Piggybacking.... First DIY Knife

[Olon]

Inspired by @mcb 's recent thread on his third knife, I humbly present my first knife project. This began as a file I got for 1.50 at a pawn shop and a youtube video on how to make a knife with an angle grinder. This is a first effort, and I'm saving a better file to make a Father's Day knife for my Dad if this goes well.


Pictured next to my other quarantine project. It's been slow going as I would grind a little bit, then dunk in motor oil to keep it cool. I think I'm pretty happy with the shape, so now it's just sanding and polishing before I temper it. I'll probably make the handle out of some leftover maple I have from these revolver grips. Maybe layer some cocobolo veneer underneath in contact with the metal.

 

[redneck]

That is very good for working with an angle grinder. Honestly, for a first knife that would be well done with any tools. My one piece of advice is that when you are grinding and want to keep the blade cool you can just dunk it in water. The goal is to keep it from getting hot enough to effect the temper, so you should be dunking long before its hot enough to worry about cracking in water. I keep a 5 gallon bucket hanging under the wheel of my belt grinder and dunk all knives in it, whether it is before or after heat treat. As long as you can hold the knife with your bare hand, you won't hurt it by using water, and it will be much less mess than the oil.

 

[badkarmamib]

Dangit, now you have inspired me to try it, myself. I "forged" a horseshoe knife at Iron Mountain Metal Craft in Pigeon Forge. In other words, Robby did all the work, I just hit the hot metal with a hammer. My brother-in-law does forging, and keeps inviting me up, but I never seem to find the time. Thought about getting into it myself, but I don't think I would make enough different tools to ever justify the equipment cost. But, a file and grinder looks like something I could do in my spare time, just as a fun project. Thanks for sharing!

 

[Olon]

Here's a link to the video I used, but it's almost too simple. The video just showed me that it was possible and I diverged from his methods immediately by making the shape freehand instead of scribing and doing a wooden grip instead of paracord. Still, it's worth a watch I think. This guy does some cool projects.

 

[Olon]

Dangit, now you have inspired me to try it, myself. I "forged" a horseshoe knife at Iron Mountain Metal Craft in Pigeon Forge. In other words, Robby did all the work, I just hit the hot metal with a hammer. My brother-in-law does forging, and keeps inviting me up, but I never seem to find the time. Thought about getting into it myself, but I don't think I would make enough different tools to ever justify the equipment cost. But, a file and grinder looks like something I could do in my spare time, just as a fun project. Thanks for sharing!

Once you get the shape down and are to the point of sanding/polishing, it's as great an excuse as any to sit in the yard and pop a top lol.

 

[Olon]

That is very good for working with an angle grinder. Honestly, for a first knife that would be well done with any tools. My one piece of advice is that when you are grinding and want to keep the blade cool you can just dunk it in water. The goal is to keep it from getting hot enough to effect the temper, so you should be dunking long before its hot enough to worry about cracking in water. I keep a 5 gallon bucket hanging under the wheel of my belt grinder and dunk all knives in it, whether it is before or after heat treat. As long as you can hold the knife with your bare hand, you won't hurt it by using water, and it will be much less mess than the oil.

Thanks for the advice! I had a bucket of used motor oil that presented itself at just the right moment but a jar of water will be way less messy. Could even spray it on that way.

 

[Shanghai McCoy]

That looks real nice. Since it is still "file hard" drilling the tang for the pins could prove to be a challenge.
Also an FYI, I see that the tang has USA stamped on it so I'll guess it's a Nicholson file? That's good, stick with the good quality old files as they are hardened better than most of the cheap files from overseas.
Years ago,while working overseas, I was trying to grind a knife out of a file and it was only hardened as deep as the teeth.
Weird...

 

[Olon]

That looks real nice. Since it is still "file hard" drilling the tang for the pins could prove to be a challenge.
Also an FYI, I see that the tang has USA stamped on it so I'll guess it's a Nicholson file? That's good, stick with the good quality old files as they are hardened better than most of the cheap files from overseas.
Years ago,while working overseas, I was trying to grind a knife out of a file and it was only hardened as deep as the teeth.
Weird...

Yeah both of the files I got are really good. The bigger one I have cost $2 at a different pawn shop... and here I am grinding up nice files, using the harbor freight ones as actual files

 

[Olon]

That looks real nice. Since it is still "file hard" drilling the tang for the pins could prove to be a challenge.
Also an FYI, I see that the tang has USA stamped on it so I'll guess it's a Nicholson file? That's good, stick with the good quality old files as they are hardened better than most of the cheap files from overseas.
Years ago,while working overseas, I was trying to grind a knife out of a file and it was only hardened as deep as the teeth.
Weird...

I wonder if there would be any ill-effect of me taking a torch to the tang in order to remove the hardening. Experience tells me it will probably warp everything out of whack so it's probably a bad idea. Probably going to just have to be patient with it.

 

[Shanghai McCoy]

I wonder if there would be any ill-effect of me taking a torch to the tang in order to remove the hardening. Experience tells me it will probably warp everything out of whack so it's probably a bad idea. Probably going to just have to be patient with it.

Warping is a possibility for sure, since you are so far along it could be risky.

 

[mcb]

I wonder if there would be any ill-effect of me taking a torch to the tang in order to remove the hardening. Experience tells me it will probably warp everything out of whack so it's probably a bad idea. Probably going to just have to be patient with it.

You will probably be OK since you will heat it up and allow it to cool slowly to remove the heat treat. It is usually the quench that warps the blade not the heating processed. Just make sure you keep the blade itself cool while you heat the handle. You also don't need to take it to bright red, you can probably stop at about 750 deg.

 

[kBob]

Just a thought

I know nothing about metallurgy. I do know that some folks before drilling into the hardened receivers of old military rifles to drill holes to mount scopes from would build a small clay dam (I worried about water content) around where they planned to drill and poured molten lead into the cup formed and allow it to fully cool. this was supposed to make only that area soft enough to drill.

Perhaps figure where you want your pin holes and try that.

Comments from the experts?

-kBob

 

[Olon]

Just a thought

I know nothing about metallurgy. I do know that some folks before drilling into the hardened receivers of old military rifles to drill holes to mount scopes from would build a small clay dam (I worried about water content) around where they planned to drill and poured molten lead into the cup formed and allow it to fully cool. this was supposed to make only that area soft enough to drill.

Perhaps figure where you want your pin holes and try that.

Comments from the experts?

-kBob

That's a pretty good idea

 

[redneck]

Another possibility, if you have a drill press is to use a masonry bit. They are cheap, and have a carbide tip brazed on them. You have to drill at high speed and be patient but it should make it through, just have to watch you don't get it so hot that you melt the tip off of the drill bit. I have done this a time or two with mixed success, and the holes won't be super accurate for size but it will make a usable hole and costs very little to try.

 

[Valkman]

That is a great effort! If you guys could see my first knife you laugh your butts off - and no I'm not showing it!

As soon as you get done with #1 start on #2 and they will get better every time.

 

[hso]

Wrap the blade in a cloth and keep it wet. Use a torch with a fine tip to heat the points you want to drill to a dull red and allow to air cool on it's own. You won't have a problem.