What's going on in your shop?

Ember Knives said:
Yes, It's already glued up. The question was just asked for future reference as I tried to do the best fit up on this one that I could, but the bolsters were already peened on before I realized that they weren't flat and true. I was just wondering what other people did to combat this.
Click to expand...
I made this clamp Alden. The front is split and has leather frontspieces. After the preliminary fit of the handles to the bolster I can check and titivate the joint till it is right then with it in the clamp, the pin holes can be drilled and the outline cut on the bandsaw before the glue up. If you had something like this you could check and refinish the bolster or handle if needs be
This is a short video I dd a while back on the subject
 
Ember Knives said:
Yes, It's already glued up. The question was just asked for future reference as I tried to do the best fit up on this one that I could, but the bolsters were already peened on before I realized that they weren't flat and true. I was just wondering what other people did to combat this.
Click to expand...

I've had bolsters that go slightly crooked. Generally it's because of some space in the pin holes in the tang or in the bolsters. When you peen or press one bolster moves ever so slightly and it's crooked. At that point you have 2 choices, hammer them off or get out the small files or a dremel. I don't know if that would work with dovetails but I can speak from experience that it works when the back edge is flat! If it's the front edge then it's a real pain to fix.

i made a clamp out of 2 bolts/nuts and 2 flat pieces of steel. I slide that over the tang and up against the bolsters to "push" them tight and even. I use that to hold the bolsters in place while I peen or press the bolsters. So far it has kept things from moving.
 
Something a little different from my usual stuff. I tend toward slicers which leads me to full height grinds. This time I added a swedge and it made me curious if flats wouldn’t be a little more interesting in combination. I’m really happy with this one. This is right off the grinder. Hand sanding to come.
 

Attachments

  • 3ABF7A98-5137-4CD4-9B62-75716ABC1704.jpeg
    3ABF7A98-5137-4CD4-9B62-75716ABC1704.jpeg
    1.9 MB · Views: 20
  • 0632BC2B-B3C2-4A60-A4DF-0D1CF94142DC.jpeg
    0632BC2B-B3C2-4A60-A4DF-0D1CF94142DC.jpeg
    1.9 MB · Views: 21
  • 92096B15-E4D1-4C1B-8E36-0D0B3412BD51.jpeg
    92096B15-E4D1-4C1B-8E36-0D0B3412BD51.jpeg
    1.1 MB · Views: 16
John Wilson said:
Something a little different from my usual stuff. I tend toward slicers which leads me to full height grinds. This time I added a swedge and it made me curious if flats wouldn’t be a little more interesting in combination. I’m really happy with this one. This is right off the grinder. Hand sanding to come.
Click to expand...

Great looking blade John! Beautiful lines.
 
John Wilson said:
Something a little different from my usual stuff. I tend toward slicers which leads me to full height grinds. This time I added a swedge and it made me curious if flats wouldn’t be a little more interesting in combination. I’m really happy with this one. This is right off the grinder. Hand sanding to come.
Click to expand...
That's really nice John. That's the look I'm attempting to do on my Bowie for the KITH. Not certain I'm going to be able to pull it off. I may just have to go full height. When you did the swedge did you set an angle that you were looking to hit, or was it just by eye?
 
Sean Jones said:
That's really nice John. That's the look I'm attempting to do on my Bowie for the KITH. Not certain I'm going to be able to pull it off. I may just have to go full height. When you did the swedge did you set an angle that you were looking to hit, or was it just by eye?
Click to expand...

The angle of the swedge is pretty arbitrary- in fact it’s not the angle I started with. I ground the swedge first at 120 grit. After grinding the bevels to 400 I tried to clean up the swedge and botched it up. So I clamped a wedge to my work rest and re-ground the swedge. Since the bevels were cut in it changed the angle of the swedge. It looked fine to me so I didn’t care.
 
John Wilson said:
The angle of the swedge is pretty arbitrary- in fact it’s not the angle I started with. I ground the swedge first at 120 grit. After grinding the bevels to 400 I tried to clean up the swedge and botched it up. So I clamped a wedge to my work rest and re-ground the swedge. Since the bevels were cut in it changed the angle of the swedge. It looked fine to me so I didn’t care.
Click to expand...
OK. Thanks John. That makes sense. I don't have a work rest so I've been sort of free handing the swedge using my Bubble Jig. To be honest mine looks like crap right now. I'm hoping I can salvage it. I think it's time to make a work rest.
 
Thanks John and Dennis. I’ve been doing so many kitchen knives that this was a very welcome change. Thank goodness for layout dye. It’s been a long time since I had to match grind lines and plunges!
 
Last edited:
Sean Jones said:
OK. Thanks John. That makes sense. I don't have a work rest so I've been sort of free handing the swedge using my Bubble Jig. To be honest mine looks like crap right now. I'm hoping I can salvage it. I think it's time to make a work rest.
Click to expand...

I completely relate. I never ever use a work rest for anything other than profiling blanks to clean up the lines after the bandsaw, and because of that I don’t know how to get the best use out of one.

I tried freehanding the swedge and it wasn’t good. I didn’t expect that much trouble because I free hand everything and I’m pretty proud of how symmetrical I get things. But that swedge kicked my butt.
 
I have several knives in the need to work on stages.

7-A6-BB8-C5-E671-442-F-8963-AA46-E10-BCB68.jpg


A couple elk hidden tangs that are almost finished.

A1403-B6-E-42-C8-47-B5-ABA2-CAA5-BB74-D216.jpg


A couple full tang hunters that are hardened and tempered.

FED0-B196-6-B2-F-48-FB-9831-7-A5-F747-B9-F7-D.jpg


A hidden tang hunter that is hardened and tempered.

4-C17449-A-0596-4-FC8-A9-B3-26-F03-E70-A795.jpg


And a handful that are rough shaped and ready for bevels and hardening.
 
Dennis Morland said:
I have several knives in the need to work on stages.

7-A6-BB8-C5-E671-442-F-8963-AA46-E10-BCB68.jpg


A couple elk hidden tangs that are almost finished.

A1403-B6-E-42-C8-47-B5-ABA2-CAA5-BB74-D216.jpg


A couple full tang hunters that are hardened and tempered.

FED0-B196-6-B2-F-48-FB-9831-7-A5-F747-B9-F7-D.jpg


A hidden tang hunter that is hardened and tempered.

4-C17449-A-0596-4-FC8-A9-B3-26-F03-E70-A795.jpg


And a handful that are rough shaped and ready for bevels and hardening.
Click to expand...

Those elk handled knives are gorgeous!
 
Thanks for the video Keeton! I always felt I had to buy a tumbler to get a stone washed finish, but yours looks very good the way you did it there.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top