Greetings from Connecticut

Hello Everyone,

I'm recently retired from the military and looking to explore my creative side with the great art of knife making. I talked to Indian George in Massachusetts and he mentioned this forum, so I thought I'd drop in and see what I can learn. I am divorced and my home is no longer mine, so I find myself in a very tiny efficiency. I need to find a way to create a knife using the stock removal method inside my little abode. It will probably require manual grinding and filing since I have no way to evacuate the dust created by machines. The noise would also cause a problem. If anyone has any suggestions and/or questions, I welcome them all.

Thanks in advance,

Jeff

Welcome to the Knife Dogs

Hello and welcome to Knife Dogs!

There are several guys here that are making knives in tight quarters ~

BC

Hey!!!!!!!cool 1Glad you made it.2thumbs

Hey there from another new poster. You know, a variable speed belt grinder does not make a lot of noise, and you can always sweep the floor when you are done... If you want to try working with files, the book "how to make knives" has some good info in Richard Barney's section on that very thing. Plenty good info in the forums in stickies and posts, too. I guess my main advice would be to do a lot of reading.

KB1SYV said:

Hello Everyone,

I'm recently retired from the military and looking to explore my creative side with the great art of knife making. I talked to Indian George in Massachusetts and he mentioned this forum, so I thought I'd drop in and see what I can learn. I am divorced and my home is no longer mine, so I find myself in a very tiny efficiency. I need to find a way to create a knife using the stock removal method inside my little abode. It will probably require manual grinding and filing since I have no way to evacuate the dust created by machines. The noise would also cause a problem. If anyone has any suggestions and/or questions, I welcome them all.

Thanks in advance,

Jeff

Click to expand...

Hello Jeff,

I'm a Connecticut native and new knife maker. Here's what I've learned. 1) when you buy bar stock get precision ground, especially if you'll be working with files for your primary grind. It's a bear trying to sand the flats and not much fun - if you get less expensive stock this will be necessary. Plus if the flats aren't true the bolsters and handles won't sit flush. Epoxy will fill the voids but be noticeable; 2) find some way to mark the center line of the edge of the steel (with parallel lines leaving something like the width of a dime for your edge) to make sure that edge of your blade is centered. The blue dye is good but even a magic marker will work. Then "scratch" each line with a vernier caliper.
You can buy bolster material on-line. Nickel silver is easy to work with files and sand paper. And scales of all sorts for the handle are available, which you can easily file and sand to finish.

The one power tool that I think is indispensible is a bench top drill press. (They're pretty quiet.) You'll need true drilling to set and peen the bolsters. And, I use the drum sander attachments to "grind" a square edge to the profile of the knife. (I've tried using a craftsman hand belt sander turned upside down for this, but not a good idea. I "shot" a blade into the garage wall this way!)

You can send the knife out for heat treat.

I've made the first two knives on 440C stainless. If I had it to over again I would have used O1 tool steel.

Good luck. Its a great hobby. Each knife is a sculptured tool.

Jay

Hi Jeff, Welcome To KD. I figure you have at least 3 options. 1. Go down to the Great Lakes Water Jet forum under knifermaker supplies. This is a great guy out in Indiana who has, or can make you just about any kind of profiled blank for your knife. Then you can finish the blade with files and sand paper and have it heat treated and then put your handles on it. 2. Go visit IG and he can teach you how to beat hot steal into submission. Then you can finish with files and paper, heat treat and put on a handle.
3. Check out the Northeast Cutlery Collectors Association website. A group of New England knife addicts (collectors and makers) who have shows in the area. You have several makers close to you (Higganum, Cheshire, Watertown, New haven etc.). I'm sure any of us would be glad to feed your addiction and help y ou get started.
Give a yell if you need anything.

Kevin

Thanks for the welcome everyone.

What I need to find is a small bench top drill press that can at least drill through a 1/4" steel plate. I'd like to see if anyone has ever come up with a jig to keep both sides of the knife even when hand grinding. Kind of like the bubble jig that was masterfully thought up for a grinfing machine. Is there something out there for those of us grinding by hand?

thanks

Jeff

I have a Delta bench top drill press and it works well. The steel will be annealed and soft before heat treat. I use a hack saw and a set of Harbor Freight large files to "hog off" and Nicholsin files for the finer stuff. I've always used 1/4" x 1 1/2" steel.
If you haven't seen it, you may want to look at Ernie Swanson's thread under custom knifes on how to make a knife with limited power equipment.

Welcome to the Show!