Knives & blacksmithing and more

[drivesitfar]

Bob: thanks for taking the time to share your wisdom. i don't have time to read it all now, but i will eventually and probably refer back to it from time to time. feel free to keep posting if you other things to say an any pictures you might have we'd all love to see some of your knives.

just an FYI. i use an inversion table so i don't take advil like daily vitamins any longer and I've helped many clients and friends from having back or some surgeries. i used to go to the Chiropractor almost weekly and he'd do the same adjustments that wouldn't hold so about 8 years ago i tried out several inversion tables and bought the one i liked the best that Costco happened to be selling. my chiropractor called and wondered if i needed a treatment and even though i liked him i told him i was trying out inversion. he told me it was bad on my tendons if i hung more than 5 minutes at a time which was good advice. I've only seen him 2 times in the last 8 years and both were to eat lunch.

if you have issues preventing you from hanging then it might not be for you, but we all get a little dizzy and ankle pain and eventually those will go away with regular use.

take care and thanks again for sharing your wisdom.

JB: so can you live without a few of those A & W glass mugs?

cheers all

 

[Junebuggy]

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[Bob Warner]

drivesitfar,

Unfortunately I can't use an inversion table. My son has one but my injuries include everything from my neck down to my left foot. I'm full of metal, broken back and several ruptured disc's (look like beef jerky according to Doc). My ankle can't handle it and the rest of me can't handle the stretching.

I have other information I can share but I saved them all as PDF files and have drawings in them. I can copy the text but not the photos. It is all basic stuff on how I built some things I could not afford to buy.

Most of them were described in Knives Illustrated magazine a few years ago (I used to be a writer for them) but my original files (PDF) were saved more for myself than to share and now it is a bit of a problem sharing them. Not sure how to get past this.

 

[drivesitfar]

JB: OMG that is one awesome looking knife again. it looks done to me, but if you don't think so then by all means make some more cuts. In case you didn't know this existed my gramps had ocular degeneration so was basically blind except out the sides of his eyes which weren't very good either. he bought a huge black and white TV that had huge magnifier capabilities so he could pay his bills and such because he was a logger for 65 or more years and wouldn't let anybody do anything for him until he passed at 93. he bought that TV unit thingy about the year 2000 when he was 88 and pretty sure my parents gave it to a good cause when he passed.

they might have something better now in case you might want to keep practicing your awesome talent.

i'm trying to find an excuse to drive over to Tri Cities to stop by and maybe a few mugs might just be a good enough reason. maybe i can bring something interesting to trade. maybe bring something for us to work on too like maybe my 190 pound Wilton 600 that has a rear swivel jaw that I've only seen one other one of. i can mow your lawn and help with the heavy stuff while you point and smile as this rusty old gal comes back to life.

 

[drivesitfar]

Bob: if you can attach PDF files to an email i'll copy and paste them here to save you time and get your information on this thread. I'll email you my email address if you want to try and i'm happy to help if i can.

thanks again for sharing

 

[Bob Warner]

That will work. I will mail you several. You can cut out the intro and the disclaimer and just post the nuts and bolts of them.

[email protected]

 

[johno]

Fantastic, Bob. Thank You. I learned some neat tricks on that. I just wish there was something on there about easing the pain in old arms and hands after a build...

Again, thank you for sharing this.

I've heard that WD-40 is good for arthritis pain.
I tried it once, seemed to work , but who knows.

 

[KMScott]

A recent "biggy" with a Scottish Highlander carved handle I've been working on for months...it's slowly getting there. It's getting hard for me to hold on to the Foredom to carve anymore...and...I seem to need a magnifying glass/light as big as a hubcap anymore too!!

Wow Junebuggy, just absolutely beautiful work. You are truly a artist with metal. I hear ya about seeing stuff anymore, I have a couple pairs of magnifiers head sets scattered around the shop, keep making mistakes at .025 with my mikes, one line off. Thanks for sharing your work.

 

[JeremyBurke]

Uncle Buggy WOW! WOW! OK I think that covers it. What else can you say?

