Author Topic: How I build a custom knife (Read 28607 times)

Blade · « **Reply #25 on:** December 04, 2010, 12:14:43 PM »

OK, haven't updated in a bit so here are some more pics.

My blade has some scratches that I want to remove before I move on so I will clean these up by lapping. I like to use thick plates of glass with wet and dry sandpaper for this. I just spray glue the paper so that it stays flat on the glass. This blade had some deep scratches and a tiny bit of warping so I hit it a bit on the lapmaster to save a bit of elbow grease, if it was worse or I wanted to thin it down a bit I would surface grind it. The last photo shows the finished blade.

Blade · « **Reply #26 on:** December 04, 2010, 12:27:20 PM »

The next steps shown are cutting the lock, the first picture shows the scale in the mill vice, you can see where I used a marker to lay out where I want the lock. I make the long cut first and then I stand the scale on end and back it up with a piece of steel so that it doesn’t flex and cut the short side on the lock. The nest two pictures show the finished lock and the scale being set up so that I can mill the relief on the side so that the lock is not too stiff.

I use a 1/16” HSS jewelers saw to cut the lock, you just have to be sure to run it at the slowest speed on the mill or it will melt the teeth right off of it. High feed rates can burn them up also.

Powder Keg · « **Reply #27 on:** December 04, 2010, 12:36:15 PM »

Looking good! Thanks for the update

raynerd · « **Reply #28 on:** December 04, 2010, 03:31:58 PM »

Really excellent thread... !! Thanks for the all the pics and details.

Rob.Wilson · « **Reply #29 on:** December 04, 2010, 05:52:19 PM »

Great stuff Blade

Rob

Brass_Machine · « **Reply #30 on:** December 04, 2010, 06:07:53 PM »

Great stuff.

Next summer I am thinking about trying this. Great inspiration blade.

Eric

Blade · « **Reply #31 on:** December 04, 2010, 11:03:13 PM »

Thanks Guys!

Give it a try Eric, if you have any questions feel free to contact me.

The next photos show the setup for milling the side of the lock. I use a ½” 4 flute carbide bit for this step. I like to mill away about a half inch long section, I usually take the thickness down to about .060. the middle two photos show the finished cut on the scale.

The last photo shows how I lay out for the detent ball. This is what holds the blade closed. I lay out the area that I want the ball to be in by using the blade as a pattern, I want the ball to stay on the edge of the circular area that is by the pivot pin.

Blade · « **Reply #32 on:** December 04, 2010, 11:41:08 PM »

Next up I drill the scale with a #55 drill so that I can press in a 1/16” hardened stainless ball bearing., photo 51 shows the ball pressed in place. The next photo shows the scale in a vice and the “special” tool for bending the lock, the tool is a scrap of aluminum with a slot cut in it to go over the titanium and give you leverage to bend it, you can see the bent lock in the pic 54. I like to bend the lock so that the outside edge just meets the inside edge.

The next photo shows my setup for grinding the lockface on the blade, this is the area where the lock engages the blade when it is open. I like to set up the face so that when you lay a flat edge across the radius made by the wheel it measures at about 7 – 8 degrees. If you make this area too flat the lock will slide over it and if it is too steep pressure on the back of the blade will push the lock off and release the blade allowing it to close. The last pic shows the lock in the assembled knife, right now there is very little engagement, I do that so that I can do the finish work on the blade and not worry about having the lock travel too far over. I don’t like a lock to go any further than the center of the blade when it is set, this allows for wear as the knife gets used.

Divided he ad · « **Reply #33 on:** December 05, 2010, 10:58:03 AM »

Very interesting Eddie

Lots of techniques that can be transferred to other jobs.

I do however think your blade looks a little blunt in the second to last pic

Looking forward to seeing it all come together

Ralph.

johnbaz · « **Reply #34 on:** December 10, 2010, 05:35:11 PM »

WOW!!

What a fantastic tutorial

Folders take much more work (and precision) than fixed blade knives and this looks like it's going to be something special

Cheers, John

Blade · « **Reply #35 on:** February 26, 2011, 10:51:20 AM »

It has been a long time since I have updated this project log, I guess I should get it done being the knife is pretty much finished.

Photos 55 56 show how I lay out the end of the tang to place the detent ball hole. I use a sharpie marker to show me the track of the detent ball by marking the blade and assembling the knife and opening and closing it, then I carefully punch at the end of the track with a carbide punch and drill a hole with a #54 carbide drill. This hole and the detent ball in the lock are what holds the blade closed.

