Big Smitty Service Member Knife Build Redux (Picture Heavy and Long)

[Big Smitty]

OK, I am going to do a kind of WIP with pictures for my knife build. This is unedited and no names have been changed to protect the innocent, namley me. Here goes:

Here is the blank as recieved. I decided to drop the tip a bit and take some of the belly out of the edge side.
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm126/pdsmith777/MilitaryKnifeBuild2010001.jpg
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm126/pdsmith777/MilitaryKnifeBuild2010003.jpg
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm126/pdsmith777/MilitaryKnifeBuild2010005.jpg
Here is the blank after removing the material at the tip and clean up
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm126/pdsmith777/MilitaryKnifeBuild2010008.jpg
After clean up a double line is scribed at the top and bottom edge for grinding the edge and swedge. Tracy's marking rig is an awesome tool to use for this, I just got mine and love it.
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm126/pdsmith777/MilitaryKnifeBuild2010012.jpg
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm126/pdsmith777/MilitaryKnifeBuild2010013.jpg
Next the grind lines are added to the blade. The Starret marking fuild is awesome. There are 2 lines because I decided to raise where I wanted my grind line.
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm126/pdsmith777/MilitaryKnifeBuild2010018.jpg
Here is the completed blade after rough grinding. This one was hollow ground with an 8" wheel. Swedge was added free hand on the flat platen. Swedges are a real challenge free hand.
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm126/pdsmith777/MilitaryKnifeBuild2010024.jpg
Here is where things get interesting. After the rough grind with a 60 grit belt I go to 120 and then to a 100X Norax. I work to thin the edge down from about the 1/16th" that I had with my scribed lines. Well I am not a super experienced hollow grinder and I made the mistake of getting to thin on my hollow grind. I ended up ruining the blade to the point that I could move the metal at the edge and about a 1/4" back with my thumb. It looked OK, but it was a dead blank. Lord I appologize and I hope ya'll won't kick me out of the club! So say good bye to the provided blank....
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm126/pdsmith777/MilitaryKnifeBuild2010027.jpg
Now what to do... I wrote Murph a IM telling him about my crime and I then decided to make a new blank out of some 1 1/2" O1 I had. His design didn't exactly make the fit onto the O1 so I had to leave off the jimping he had and the thumb ramp. I replaced it with jimping from a checkering file, but other than that we are real close to origional design. Here it is after grinding:
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm126/pdsmith777/MilitaryKnifeBuild2010028.jpg
Here are some other pictures of the final grind and it is ready for heat treat
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm126/pdsmith777/MilitaryKnifeBuild2010037.jpg
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm126/pdsmith777/MilitaryKnifeBuild2010032.jpg
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm126/pdsmith777/MilitaryKnifeBuild2010036.jpg
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm126/pdsmith777/MilitaryKnifeBuild2010033.jpg
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm126/pdsmith777/MilitaryKnifeBuild2010034.jpg
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm126/pdsmith777/MilitaryKnifeBuild2010029.jpg

So now I am pretty much back to where I began with a almost the same blade in O1 and yes this one is flat ground:biggrin:. I humbly hope that this blade is OK for the build and the powers to be will except my Service Member Knife Build Redux. I have to work out heat treat since it is a different metal, but that is something I can handle through a friend if it can't be done by Brad at Peter's.

More pics to come after heat treat.

[GLWJ/CK]

Good talking the other day Paul. Way to hang in there and get'er done.

[murphda2]

Hmmmmmmm, should we take a vote as to rather or not to kick him out of the club guys?

I didn't hear any responses when I asked so I guess you get to stay in. The blade looks good to me and I'm sure that some lucky servicemember will be dang happy to have it Paul.

[Josh Dabney]

Paul,

I agree with these guys, WAY-TO-GO keeping after it amid adversity !!!!

I would suggest to you that all is probably not lost with your A2 blank though. Some folks may say getting the edge too thin is a mistake but I like to think it's an oppertunity for a "Design Change" . IMHO 3/16" is a nice thick piece of steel and the blade is pretty wide for a knife this size so profile 1/4" off that thin edge and it'll thicken right back up.

I actually took a heavy 1/8" off the edge side of my blank before I started on the bevels just because I wanted the blade profile a bit thinner than original.

Got your O1 lookin good !

-Josh

[Pieter]

I like it a lot well done Paul.

[Bennie Lovejoy]

Way to stick with it. it looks good so far.

[Big Smitty]

Here are some more pics and the final knife...

How it came back from Peter's Heat Treat.
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm126/pdsmith777/MilitaryKnifeBuild2010002.jpg

Straight from heat treat I rubbed this one with some mobile oil and sand paper. I had it pretty clean going to heat treat so it didn't take much to clean it up.
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm126/pdsmith777/MilitaryKnifeBuild2010004.jpg

Here is the blade after clean up and grinding with a 100 norax belt and then working it on the scotchbrite belt.
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm126/pdsmith777/MilitaryKnifeBuild2010009.jpg

Finally the finished blade etched dark to knock down the glare.
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm126/pdsmith777/MilitaryKnifeBuild2010016.jpg

http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm126/pdsmith777/MilitaryKnifeBuild2010025.jpg

[murphda2]

Looks great! It's going to make some servicemember very proud.

[Carey Quinn]

Looks good Paul. I think you have a winner there.

Carey

[franklin]

way to hang in there looks great