What's going on in your shop?

Smallshop said:
Wonder if a little heat would help?
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Help with the pins being tight? The ring is a good thing. You want to peen the pins and cause them to swell holding the bolsters on. Last time I used a large automotive reamer and didn't get the pins to expand enough.

Opaul,
I don't know if it would be easier. Maybe? I just don't want to deal with cleaning up all of the soldering left overs. It might be a stronger joint. Caleb White used to have a video on YouTube about how to do it with peening the pins. If everything is nice and flat there hopefully won't be any gaps. I'll try to keep everyone updated on how it turns out.
 
Ty Adams said:
Help with the pins being tight? The ring is a good thing. You want to peen the pins and cause them to swell holding the bolsters on. Last time I used a large automotive reamer and didn't get the pins to expand enough.

Opaul,
I don't know if it would be easier. Maybe? I just don't want to deal with cleaning up all of the soldering left overs. It might be a stronger joint. Caleb White used to have a video on YouTube about how to do it with peening the pins. If everything is nice and flat there hopefully won't be any gaps. I'll try to keep everyone updated on how it turns out.
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No...help with peening. Almost anything smacks better hot. Silversolder might make the ring even more noticeable...But I would put a silver-soldered fit up against a peened one any day. Brass has lead so be careful when heating....

Flux from silversolder cleans easily. use the white flux. Hot water will clean it and then a light buff.

Here is a spur me and a buddy made for a kids rodeo camp...not even cleaned in hot water. very little work to finish...
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Forgive me Ted sometimes I can be a little slow. I would be worried about the brass being brittle. I would be willing to try it thought. I seem to like to do things twice in my garage.;) As far as the lead is concerned the damage is already done. 20 years of reloading on top of helping my uncle sort lead bullets when he had a casting business. I'd probably sink in the ocean.
 
I'm sorry but I have been out of the office deer hunting with my son. It took a few days, more than one disappointment, and several tough miles but he succeeded. I then got to go watch my two older boys win the State Football Championship. Hurray!!

To answer a few questions about bolsters, I learned a great deal from an older member on here, Art in NC. His real name is Art Summers. He posted a really good illustration on how to make bolsters. I looked for it, and failed. I will keep looking. It may have been lost on one of the change overs/updates. That would be extremely disappointing. If someone finds it, post it up. It is very helpful.

I always start with flat/square. Have a flat knife blank and a flat/square piece of bolster material. I drill tang holes prior to heat treat. It is just way easier on bits. I also get a much smoother/straighter cut on annealed steel as oppose to hardened steel. Some knife makers do this differently and cut/drill the bolsters and tang after heat treat. Just a matter of preference.

Once I get the bolster material flat, I use a couple of drops of super glue and attach one side to the knife blank in the exact spot I want the bolster to be located. I then drill the holes in the bolster using the knife blank as a hole guide. Be very careful, spinning knife blades are dangerous.

Then I remove the bolster from the knife blank. If you heat it a bit, the super glue will fail and release the bolster. I clean up the back side of the bolster and super glue it to the other bolster. Use the first bolster as a hole guide and drill the other side bolster. Your pins should now be aligned and drilled. Check them with the blank using a set of dummy pins. Make sure you have a good fit. It will tell you rather quickly if your drill press is drilling squared and perpendicular holes...

After the holes are drilled/aligned. I shape the bolster to the tang and begin the rounding over process. I find it easier to shape the bolster before it gets finally attached to the knife. You need to finish the front of the bolster before final attachment. In fact, I pretty much have the entire bolster finished before attachment. If you have the rear of the bolster cut at an angle (dovetailed) you need to keep it consistent with handle material for a tight fit.

I find it easier to finish the softer wood/man made handle material when the bolsters are almost finished prior to attachment. I struggled to finish say 416 stainless bolsters at the same time as a walnut handle. The bolster would stand proud as the stainless is much harder than the walnut and when I finished them together, I would get a proud standing bolster. I always get a better result by finishing the bolster first, then attaching the handle material and finishing the handled material. I hope that makes some sense.

I use a 3 degree pin reamer as shown in a previous post for the holes. I pein the snot out of the pins. Make sure you hammer is cleaned and polished. I really beat them down and I use a hardened piece of steel (nail setter) all around the pin and pien it some more. I try to eliminate any gaps that will make the pin circle appear in final shaping.

I use epoxy under the bolsters, some makers do not.

I am a clean freak when it comes to bolsters and pins. The cleaner the better. Thus, no dreaded circle when the pins show. Same with the hammer and nail set. Clean!

Also, make sure you use the same material bolsters/pins. If they do not match, they will show later.

If any one has any further questions just ask, or send me a pm.
 
I hung up my jigs, Got some good practice in, Flat grinding seems to be my challenge though, but I feel I can move on. I have a hand rub finish started here.
Im also testing how to post these pic better.
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Working on this BEAUTIFUL piece of feather figure black walnut for a handle. This is a dry 800 grit. No oil or other finish yet. 1215171001.jpg
 
JawJacker said:
I hung up my jigs, Got some good practice in, Flat grinding seems to be my challenge though, but I feel I can move on. I have a hand rub finish started here.
Im also testing how to post these pic better.
script>
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Ika2WW7.jpg
CclwsF3.jpg
bysgi2A.jpg
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looks AWESOME! Great job on those grinds. I really like how you brought the grind up higher than the knife you used for the template. Looks way better to my eye and should perform much better as well.
 
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