Most common mistakes that beginners make

Not respecting the drill press. I've lost count how many times I helicoptered a piece of steel before I finally started using a stop pin or vise. The buffer can really mess you up by flinging steel through you but the drill press can take fingers off or at least give you stitches just as fast.
 
Not understanding the overall succession of processes and what they require. Having a basic plan from the beginning, including how the blade will be heat treated, can be very helpful. Without this beginners often end up facing problems like how to HT a complex alloy in an uncontrolled forge, how to drill holes in a blade that is already hardened, etc.
 
For me,it was/is wearing safety gear, particularly dust masks or respirators !!! (I didn't/don't have a dust collection system)
It's way too easy to be fiddling with something at the bench,and want to remove a little metal here,or quickly sand a little something there,reach for the angle grinder,rotary tool or flip the switch on the sander:
" it's only 30 seconds of sanding/grinding" you think to yourself...
Well,that 30 seconds releases particles that hang in the air for 5 or 10 minutes.
Multiply those 5 or 6 "quick" sanding sessions and by the end of the day, you've got an hour's worth of particles in your lungs...
 
Attempting too big of a project on limited tools. Yes, you can make a knife on a 1x30 belt sander, but probably not a 1/4" thick bowie with a 12" blade.

Trying to get too much use out of belts and sandpaper.

Throwing too much money into high end materials for your first knives. Okay, there are guys out there with lots of money. But for most newbies starting out, you can make a serviceable knife with simple carbon steels and unstablized, non-exotic wood handles--maple, walnut, osage, etc.
 
This all goes back to the link the Count posted, which is a good one...

Designing a knife based solely on a daydream, fantasy painting or something you saw in a movie. This tends to lead to wild shapes and goofy proportions that just don't work well. Are you looking to make a knife for a person to use for tasks and chores, or one that only a Klingon could love?

Good user knives are deceptively simple. The finest using knives have subtle features that add to balance, comfort and cutting performance; this tends to enhance their elegance.

Using every goldang technique, design feature and embellishment you can think of in one knife... good gravy, that looks ridiculous.
 
Justin King said:
Not understanding the overall succession of processes and what they require. Having a basic plan from the beginning, including how the blade will be heat treated, can be very helpful. Without this beginners often end up facing problems like how to HT a complex alloy in an uncontrolled forge, how to drill holes in a blade that is already hardened, etc.
Click to expand...

Just how do u drill holes thru a tang that has already been heat treated? I have a friend here locally (and on this forum) that ran into this problem.
He made the knife, drilled the holes and sent off for HT. When he got the knife back the pin holes had shrunk. We tried everything! The only thing left
was to order a carbide bit and wait a day for it to arrive. Any suggestions?
 
cappaletti said:
The only thing left was to order a carbide bit and wait a day for it to arrive. Any suggestions?
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Cheer up, next time you'll have the carbide bit on hand ;)

If it's an oil-hardening steel, you can "spot anneal" the tang with a torch, even a small handyman propane torch will do. That will usually make it soft enough to drill. Take care not to let the heat run up into the blade and ruin its temper. This doesn't work well with air-hardening/stainless steels.
 
BossDog said:
Not respecting the drill press. I've lost count how many times I helicoptered a piece of steel before I finally started using a stop pin or vise. The buffer can really mess you up by flinging steel through you but the drill press can take fingers off or at least give you stitches just as fast.
Click to expand...
Which is why I spent the $8 on a 150lb welding magnet at HF that stays stuck on the back edge of the press' workshelf...
Calvin Robinson said:
Thinking it's going to be easy.
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I haven't found anything that I'd call "hard" yet, but there is an assumption when you have zero experience, that you will be able to whip something together in one afternoon and have it look professional...
Jim Adams Customs said:
I am just going to make a couple of knives, It just going to be a hobby.
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HaHaHaaaaa.... :)
 
Getting in a hurry.

Not finding a maker in their area before ever starting.

Not knowing what questions to ask before hand.
Or was this just me:les:

Todd
 
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