Got some work done yesterday on this bear perforator.
I Finish ground it and drew the spine back to a spring temper. Then I beat the snot out of it. I didn't take any pics of the testing since I have posted quite a few blade torture photos before, but I did a fair bit of wood and cardboard cutting, chopped some moose antler and goofed around throwing it at a piece of OSB up against the woodshed. It shrugged off all the abuse and was ready for more. You can see some of the smudges on the blade here as it's waiting to get hand sanded.
This blade penetrates very well. When throwing it at the 3/8 OSB, it was generally sticking out the backside about an inch and a half
You don't want to slip and fall on it. And with that in mind, lets discuss sanding safety. As you can see from the photo, I have the blade clamped to a board, with very little of the tip past the end of the board. This will minimize the depth of cut if I happen to poke myself on the blade. Never leave a blade in a vise or clamped with the tip exposed and walk away to do something else. If you forget(or someone else comes along) the consequences could be very serious. I have used these knives to finish off big game that was spine shot(generally with firearms) and the ease with which you can sink the blade to the guard in even a fairly heavy skinned beast like a moose is eye opening. When you see in the movies someone plunging a blade into something(or someone) with great force, like it takes a strong blow to do it, that's just Hollywood bunk. A very light 2 finger grip will sink this blade to the hilt in a deer's chest cavity.........now imagine someone walking into it when it's clamped immoveable in a vice.
As bowhunters we all know the deadly efficiency of a sharp blade, lets be very careful with them.
OK. safety lecture is over. Time to hand sand this blade. I should mention, at this point, that my blade finishing is usually not exhibition grade. I love the look of an almost glow in the dark, 1500grit, satin finish as much as the next guy, but it pains me to see them scuffed and scratched. Since I make blades to be used, my philosophy is to make the finish so that it continues to look good even after much use. Too that end, I prefer a coarser satin finish or (more commonly) an etched finish for durability. So this sanding session will reflect that philosophy.
I use wet dry paper(rhinowet in this case) and usually start with 220grit. I cut the paper into strips with a pair of scissors dedicated for this purpose. Tip, don't use the spouses good sewing scissors.
For a sanding block I just use a piece of mild steel barstock. Sometimes I use a block of softwood for the final sanding because it has a bit more give and, for me, results in a nicer finish. I generally only sand lengthwise with the blade. I find this keeps the blade flatter and also blends all the scratches the same direction......some guys alternate sanding directions so they can see the previous scratches better. This is probably preferable if you are attempting the super high grade, glow in the dark, satin, but I don't normally do that.
I also vary the sanding stroke length. Sometimes nearly full blade strokes and then sometimes only a half inch or so, but changing every few strokes. This minimizes the little cloudy spots you get when the paper changes direction.
Topic: Bowie in progress (Read 2299 times)