 

[vintage nut]

I'll throw in a few tips I've picked up. Firstly, grinding belts. I started using norton blaze belts. The last order I tried VSM ceramic belts from tru grit. They are all I'll ever buy! The last as long, if not even longer than the nortons, don't leave the black gunk on the platten. And to make it even better, they are about 1/3 the price of the blaze belts! Under 4 bucks for a 2x72! Made in Germany, and the only ceramic belts I will buy anymore.
I have one 120 grit vsm ceramic I use to clean up grinds before and after heat treat. I use A2 almost exclusively, and I've done at least a dozen blades with this belt, and it's still sharp! I also use formax f26 on the 120 grit belt. Cuts much cooler. Really helps on final grinding chefs knives.


I tend to use acetone for most things. Cleaning before epoxy, removing layout fluid, removing excess epoxy, decreasing oily woods, ect

The last trick I can think of is that a chisel tip blue sharpie is the best layout fluid ever! A blue sharpie is basically dykem inside, drys very fast, never flakes, and is so much easier to use.

you can never have too many tools

 

[vintage nut]

I guess I'll share my usual handle finish too. I've tried numerous things, but this is my favorite out of everything I have tried.
A mix of roughly two parts boiled linseed oil, and one part oil based spar varnish. Goes on, looks, and feels like an oil, but covers and protects like poly. My usual procedure is hand sand to 400 grit, wipe on a coat of it, let it sit a minute or two, then wipe off. After two or three coats it has a pretty good finish on it. Give it maybe an hour between coats. Then let it dry overnight. I finish it off with a light coat of minwax paste wax, then give it a final shine by buffing with a loose cotton wheel, and a very little bit of pink or white compound.

you can never have too many tools

 

[Junebuggy]

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[rmalkow2]

He will definitely be happy he waited. That is beautiful work Junebuggy.

 

[Cypherian]

One of my "taking forever" knives (whistling-looking skyward). This one's a whopper...9-1/4 inches long. This one is heading up north to a dog sled runner/trapper. He's been waiting over a year for me to get off my caboose and do this one for him but, I think he'll find it worth the wait.

Junebuggy.... Your work is just awesome how long is your wait list for a knife .....:} A small straight blade tanto blade would be nice is everything you make custom ?

Cypher

 

[drivesitfar]

JB: i know you are not 100% health wise now, but your knives and projects you turn out are still way way way way way better than i'll probably be able to do. that knife is just another one to add to the list of some that should last years after we are all gone. thanks for posting.

Vintage: while i don't understand or know how to take advantage of your knowledge you are sharing i do appreciate you posting it so i might be able to stop in later and see if it might help me later.

ALL: Bob sent me a ton of .pdf files so i will hopefully be posting some of their information as i can figure out how to and have time. THANKS BOB

 

[Junebuggy]

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[vintage nut]

The last sharpie tip, if you're scribing metal, color it with a blue sharpie first. It acts like layout fluid, and makes everything much more visible. Plus it dries faster, more convenient, easier to use, and won't flake off.

you can never have too many tools

 

[gnpenning]

Drives ~ I'm doing ok and I appreciate your compliment very much. I have good days and not so good days but, I try to keep busy. I think it's time to take a sabbatical of sorts...I'm thinking about a Glacier Park visit and go do a little fly fishing on the Madison River down in Montana soon. Maybe...(scratching chin)...I might find a vise or two needing a new home along the way.

JB If you do decide to make that Glacier Park trip let me know. I might be able to help you out with that.

 

[nine4gmc]

Tagged to read later, at the quality of work produced there!!

 

[Junebuggy]

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[gnpenning]

No expiration. Love your work. Very impressed.

 

[Junebuggy]

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[drivesitfar]

JB: nice simple looking elegance as per usual.

Bob: sorry i haven't posted the PDF's you sent me, but it's on the list. it's been in the 90's up here in Seattle and for us the mold comes out of our veins too fast when it's that hot.

thanks again for sending them to me

 

[nine4gmc]

Side note, anyone watching forged in fire?

I hope I have the stuff rounded up for a DIY forge by fall. If anyone has any good plans, please post up!

 

[drivesitfar]

Nines: i'm pretty sure i haven't posted this yet. i met a gal that was selling off her blacksmithing tools and forge and anvil. everything was a bit on the small side for me so i passed, but wanted to show you the forge she had that i think she said the school she went to learn at was having them make.

you can close up the ends for small items to heat quicker or you can put long items through it which is interesting and useful in my opinion if you don't have the space or budget for a huge forge. enough talk and here's some pictures and ask questions if you have any.

cheers buddy and post up your anvil and that cool log you hollowed out to show others because they are cool if you still own them.

