Newbie needs help

[elkshooter]

OK - you guys have inspired me to try building my first knife and I jumped in (after reading Wayne Goddard's $50 knife shop and almost every post here)

I have always wanted a "Muskrat skinner" from Knives of Alaska and figured rather than spending the $60 for one, I'd build one.  The Muskrat is a rounded blade for skinning, etc and now I'm thinking that may not have been the best idea for my first...but I'm knee deep in it now.

I started with a blank I bought on *bay and marked it up as shown here.

IMG]http://i511.photobucket.com/albums/s354/sahussey/DSCN19951.jpg[/IMG]

After a little dremel grinding and a bastard file by hand I now have this.

IMG]http://i511.photobucket.com/albums/s354/sahussey/DSCN19971.jpg[/IMG]

 

My questions are as follows:

1. The bastard file left some pretty deep grooves/scratches. I assume I use a progressively finer file/sandpaper to remove.

2. I'm pretty sure my blank wasn't hardened so how close to "finished" should I get the blade before I harden it?  In other words, do I put a sharp edge on it before I harden?

Any other advice on what kind of "finish" I should do...I think I'll try for a satin finish based on what I've read here.

Any other words of wisdom would be appreciated.

And you guys are right...this isn't that hard by hand, although I'm sure with a belt sander, etc I could make it much "tighter".  This being my first one and funds being tight, I wanted to try building before I made anyinvestment and I don't plan for this to be a showpiece..just a knife to take to the woods with me to skin my elk in 2 weeks should the lord look so kindly on me.

Thanks in advance for your guidance for a newbie.


2.

[elkshooter]

Ooops...my original pics didn't show up.

Here's the blank I started with...
 

Here's the second pic after dremel/file work...


 

[woodsman1031]

Elkshooter,

I like to start with 40 grit and work my way to 150 grit. That will give you a mat finish that looks pretty good. Use the sandpaper legthwise with the the blade with every grit you use. I like to get them about 90-95% before I harden them.

I like the way you knife looks. Please keep us posted with pics


Tommy

[Ru]

What kind of steal are you using? looks good so far!

[Wampus]

Don't sharpen the edge before heat treating as the thin edge will overheat very quickly.  I leave it about the thickness of a dime and then sharpen it after hardening.  I sand in a different direction each time I change grits so I can be sure I get rid of all the scratches from the previous (larger) grit.  Finish up with the last grit after hardening sanding lengthwise.

[elkshooter]

Originally posted by Ru:
What kind of steal are you using? looks good so far!

Thanks...I don't know what steel it is.  It is supposed to be a leftover blank from Camillus Cutlery.

[elkshooter]

Originally posted by woodsman1031:
Elkshooter,

I like to start with 40 grit and work my way to 150 grit. That will give you a mat finish that looks pretty good. Use the sandpaper legthwise with the the blade with every grit you use. I like to get them about 90-95% before I harden them.

I like the way you knife looks. Please keep us posted with pics


Tommy

Thanks Tommy...

Do you heat treat before you finish sand?  I guess I'm not sure of the order of the next steps.

Thx.

[woodsman1031]

There are alot of expert knife makers here that know ALOT more than I do. This is how I would do it from my experience. I have not made a knife from anything more than a saw blade so far.
I always sand it to where I plan on leaving it (aroud 150 grit). I then heat it and quench in oil. There is going to be ALOT of scale left on your blade. It is WAY easier to clean off scale from a 150 grit surface than a 40 grit surface. You can then just probably stay with the same grit you stopped with to clean the scale back off.

Really look close at you blade for light scratches before hardening it. It is a BEAR to get that black scale out of scratches!


Tommy

[Lin Rhea]

Your doing good.

I agree with all of the above. Be sure and post pictures as you go.
                      Lin

[elkshooter]

Finished my first knife...I had to hurry a little this weekend to get it ready for my elk hunt starting on Friday so I cut a few corners, but I'm still pretty happy with the results for my first knife.

I pretty much used hand tools with the exception of a bench grinder to rough out the shape, but it was a file for the metal removal, a rasp for the handle and good ole fashioned elbow grease.

If I continue I'll probably invest in some equipment, but this was fun.

Thanks to everyone for the words of encouragement.  I've always wanted a skinner and now I have one.  Hope to shoot a big bull with my refinished 50 lb Shakespere, my homemade arrows and skin him with my homemade knife all on my 40th birthday week!
 

 

Let's hope it all comes together.

Elkshooter(hopefully)!

[skullworks]

Great job! Hope it all comes together for you!

[madness522]

Cool looking knife!  How far around the curve did you sharpen it?

[elkshooter]

I sharpened about an inch around the curve..so I can cut either way without tearing the hide.

[Ru]

I like it!  

[woodsman1031]

You did a great job on it!

[Steve Nuckels]

That is a most interesting design and functional too!  Nice work!  Good luck and happy birthday!