were chopping the anvil in half with the spine. That will push that hump toward the cutting edge and even it out.
Mokwepa
Member
Nope....I like that curved look. You are right, it will be a pain grinding the sharp edge but im going to anneal and file it by hand, only on the sharp edge. Im going to leave the forged look on the side of the blade (i love that forged look).
Made a mold for my gaurd. Shaped wax, then made a plaster mould and melted the wax out. Dont know if it will handle the heat but you'll find out tomorrow
Thanks fpr the reply HSO. Have a good weekend.
PS. Our chef finished his knife, ill get a pic soon.
Made a mold for my gaurd. Shaped wax, then made a plaster mould and melted the wax out. Dont know if it will handle the heat but you'll find out tomorrow
Thanks fpr the reply HSO. Have a good weekend.
PS. Our chef finished his knife, ill get a pic soon.
Mokwepa,
If you like the recurve edge, then it's easy to leave in, but that humpback spine is just that easy to take out.
Of course you might like that too, or you could just grind it flat.
Good to hear the vacuum cleaner blower is working well for you.
Your plaster mold needs to be dry, dry, dry before the brass goes in or it might not just crack, but explode. Be sure to pack sand around it in a pot so that if it does crack it will have less potential to loose any brass.
If you like the recurve edge, then it's easy to leave in, but that humpback spine is just that easy to take out.
Of course you might like that too, or you could just grind it flat.
Good to hear the vacuum cleaner blower is working well for you.
Your plaster mold needs to be dry, dry, dry before the brass goes in or it might not just crack, but explode. Be sure to pack sand around it in a pot so that if it does crack it will have less potential to loose any brass.
Mokwepa
Member
Thanks HSO.
I got the brass to melt but it seems too holt for a cold plaster mould. When i poured it into the mould it agitates and leaves ripples and bubbles in the brass. I know from casting bullets for my BP rifle, you only get good clean bullets when the mould is hot and the fluid can cool slowly. Any way, i tried. Think im going to do a steel gaurd (same as on the Primitive Fighter), but different shape. I was looking at my CS Black Bear last night and thought of doing a second finger quillion (dont know the correct name). The wood ive got for the handle is Rhodiasian Teak. Its a nice deap redish colour.
Do you think i should do the second quillion?
I got the brass to melt but it seems too holt for a cold plaster mould. When i poured it into the mould it agitates and leaves ripples and bubbles in the brass. I know from casting bullets for my BP rifle, you only get good clean bullets when the mould is hot and the fluid can cool slowly. Any way, i tried. Think im going to do a steel gaurd (same as on the Primitive Fighter), but different shape. I was looking at my CS Black Bear last night and thought of doing a second finger quillion (dont know the correct name). The wood ive got for the handle is Rhodiasian Teak. Its a nice deap redish colour.
Do you think i should do the second quillion?
If your mold held up and your only problem was bubbles in the brass give it another go with the mold hot.
On the other hand, if you have enough brass to melt and pour you could just shape it.
Subhilt is the term used. They're a matter of taste and mostly decorative. They're also usually too large since many times they're made to match the guard on the knife instead of the hand of the user.
On the other hand, if you have enough brass to melt and pour you could just shape it.
Subhilt is the term used. They're a matter of taste and mostly decorative. They're also usually too large since many times they're made to match the guard on the knife instead of the hand of the user.
Mokwepa
Member
Thanks HSO.
One more question for today. I dont realy have enough motor oil for treatment of this knife but ive got a ton of "sunflower cooking oil", can i use it for heat treatment?
One more question for today. I dont realy have enough motor oil for treatment of this knife but ive got a ton of "sunflower cooking oil", can i use it for heat treatment?
theotherwaldo
Member
Mokwepa: Try using clay instead of plaster for your brass mold. Dry it, bake it in the same place that you melt your bronze, then pour the bronze in the hot mold.
-That's the way it's been done for thousands of years!
Plaster just breaks down from the heat, emitting lots of CO2 in the process and making your brass all foamy.
-That's the way it's been done for thousands of years!
Plaster just breaks down from the heat, emitting lots of CO2 in the process and making your brass all foamy.
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messerist
Member
I've used canola oil for years. Been working so far on 5160 and old files. I bet that sunflower oil is in the same catagory. Good luck!
People have been using all sorts of quenching fluids from vegetable oils to "used" motor/transmission oils to specific metallurgical quenching fluids. Then theres water and salt solutions.
The sunflower oil should work just like the canola oil messerist uses. Try heating it to about 120 F before using it to quench. If you get a piece of 4" pipe that you can weld up and stand vertically you can vertically quench in it. If you use iron pipe you can heat your oil before the quench.
The sunflower oil should work just like the canola oil messerist uses. Try heating it to about 120 F before using it to quench. If you get a piece of 4" pipe that you can weld up and stand vertically you can vertically quench in it. If you use iron pipe you can heat your oil before the quench.
Mokwepa
Member
I drilled out the one piece handle and the handle almost goes right over the tang, but just doesnt. Can i heat up the tang and burn it into the handle for a perfect fit like i did with the waterbuck horn on the primitive fighter?
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