Caden_Vekk Posted September 30, 2013 Share Posted September 30, 2013 I've been a stalker of knife making forums for years now, I've always been meaning to make a small forge and just start beating some metal 'til I can't feel my hands anymore. I still haven't made a forge, but I did go to Trackrock Hammer-In in the North Georgia mountains this past weekend and I've FINALLY gotten back into forging. I did some ornamental blacksmithing when I was 14-15 and have always been into the whole idea behind taking some bit of metal and making something useful out of it. I drove up to the mountains and not an hour into me being there a guy by the name of John, I believe, handed me a 1.5x6x 1/8th(?)in piece of 1095. He just let me swing away and would answer any questions he could if I had any. Not a bad forging job for my first time forging in about 10yrs. A guy helped me through the heat treating since it was 1095, as it stands, It's been through quenching and a stabalization cycle, I still need to do a tempering cycle and see what comes of it. If that all works out I should be golden to start on the draw filing. Here's what it looks like as it stands The stats are as follows: 4 5/8 Long 1 5/8 Wide 2 1/4 Clip 4mm spine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Toneguzzo Posted September 30, 2013 Share Posted September 30, 2013 Looking forward to seeing what you do with it from here... "Old dogs care about you even when you make mistakes" - Tom HALL - Old Dogs, Children and Watermelon wine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caden_Vekk Posted September 30, 2013 Author Share Posted September 30, 2013 I'm 20min into a temperinng cycle now. I got some 3-4mm thick copper I'm thinking of making part of the guard and the pommel piece with. I'm thinking some sort of dark wood for the handle, possibly walnut. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caden_Vekk Posted September 30, 2013 Author Share Posted September 30, 2013 OK, tempering cycles are done, draw filing shall commence in just a bit. What would be a good thickness to start at for the handle? Is 1in wide too wide? I'm going for a bit of an upside down egg cross section for the handle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Colwell Posted October 1, 2013 Share Posted October 1, 2013 I think it may be too hard to draw file when it is tempered. They are for me, anyway. It may file a little, at most. will probably ruin your file, though. looks good so far. Welcome. Thanks for posting. Looking forward to the progress. kc please visit my website http://www.professorsforge.com/ “Years ago I recognized my kinship with all living things, and I made up my mind that I was not one bit better than the meanest on the earth. I said then and I say now, that while there is a lower class, I am in it; while there is a criminal element, I am of it; while there is a soul in prison, I am not free.” E. V. Debs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GEzell Posted October 1, 2013 Share Posted October 1, 2013 I think it may be too hard to draw file when it is tempered. They are for me, anyway. It may file a little, at most. will probably ruin your file, though. Yeah, as a general rule you want to have every step completed that involves cutting steel with steel (drilling and filing) finished before you harden the blade. You are likely limited now to sandpaper and stones for shaping and finishing. Degrease the blade and let it soak in vinegar overnight, this will loosen up the scale. I like the shape, but that tang looks a bit skinny... here's how mine are usually shaped. George Ezell, bladesmith" How much useful knowledge is lost by the scattered forms in which it is ushered to the world! How many solitary students spend half their lives in making discoveries which had been perfected a century before their time, for want of a condensed exhibition of what is known."Buffonview some of my work RelicForge on facebook Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caden_Vekk Posted October 1, 2013 Author Share Posted October 1, 2013 Those are some gorgeous blades GEzell. The tang is so skinny because I got a bit slap-happy with the guillotine. It's not often I feel French. I have diamond stones, Japanese waterstone, and I forged the bevels down to 1mm (or so), so it'll be slow going with the filing, but as it's my first knife...I'm totally ok with slow. Any way, progress is I bought some bloodwood (2x2x12in) and and lightly figured walnut (3x2.5x9.5in). I'm going to a buddy's house to use the jointer, planer, and table saw to get the roughs out of the walnut to see just how much figure I have one the walnut before choosing which wood to use. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caden_Vekk Posted October 1, 2013 Author Share Posted October 1, 2013 OK, say I was going to start with a squared up piece of would for the handle, I have 4-5in in length, what would the other two dimensions be on a typical knife of this size? Another way to ask would be what dimensions of starting lumber would be too big for a knife handle? