Do I need this?....Do Knifemakers,or customizers use this?...

jdracing

jdracing

Gold Membership
OK,
First off,thanks for the opportunity to be here amidst all this
Knife stuff....

I've loved Knives since I was a kid....Still a kid at 52,I still love
em....

I can't afford to collect the high end knives,but love to TRADE,etc.

OK,sorry for rant...
I have been taking some knives with broken scales,or knife kits and
using handle materials I have picked up over the years..

I can cut the shapes by hand,but really want a scroll saw...Do most Knifers
that do any handle work,use a scroll saw?..
I found one at a decent price,and need to know if I am going to need it
if I keep at re-doing the handles(scales)???

I have a nice bandsaw,sanders,etc...I do not have a scroll saw,and I like to
get my scales as close to fit as I can before attaching....It takes a lot of
work that could be used in other areas...My bandsaw could do it,but I have it set
up with a wide blade to rip scales,and do not want to keep changing blades
from wide to narrow...Plus,it is set up really good for me,not really wanting
to have to re-set again until necessary...

Do I need,or would I use a scroll saw enough to buy one?...I love re-handling,or
scales on knives...I also like to take a 2,or 3 blade knife and turn into a single blade...
AI had a stockman kit,I only used one blade and LOVE it....I had a case single
blade that was shaped like stockman years ago...I always liked it...

Please forgive my ranting...
Would I enjoy using the scroll saw?

Sincerely thanking you for replies,opinions,etc...
JD
 
If there is a better place for this thread,please let me know?

I also forgot to mention I found a late 30s,early 40s scroll saw.
It is in really good condition,very heavy,just wonder if blades will
be a problem?....Should I buy something like this,or a new age
scroll saw?

Thanks for replies,
JD
 
Well, I used a scroll saw when I started years ago because I didn't have a band saw and now it really hasn't seen use in years!

It does depend on how you work, but I find a hand jeweler's or coping saw will do any curves and I come back and clean with files, paper etc. Plus if you put the right blade on a bandsaw it will do most anything a scroll will except starting an inside cut which I have done with my jeweler's saw.
 
laurance,
I do have a bandsaw,but has a wider blade I use to slice my handle material with....
I really don't like to change out my blade back/forth...
I hadn't thought about jewelers,or coping saw....may give that a try...will it do good
with bone,and some of the harder stuff we would use for scales?...

my band saw is set up just the way I like it,so really hate messin with blades....

thanks for your help,jd
 
Are you asking a bunch of guys if you need another tool?:biggrin: Of course you do! The guy who dies with the most wins, right?

Seriously, I've got a scroll saw that I use for woodworking sometimes, but I've never used it for a knife project. When your building a knife from scratch, you usually just rough out the scales pretty close to final, attach them, then sand them down to the finished profile. Even with the scroll saw, you're never going to get it cut exact enough to skip sanding them down in place. And, most scales aren't overly complicated in shape, so even a bandsaw with a wide blade usually works for me. But, if you can afford it or you are a woodworker too, or just want it really bad, go for it. You can't have too many tools.
 
I hadn't thought about jewelers,or coping saw....may give that a try...will it do good
with bone,and some of the harder stuff we would use for scales?...
Click to expand...

This is the problem with a scroll saw, they cannot handle the harder materials we knifemakers use. I use a coping saw for cutting most non-metallic materials, and a jewelers saw for hard or brittle materials. A bandsaw with a narrow blade is ideal for this.
 
jdracing said:
laurance,
I do have a bandsaw,but has a wider blade I use to slice my handle material with....
I really don't like to change out my blade back/forth...
I hadn't thought about jewelers,or coping saw....may give that a try...will it do good
with bone,and some of the harder stuff we would use for scales?...

my band saw is set up just the way I like it,so really hate messin with blades....

thanks for your help,jd
Click to expand...


For some reason here in the USA, most of us would rather buy an entire new bandsaw instead of just learning our machine and buying another blade of a fraction of the price.:biggrin:

If you can make or alter a knife, you can change the blade on your bandsaw and go back in a few minutes with a little knowledge.

Buy this book. I have barely dented the know how in it and it has giving me a new light of what you can accomplish with a bandsaw and the correct blade for the job.

http://www.amazon.com/Band-Saw-Hand...20034690&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Bandsaw+Handbook

When I closed my larger retail/shop space last summer I had to sell my 105" bandsaw because I was going back into a one car garage. When things change around and I have room for another 14" or larger Bandsaw I know I only need one saw and about three different blades for all of of my wood working. The book is worth every penny x 1000 in how easy it makes setup and use of your bandsaw like a master.
 
Honestly I bought a scroll saw hoping it would make it easier to work handle materials, and to be honest it really hasn't. The blades snap easily. In my experience with the thicker material the cuts don't come out square dup to the blade heating up and stretching. And if you plan on doing any g10 or micarta the blades even at slow speeds don't want to cut it. And when you find the right speed the material wants to heat up and leave burn marks. All my issues could probably be pointed at crappie blades. In the end I still use it to remove large chunks but nothing close to final dementions
 
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