Photos 57 58 59 show the layout, the tool and the final result of putting in the releif for accessing the lock. These releifs allow you to have space between the liners for your finger or thumb to be able to unlock the knife and close it.

Photo 60 shows how I use a carbide faced micrometer to mark the center of my blade in preperation for grinding. I offset from center a bit so that I end up making two lines by sliding the mic along each side of the blade.

Blade · « **Reply #36 on:** February 26, 2011, 11:05:03 AM »

Photos 61 through 66 show my blade grinding jig and how I grind the blade. The jig is basically a hinge with a mounting plate that has threaded holes for securing the blade and two adjustment screws one for setting the height and one to change the height of the blade. You start with the jig set so that the grinder is just touching what will be the cutting edge, grind down close to the center line and start adjusting the height screw to adjust the blade as the edge is ground in.

Photo 65 shows how the grind looks when you make an adjustment but have not finished the grind, what I hope you can see is that there is a ridge or incomplete grind and the surface is not smooth and even. in photo 66 the completed grind you can see that all of the surface flows together and is even and doesn't have any ridges or odd lines.

Blade · « **Reply #37 on:** February 26, 2011, 11:21:57 AM »

Photos 68 - 70 show the thumb studs that I made on the lathe out of 1/8" stainless and a piece of 1-72 screw thread. In photo 70 I have the studs mounted in an extra drill chuck and I'm using a checkering file to create a pattern on the end of the studs so that they grab on your thumb when you go to open the blade. Photo 71 shows the knife just about complete, all it lacks is rounding over the handles and finishing everything. this knife will get a tumbled finish, which is nice because it is nondirectional and covers scratches from use very well.

Blade · « **Reply #38 on:** February 26, 2011, 05:35:59 PM »

Quote from: Da_Kengineer_Meister on February 26, 2011, 02:25:06 PM

This looks really great!

Thanks, this is pretty simple compared to your work

Divided he ad · « **Reply #39 on:** February 27, 2011, 05:39:13 PM »

Quote

@ Kenneth : Thanks, this is pretty simple compared to your work

Doesn't look that simple to me! Looks like a lot of hard work!

Most definitely great though

So many tips and tricks shown here Eddie. Very good of you to show how some of the jobs are completed

I know you probably will but a final (finished) pic is still required

Thank you for a very informative well presented thread

(trying to commit much of it to memory

)

Ralph.

Blade · « **Reply #40 on:** March 17, 2011, 11:16:46 AM »

Here is a picture of the finished knife I can add more later if anyone is interested.

ieezitin · « **Reply #41 on:** March 17, 2011, 12:22:53 PM »

Blade.

I have been looking at this thread with interest and I believe you have produced a very special piece using a multitude of skills coupled with some tailor made equipment which through your hands works wonders. Hats off to you very nice work and I have learned some things that are of use to me and my shop.
If you would be so kind could you photo a close up of the stamp and the side of the blade so I can see it better.

Happy days…….. Anthony.

Blade · « **Reply #42 on:** March 17, 2011, 09:14:45 PM »

Thank you for the kind words Anthony. I posted a couple more pictures, I think photo74 shows what you were asking for. I mark my blades with a pantograph.

Divided he ad · « **Reply #43 on:** March 19, 2011, 05:16:54 PM »

That's really, really nice Eddie.

Looks proper professional with the engraving on the blade too

If I could ask one (possibly final) question?

What is the finish on the scales? You might well have said this and I've missed it... My brian is not so good at the details these days!

Again... Very,very nice looking knife. Excellent thread

Ralph.

Blade · « **Reply #44 on:** March 20, 2011, 09:10:06 PM »

Hello Ralph, the finish is a tumble finish with coarse ceramic media. I buffed the handles after I shaped them and then ceramic bead blasted them before tumbling.

Divided he ad · « **Reply #45 on:** March 21, 2011, 02:52:58 PM »

Ahh, I shall have to investigate such finishes in the future. It's most effective

Thank you.

Ralph.

Blade · « **Reply #46 on:** March 21, 2011, 04:27:55 PM »

The great thing about this finish is that it is pre-scratched and the finish is non directional so it handles use and abuse well.

Divided he ad · « **Reply #47 on:** March 22, 2011, 02:44:16 PM »

If I made that chief I'd be showing it off to everyone and keeping it wrapped in a cloth so it couldn't get scratched!! Well, at least for the first few months

I'd probably use it sometimes.... Certainly not abuse it

Ralph.

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Author Topic: How I build a custom knife (Read 28607 times)

Rob.Wilson