Aluminum!!!

[jgbennett6]

Well i've got to admit it, i've made 100 or so knives usually jsut for some friends and such, i got a request for a small drop point with aluminum finger guard and buttplate!!... i have never worked with aluminum and holy poop does it heat up fast!!!!!, anyone else have this realization!!

[skullworks]

Never have worked with it but if heats up quicker than copper it would get you quick! LOL!

[kbaknife]

It gets hot INSTANTLY!

[Ray Hammond]

try german silver instead.

[jgbennett6]

In teh past i have used Nickel instead, hahahbut i figure for a lightweight application aluminum is nice and real real cheap (compared to silver)..but whoa!!! she gets hot... almost ruined a few carbide rasps.

[KHALVERSON]

when  grinding aluminum it helps to coat your disk or belt with wax bees wax works the best but regular old pariffin wax also works
this helps keep the belts or discs from loading up with aluminum  and also leaves a smoother finish
this should work on files or rasps also
all though i have never used it on files

[Lin Rhea]

Yea, it gets hot really fast! It also absorbs heat fast, thus some of the guys are actually quenching their blades (dry) between two plates of aluminum. Squeezing the plates keep the blade from warping too.
                              Lin

[jgbennett6]

I havn't thought of wax, tahnks u tried using chalk... i'm afraid (i do a lot of my shaping with it already attached) that is will melt the epoxy or burn the wood, I just have to work slow and cool it often