I've wanted to try my hand at making a knife for several years now and I've spent hours looking at steel blanks online and considering it. I finally got tired of waiting and last night dug through my tool box to find an old, rusty file that might make for a good 1st attempt. I fired up the MAP gas & propane torches and annealed it before I went to bed. I got up this morning, laid out a design and went to work. I didn't think to take any pics before I started but got a few after I started filing. I did the rough shape of the blade & handle on a bench grinder and most of the contouring of the blade with files.
I ran to harbor freight and bought a cheap 1" x 30" belt sander and did some finishing to the blade and handle. I then dropped the knife into a chimney starter and fired it up until the blade was glowing red and no longer magnetic. I quenched it in old motor oil and once it cooled off I put it in the blast cabinet to clean it up.
I plan to do some sanding to remove the filing marks and I still have some shaping to do to the handle. Once that is done I'll give it a nice flat black coating of Norrell's moly resin and sharpen the blade with my Wicked Edge.
I've also been researching how to make Micarta online. I'll probably pick up some epoxy resin tomorrow and use a bunch of my wife's linen scraps to make some handles for it.
I'm pleased with how it's turned out so far. I probably should have made it a little larger but I knew it was going to be a load of work and I'm not the most patient person. Keeping it on the small side would allow enough progress to keep my ADHD in check. I'll post back when I get some more done.
I ran to harbor freight and bought a cheap 1" x 30" belt sander and did some finishing to the blade and handle. I then dropped the knife into a chimney starter and fired it up until the blade was glowing red and no longer magnetic. I quenched it in old motor oil and once it cooled off I put it in the blast cabinet to clean it up.
I plan to do some sanding to remove the filing marks and I still have some shaping to do to the handle. Once that is done I'll give it a nice flat black coating of Norrell's moly resin and sharpen the blade with my Wicked Edge.
I've also been researching how to make Micarta online. I'll probably pick up some epoxy resin tomorrow and use a bunch of my wife's linen scraps to make some handles for it.
I'm pleased with how it's turned out so far. I probably should have made it a little larger but I knew it was going to be a load of work and I'm not the most patient person. Keeping it on the small side would allow enough progress to keep my ADHD in check. I'll post back when I get some more done.
looks good
