What's going on in your shop?

[BossDog]

Gold is punched in.


Gold cleaned up and 2nd cut done. Now to relieve the back ground and then shading.



And these came in today. Going out with purchases.

 

[BossDog]

still plugging along. The blue dots are where some back ground needs to come out. It's stupidly easy to remove the wrong thing looking through a microscope.


Here is a start with back ground stippled. There are some missing elements I need to add and some additional spots to remove.


The back ground is done and I've started shading.

 

[BossDog]

Done. Pretty scratchy. That's why it's practice.

vid-inlay.mp4

• BossDog
• Apr 3, 2019

practice #engraving with gold inlay

 

[BossDog]

More practice. Probably time to put something on a knife.

 

[Chris Railey]

Making grinder money this week driving at The Master’s Tournament. Really trying hard not to order my grinder before I get my check but I am failing fast.

 

[WesWer_Blades]

Here is my first pocket knife I made and I am pretty pleased with it. I used the Rotty Medium drill template from USA Knifemakers and it was a lifesaver along with Tracy's videos on youtube. If anyone every wants to try it I would highly recommend it.

 

[John Wilson]

Very nice! Super clean work.

 

[WesWer_Blades]

Very nice! Super clean work.

Thanks! I appreciate it.

 

[Bill Vining]

Very impressive for your first folder. Nice work.

 

[BossDog]

Nice job with that folder.

 

[WesWer_Blades]

Nice job with that folder.

Thanks! Nice job with the drill template and videos!

 

[Sean Jones]

Just received two AEB-L blades back from heat treat at Texas Knife Supply today. Started grinding in the bevels on the first one and cleaning it up.
It's the top one in the photo. I should be finished with hand sanding tomorrow and then on to the scales. I was shooting to have it done by Friday, but I don't think that's going to happen. This is the 'stabby' one a friend wanted.

The bottom one in the photo I'm also finishing up hand sanding on and will hopefully have scales on it tomorrow or the next day as well. This one's for my wife.

It's in O-1. I don't think I'm going to be doing any more O-1 heat treat at home until I have better control over my heat treat process. The edges seem a bit brittle, though the blade itself flexes quite a bit.

I'll post some better pictures tomorrow.

 

[soundmind]

Looks good Sean. I also just got some back from heat treat. Mine are pointy, too. I really like a low clip for some reason. Except for the second one, these are the 80CRV2 blades I was trying to HT myself earlier. The first is one I posted about awhile back that I thought may have been forged at too low temps. I sent it out for HT just to see what would happen. I might finish it out for personal use. The second is a blade I want to complete that survived my early forging attempts a couple years ago - forged out of a coil spring and HT'd backyard methods. The last two are complete stock removal - commercially HT'd.

So now I'm learning blade finishing. I have a new vice and good sandpaper. Thanks Dennis and others for recommending Rhynowet, rubber and leather on sanding blocks, and those recommending oil. It's not Mobile 1 but it really helps.

 

[Sean Jones]

Those are looking really good soundmind. That is some really cool looking handle material in your second photo.

I need a better vice for handsanding. The one I conjured up for holding knives didn't work very well, so I'm looking for something better. The old buy or build conundrum on that.

 

[John Wilson]

I need a better vice for handsanding. The one I conjured up for holding knives didn't work very well, so I'm looking for something better. The old buy or build conundrum on that.

Do you mean for hand sanding blades, or for handles?

For hand sanding blades the best solution I’ve found is a piece of angle iron with a leather strip glued to it. Just chuck it up in a normal bench vise. I use a c-clamp to hold the blade down during sanding.

A clamp fixture for sanding handles is quite a bit more complex but definitely worth the effort to make.

 

[Sean Jones]

Do you mean for hand sanding blades, or for handles?

For hand sanding blades the best solution I’ve found is a piece of angle iron with a leather strip glued to it. Just chuck it up in a normal bench vise. I use a c-clamp to hold the blade down during sanding.

A clamp fixture for sanding handles is quite a bit more complex but definitely worth the effort to make.

Both actually. I have a board I use that is similar to your angle iron but not as much padding as leather would provide. I'll add a piece of leather and see if that improves it.

I did have a cylindrical clamp fixture for sanding handles but it was very flimsy.It was piece of 2" diameter thin wall steel tubing and a 2 inch dowel split lengthwise that I held in place with a screw. I'm sure you've seen similar. I just need to make it more robust.

 

[Johan Nel]

More practice. Probably time to put something on a knife.

View attachment 68305

What a skill to acquire. I really admire this, along with a little envy..

 

[John Wilson]

More practice. Probably time to put something on a knife.

View attachment 68305

That is super nice work. Is engraving actually enjoyable? It fascinates me, but I see videos of guys staring into a microscope for hours on end and I'm wondering if it is relaxing, or tedium. Obviously the finished product is amazing and that has to be gratifying.

 

[Chris Railey]

Still driving...

 

[EdCaffreyMS]

Boy am I outta practice!

Was feeling a bit better today....and figured turning out a couple of Ti sketch pencils wouldn't be too strenuous...... until I got my hand in the way of Ti curls coming off the lathe!

A trip to the clinic....6 stitches....and a bandage job later......