special first knife project build along (COMPLETE!)

[Hummer3T]

Completed file work on one of the match set, starting the other.  Wear bandages and gloves prior to starting, because if not, you will be wearing bandages after. LOTS OF BLISTERS!

     

     

     

Etching, should I do this before heat treating?????

[tomsm44]

Looks good so far.  Much better than my first knife.  Looking forward to the finished product.  I do see one thing that I may have done differently.  I believe you said the handle is a one piece design that will slide onto the tang from the bottome and then be pinned in place?  It probably would have been easier to get your pin hole drilled in the handle if you had done it before shaping the handle.  You should still be able to do it fairly easily, but it will take a little more care to keep everything level for a straight hole.  I mention this because I built my first hidden tang knife about a month ago and did the same thing.  Got it drilled ok, but had to be extra careful to not let it roll on my drill press while drilling.  From now on, I'll get my blade finished, fit the block of wood to the tang, mark the tang location, drill the pin hole and then shape the handle and fit it to the gaurd profile.  

By the way, are you hooked yet?  Keep at it.
Matt Toms

[Hummer3T]

Thanks Matt, I discovered this a tad to late also, but think I should be able to get through it, but have already had one handle failure. I also did what you are describing on both duplicates.  I have learnt I have done several steps backward, and may have to start over on the handle if needed.

[tomsm44]

It's good to look at a mistake as a learning experience.  Helps keep you from getting discouraged.  You'll also remember a lesson learned from a mistake far better than one learned from a book.  Also, I had some mess ups when I first started grinding blades last year that I set aside as scrap, but luckily didn't trash.  I have recently taken what I have learned since and gone back to these blades and been able to make a decent knife out of them by slightly modifying the shape/grind profile/etc. to remove the original mistakes.  

Matt Toms

[Hummer3T]

getting ready to send off to tempering but may have to wait, because of floods in Alberta, My brothers are ok (other than loss of house) and hopefully everyone else ok and people bounce back from a devastating disaster.

here is a update to my special build.

dry fitting handle, etc.


 

 


 

[D.Ellis]

You have a very unique design going on here. I like it a bunch.
Darcy  

[Hummer3T]

It went out for heat treatment today by mail, hope it is back in a week so I can start doing final details and putting it all together.

Any suggestions for buffing, it is S30V Stainless steel.

[Bladepeek]

I wouldn't buff it - at least not initially. I would suggest hand rubbing it with wet/dry paper, on a piece of steel or hardwood, starting with 220 grit and working my way up through at least 400 grit. If you work one grit until all the scratches are going the same way, then change direction with a finer grit until all the scratches go in the new direction, you can get a pretty highly polished surface without a lot of rounding off or dishing out. If you want a real mirror polish, go up to 1000 grit and only when there are no scratches showing at all, hit it lightly with some fine buffing compound.

By the way, if you are using a buffing wheel, be careful. They sure like to snatch a blade out of your  hand and stick it in your leg, or the wall across the room. I'd rather not tell you how I learned that.

[tomsm44]

Originally posted by Bladepeek:
By the way, if you are using a buffing wheel, be careful. They sure like to snatch a blade out of your  hand and stick it in your leg, or the wall across the room. I'd rather not tell you how I learned that.

True story.  :eek:

[Hummer3T]

Originally posted by Bladepeek:

By the way, if you are using a buffing wheel, be careful. They sure like to snatch a blade out of your  hand and stick it in your leg, or the wall across the room. I'd rather not tell you how I learned that.

I think I will try not to learn that one from a mistake I make, but I will learn from your words.  Thanks for the advise.

[Bladepeek]

Matt, the sticking in the leg was a "could easily happen, but hasn't" thing. The "sticking in the opposite wall" actually did happen and I had to change my pants after that. This was probably 20 years ago and I had just started with "semi finished" blanks and was putting handles on them. Had a little 6" buffing wheel on a bench grinder and that blade wound up sticking in the wall. Sure was a wake up call!

I have a good buffing setup now, but still treat the buffer more carefully than any other tool in the shop.

Ron

[Hummer3T]

Thanks Darcy, I'm naming it the "MT goat".  It kind of came together as I started to play with designs.
The blade tapers from the top to blade, I will drill several more lighting holes, so I hope will be a good hiking go to knife for weight.

Tim

[tomsm44]

Ron, I did the same thing with a little full tang hunter.  It was actually on the first knife blade that I ever ground myself.  Mine just stuck in the workbench under the buffing wheel, but it stuck almost 1/2" into the wood.  A sharp corner on the end of the tang sliced my finger open, but it wasn't deep.  And, now that I think of it, I haven't done a polished finish on a knife since.  I'm trying to tell myself that it's because I like matte and satin finishes better, but I may be subconsciously scared to try it again.  

[gables]

You might need to get a straight flute carbide bit if you are drilling after heat treat. Those type bits have been the only ones I have found to work on hardened steel. $20+\\- for a drill bit is a lot but they are very handy. Good job so far!

[Hummer3T]

Thanks for the info, I will see what I can find.
I have some Carbides what is a straight flute?

[gables]

Other carbides may work. The straight flutes I like have grooves parallel to shaft rather than the typical spiral fluting on most bits.

[tomsm44]

I used to use the spiral fluted carbid bits to drill pin holes in prehardened blade blanks when the factory pin holes weren't where I wanted them.  Haven't used the straight flutes, so I can't say which is better, but the spiral worked fine for me.  You may already have used carbide bits and know this, but whichever one you use, be VERY patient.  Drilling hardened steel is very slow and it doesn't take very much pressure to break a carbide bit.  Even trying to be careful, I have broken several.

[Hummer3T]

Knifes back from heat treating, started to wet sand by hand, seems like very slow progress but going good, spent 5 hours at it today.  getting handles final finished and tried etching today, not very successful. It did nothing!

[Bladepeek]

You say you "tried etching". What are you etching? The blade, if it was the stainless blade, or either blade if it was commercially treated, will be hard all over. There will be no hamon or temper line.

Or are you talking about etching a mark in it?
Ron

[Hummer3T]

talking about etching a mark in it using the salt etching process outlined in a previous forum salt water etch along.  can this be done on tempered SS blades?