 

[vintage nut]

I've got an idea for what should be a pretty darn good forge! Basing it off a picture of a commercial gas forge I saw in a very old book on production blacksmithing from the early 1900s.
I'll hopefully start on it once I get all these vises, my other drill press, and my other machinery projects done. Or somewhere in there. Whenever I need a bit of a break from knives.

you can never have too many tools

 

[willymakeit]

Ive given some thought to making some knives. Have a grinder that would work to start and there is a well known knife maker about 10 miles from me that I could get pointers and the heat treating done at.
Any suggestions on what billet for a start?

 

[nine4gmc]

They are using coil springs from a train on forged in fire tonight. I've seen them use files/rasps and rail road spikes.

 

[Junebuggy]

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[willymakeit]

Thanks

 

[zkling]

Ive given some thought to making some knives. Have a grinder that would work to start and there is a well known knife maker about 10 miles from me that I could get pointers and the heat treating done at.
Any suggestions on what billet for a start?

Are you forging these or just stock removal? If forging Junebuggy gave you great advice, start hammering. If you are wanting to do stock removal, getting material close to your net shape would really help. 1080, 1084 and O1 (a common tool steel) can all be easily purchased in bar stock and heat treat very easily. You can even venture into some of the stainless steels if you want.

 

[vintage nut]

I do probably 99% of my stuff stock removal. I'll forge something now and then for fun, but I'm really more of a grinder.
Anyways, my usual steel of choice is A2. I buy it from kbc tools, starrett brand. Nice to work with, polishes up beautifully (much better mirror polish than say O1) and if you have a heat treating oven, its super easy and clean to deal with. If you don't, you really have to send it out.
O1 is the other steel I use. Also very easy to work with. It will polish ok, but never as perfect a finish as A2. I usually use it when I do a satin finish. I used to heat treat it with my oxy acetylene torch before I bought my evenheat. Just heat it a little beyond where a magnet stops sticking, try and keep it there a minute or two, and quench. I personally find corn oil to work really well.
It's better if you have a kiln so you can soak at temperature for a while, but it will still make a very good blade done with a torch.

you can never have too many tools

 

[vintage nut]

Oh yeah, and if you decide you don't want to mess with heat treating, I'll offer to do it for the cost of shipping, plus a buck or two for supplies. A2 needs a foil wrap, and that stuff sure isn't the cheapest!

you can never have too many tools

 

[bluebolt]

Hey Junebuggy I like your A&W mug collection! I had some of the older ones but my cupboards are to full and I put them out at my last garage sale. I had them priced at $3-$8 each and about half of them sold.

 

[drivesitfar]

BB: put some of those A & W mugs in a flat rate box and i'll PM you my address and email. i'm having a beer in one as i'm writing this and I could use a few more mugs for my ice tea during the day.

Vintage: you are a great guy and i wish you lived closer.

JB: how's the health and any more tips to share?

Bob: i'll get to putting those PDF's on GJ as a post soon and email me as a reminder if you don't see them next week.

thanks

 

[nine4gmc]

Bumo

 

[vintage nut]

Here's some blades that just finished heat treating. The big bowie and the chopper are 1/4" O1, and the sorta westernized wakizashi (Japanese short sword) is 3/16 1095. Probably going to work on finishing the blade of the bowie today.

 

[vintage nut]

Here's a little bit of the process of soldering a guard on. Clamped in my Morgan 160, and then one after soldering.


Sent from my C1904 using Tapatalk

 

[vintage nut]

After that it gets cleaned off, sanded, and repolished. Then onto handling it. Kinda forgot to get pictures, but it already has the epoxy curing on a cocobolo handle

Sent from my C1904 using Tapatalk

 

[drivesitfar]

VN: the knives look great and thanks for sharing. when you drill out all the holes in the handle are you just trying to get all the excess weight out of the knives or are you stopping when it reaches a certain balance point?

that Morgan doesn't look that big so that knife must be a Crocodile Dundee size one.

cheers

BOB: i haven't been able to put the PDF files into a word form and another member is trying to host them on his server with a link in this thread so just giving you a heads up. or if you already have them on a website you own maybe you can just post the link?

thanks