Elmax WIP

[Cubane]

Quite a while ago BossDog gave out some Elmax with the hope that people would test it out and post the results. I have finally gotten around to doing something with mine (sorry it took so long). I am doing 2 liner locks with it. These will be the first liner lock I have made using my own design, the previous 2 I built were both KnifeDog forums builds Bulldog build and Contest Build.

For this one I have just got started with profiling out the blades. I'll work on the liners and handle next. I am thinking I'll do one with a Ti bolster and CF scales and the other with G10 scales.

Now you might notice the large hole in the blade where a thumb stud might go. That is an officially "Licenced by Spyderco" Round Hole you see there. I am really excited to get stuck into this new design. Hopefully I get them knocked out by the end of the month.

Alistair

 

[Cubane]

Did a touch more tonight after hitting the gym. Just profiled the liners and drilled as many holes as I could in the lock side liner. My drill bit for the pivot is dull and I don't have a clue about sharpening them so I'll have to pick up another 1 or 2 tomorrow.

Just over 1/2 hours work but it is 1/2 an hour I don't have to find later when I am trying to finish them off with a nice fit and finish.

Al

 

[BossDog]

Excellent. You are in the WIP drawing..

 

[Cubane]

Picked up the flu or something so was off to bed early last night. Dosed myself up with drugs and got some done tonight. Finished up all the drilling operations on the liners then marked out and cut out the handle and bolster materials.

I am thinking of doing something fancy with the black g10 handles and inlaying some glow in the dark dots. I bought some of that GITD powder off BossDog and have been trying to figure out what to do with it. Not sure yet, I might see how it looks first. Both knives will have carbon fibre spacers.

 

[Cubane]

Got the afternoon in the shed so worked on these 2 again. Started fitting up the handle scales and bolsters first. I super glue the scales on once the bolsters are in place so I can match drill the holes for them and then tap the liners once that is done.

I also use a 2nd pin (as apposed to the pivot) to keep everything aligned while I screw things together. This pin will also help align the spacer once it is fitted. While things were all together I did a finishing pass on the profile.

A little bit of cleanup on the blades still to do but hopefully I'll be able to get them all ready for HT tomorrow and the lock fitted up. Starting to look a little like a knife or two now

 

[Cubane]

Another afternoon in the shed meant more progress. I laid out the lock and fitted the blade and the stop pin together. Made the spacer and basically got all the blades ready for heat treat.

Just realised though I should probably countersink the edges of the Spyderco Round Hole before I do the heat treat too

 

[Stew]

Looking smart Alistair!

 

[Cubane]

Did a bit last night. Countersunk the holes, prepared things for HT. Of course to do that I had to unpack my new HT oven I did a run in at temperature last night so I'll be HT the blades tonight.

 

[Cubane]

Did the heat treat tonight. The oven worked a treat and plate quenched between some 25mm Aluminium Plates I got.

I did a quick hardness test with my RC files and it is somewhere between 60 and 65

Tempering in the oven atm aiming for 60RC in the end.

 

[Bruce Bump]

Nice tutorial. Very informative
I cant wait to see the finished folders.
Congrats on the new oven, its gorgeous!

 

[Cubane]

Yeah Bruce I can't believe I waited this long to get the oven. Next purchase will be a surface grinder once I know what I am looking for in one.

Ok since the HT was done the blades have been tempered twice. I have then counterbored the pivot holes.

Then I started on the cutouts for accessing the Spyderco Round Holes.

It was then off to the gym tonight so that is as far as I got. I'll have to spend a fair amount of time in the shed this weekend to get both of them finished off.

Alistair

 

[Cubane]

Been a long day but I am on the final stretch with these 2. Pretty much all that needs doing is putting the detent in, bending the locks and adjusting the length of the pivots. Hopefully I'll get it all done in time to watch Casey Stoner race at Phillip Island for the last time.

Did all the fiddly stuff as well as shape the handles, ground and cleaned up the blades etc.

 

[Stew]

Blimey th's nice!

Get that pivot in and get it in the post!


:lol:

 

[Cubane]

Ok finished them both off I am really happy with how these 2 came out. The Elmax works really nicely. Grinding after HT was fine with it.

I reckon this pattern would look alright as a frame lock too.

I run the marker around the pivot to see how much I need to remove from it.

and finally all the parts ready for final assembly

Thanks for following the WIP everyone.

Alistair

 

[Cubane]

Finished pics are up here

http://knifedogs.com/showthread.php?27081-Elmax-Linerlocks

 

[Josh Dabney]

GREAT wip Alistair !

-Josh