Tools for a beginner...

[NittanyRider]

Last week Jeff/Tippit posted a "Forging Crash Course" thread in the PowWow, and since then, it seems that all I can focus on is knives and knife making!    

I've done a little bit of research (mainly looking for local artisan blacksmiths, craft schools/courses and equipment costs) and I've concluded that probably the best place for me to start is with completing knives from finished blades or blanks... and then see where that takes me.  

So, I'm starting from scratch, in terms of experience and tools, and I wanted to know if you all could get me pointed in the right direction with the "must have" hand and power tools I will need to make a handle and assemble a knife.  I was thinking: vise; drill press; jigsaw or coping saw and dremel tool to start with, but is there anything else?

Thanks for your help!

David

[tippit]

David,
Try to find...

1) Local knife maker for help

2) Local ABANA Chapter (Artist-Blacksmith's Association of North America)
 
3) ABS (American Bladesmith Society) Hammer In.  Here is a link to courses offered this year...one in TN & Maine.  These would be a great starting place.  It will save you years on the learning curve. I think they are all of $65-75 plus food & lodging for three days of learning!

Link...
 http://www.americanbladesmith.com/index.php?section=events&subsection=show_events_details&events_id=40

[D.Ellis]

Vise, drill press and a good selection of files will do a lot.
Definitely find a local knifemaker if you can that will save you lots of mistakes and speed up the learning curve.
And I probably don't need to tell you that there is no turning back now, you've started down the slippery slope!

Darcy  

[NittanyRider]

Thanks for the information!   I'm currently looking for a local bladesmith, but so far I haven't found anything.  Other than farriers,  I can't seem to find anyone who does any blacksmithing in these parts... maybe I can find someone in the local Amish community.

There is a Pennsylvania Artisan Blacksmith Association, and I'm in the process of locating a "local" smith through them.

Good to know about the ABS Hammer-Ins. There's actually one in Ohio in August, so I will be putting that on the calendar for sure.

Cheers!

[NittanyRider]

Thanks, Darcy!  As far as the drill press goes... what would be a minimum configuration?  What's most important: Size, horsepower, long spindle travel, speed?  

p.s. that scamper knife is a thing of beauty... great job!

[D.Ellis]

Originally posted by NittanyRider:
Thanks, Darcy!  As far as the drill press goes... what would be a minimum configuration?  What's most important: Size, horsepower, long spindle travel, speed?  

p.s. that scamper knife is a thing of beauty... great job!

Thanks.
I would recommend buying the biggest drill press you can afford, very versatile tool. I have a Delta floor model with a 1HP motor and a 4 inch spindle stroke. 215 to 2700 RPM. I started with a smaller table top model, better than no drill press at all, but if I was to buy one today, I'd probably look at one of the drill/mills so I could do some milling work as well. Drill presses just aren't made to take any side load on the bearings.
That said, for starting out, and just doing kit blades, you could get by with a table top one if money is tight...just be aware that you will be limited to what it can do.
Have fun.  
Darcy  

[NittanyRider]

Originally posted by D.Ellis:

I would recommend buying the biggest drill press you can afford

Ahhh, man, I can see where this is headed!  Slippery slope, indeed!      

[D.Ellis]

Originally posted by NittanyRider:
 

quote:Originally posted by D.Ellis:

I would recommend buying the biggest drill press you can afford

Ahhh, man, I can see where this is headed!  Slippery slope, indeed!        
Darcy  

[tomsm44]

I would tend to agree with all above.  A drill press is a great tool to have.  A vice and a variety of files along with a hammer, some sand paper and a couple of backing sticks and you're in business to build from blade blanks.  A band saw allows cutting scales close to final shape and saves a lot of filing time but isn't required.  A cheap coping saw would work too.  A hand drill works ok for drilling pin holes for full tangs, but a hidden tang would be pretty tricky without a drill press.

 When you get ready to do your own blades, don't be scared by the $1000+ price tags on a good belt grinder.  I built one from the no weld grinder plans that Midwest knife supply sells.  It works great, was simple to build with basic hand tools, and cost me in the neighborhood of $500 with a brand new 1 1/2 hp motor.  Still a lot of money, but at 1/2 or even 1/3 of the price of some others, it's a little easier to come up with.  I've seen other home built grinders that look prettier than the no weld plans, but I'm not sure of the price or how hard they are to build.

Matt Toms

[NittanyRider]

Thanks for the info, Matt!  Ok, so a drill press is on my list!  I saw one at lowes with a 1hp motor and 4" spindle stroke that was priced within reason and got good reviews.

As far as vice goes... just a basic bench vise?  

The no weld belt grinder sounds like it may be a good option, once I get to that point - thanks for mentioning it.  Did you buy the parts from Midwest Knife Supply?

[D.Ellis]

Basic bench vise is what I have, a jet 5 inch. If I was buying one today I'd get one of these. So versatile....... I want one bad!

 

Darcy  

[kbaknife]

Just so you know - "Knife making is a life-time of buying tools.
Then you die."

Jerry Rados.

[kbaknife]

In retrospect, I bought 4 or five vices over my adult life until I bought a pipe vise like that. I haven't had the need to buy another one since. The rotating axis is priceless.

 

Originally posted by D.Ellis:
Basic bench vise is what I have, a jet 5 inch. If I was buying one today I'd get one of these. So versatile....... I want one bad!

   

Darcy      

[Bladepeek]

I will second Darcy's comment on not putting a side load on the drill press. I have a fairly large table top Delta that would probably have lasted me my life time. I used it with small sanding drums to do the small radii in my knife profiles.

Want to buy a drill press that rumbles and wanders badly? Dirt cheap!

[tippit]

David,
If you can make it to....


August 22, 23, and 24, 2014

Mid America Hammer-In

Miami County Fairgrounds, Troy, Ohio

ABS Contact – Butch Sheely (419) 832-5801 or Email [email protected]

Contact Butch and you'll have triple the fun...

1)  Great ABS hammer In
2)  This is one of the largest used forging/blacksmith tools, anvils, you name it all for sale!!  If you go bring a truck  
3)  Butch is a great guy who can really help get you going.  Cindy his wife is the ABS secretary.

[tomsm44]

Midwest knife supply has all of the wheels, bearings, pulleys, etc.  You may be able to shop around and save a little, but it was just too easy to just place one order.  The rest is just square tubing, flat bar, and various bolts and nuts. You can actually get all of the steel pieces already cut from there also, but it's more expensive.  I did just a flat platten on mine.  If you wanted to do hollow grinding, a large wheel tool bar would run probably an extra $100 or so.  You can do as many tool bars as you want and change them just like the commercial ones.  I believe they're even interchangeable with many of the commercial tool bars.  Here's mine right after I built it.  

 
 

Matt

[D.Ellis]

Thanks Matt, now I have grinder envy   :D   ! I've been using this little piece of junk 2x36 attachment for the last 15 or 16 years!
I need to get my new grinder built! Got all the parts, just need the time.
 

Darcy  

[tomsm44]

Darcy, I worked an hour or two every evening after work for about a week.  A few hours on Saturday for final bolt up and getting everything lined up and that's it.  Probably 10-12 hours total.  I had access to a metal bandsaw at work which helped a lot, so I did most of it there at the shop after everybody else went home.  Also have a bead blasting cabinet there which was great for getting everything ready to paint.

[NittanyRider]

Thank you, all, for the input!  I checked out two books from the library last week: 1) Custom Knifemaking by McCreit and 2) Step-by-Step Knifemaking by Boye.  Any other books on knife making or forging you would recommend?