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gus Posted October 1, 2013 Share Posted October 1, 2013 It looks good and you're almost there. I'd like to see the finish product. Trajan 150 porta band saw Hammers, Chisels Anvils, Tongs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GEzell Posted October 2, 2013 Share Posted October 2, 2013 OK, say I was going to start with a squared up piece of would for the handle, I have 4-5in in length, what would the other two dimensions be on a typical knife of this size? Another way to ask would be what dimensions of starting lumber would be too big for a knife handle? Well, it depends... One to one and a half inches, by three quarters, by around five inches long, works pretty good for a straight handle, wider is useful especially if you want some curve to the handle... I like a somewhat flattish handle cross-section, perhaps from carrying a spyderco for 15 years, a flattened egg-shape cross-section is my personal favorite. Take some time to look at various handle shapes that others have used, even make a mock-up handle out of softwood to see how it feels to you. Drill and fit the tang in the wood block, then rasp away until it fits your hand just right, then sand and finish. Guards, guard plates, and butt-caps are optional and will require some pre-planning... George Ezell, bladesmith" How much useful knowledge is lost by the scattered forms in which it is ushered to the world! How many solitary students spend half their lives in making discoveries which had been perfected a century before their time, for want of a condensed exhibition of what is known."Buffonview some of my work RelicForge on facebook Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caden_Vekk Posted October 2, 2013 Author Share Posted October 2, 2013 Awesome, that's really helpful. I've never carried a fixed blade knife until recently and both are a camillus with a leather disc and a morakniv puukko. Neither are really the type of handle to go with this large a blade. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caden_Vekk Posted October 10, 2013 Author Share Posted October 10, 2013 Some progress pics Did some draw filing today. Defintely should have done this before HT...1095 is tough, BUT it's coming along and is fairly close to ready to be sharp. I also bought an old No. 5 jack plane and went to town for a bit to get the initial surface down, no long shavings yet, but I just put in a new iron that is shavey sharp. So tomorrow, we'll see if I can't dial it in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caden_Vekk Posted April 22, 2014 Author Share Posted April 22, 2014 WELL! After too long not working on the knife I've gotten a good bit done. My hiatus has been setting up a little smithy and getting my smithing techniques down before screwing around with other projects for fun.Here are a few pics of the progress,. And the copper finger guard was my original idea....but it's just not doing well and doesn't look how I'm wanting it to look. So I've cut a 2.25x1x0.5in bit of mild steel and I will be doing some drilling and stock removal on that for a beefier guard, I might use the copper as a spacer between the mild steel and the curly walnut as well as the butt plate for when I pein the tang.I slathered some boiled linseed oil/turpentine mix on the handle to see the grain a bit. Once I get crackin on the finger guard I'll have to reshape the handle to match, but oh well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Walker Posted April 22, 2014 Share Posted April 22, 2014 I want to see this at the Spring Hammer-in. Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new. - Albert Einstien Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caden_Vekk Posted April 22, 2014 Author Share Posted April 22, 2014 When is it?! I thought I had already missed it. I haven't really spoken to Carl since the last one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Walker Posted April 22, 2014 Share Posted April 22, 2014 The most recent was March. The next one will be mid august. I think they post the dates on the georgia knifemaker's guild website, but they aren't very good at updating it. Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new. - Albert Einstien Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caden_Vekk Posted April 22, 2014 Author Share Posted April 22, 2014 Damn, I did miss it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Walker Posted April 22, 2014 Share Posted April 22, 2014 I will see you in the fall? Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new. - Albert Einstien Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caden_Vekk Posted April 22, 2014 Author Share Posted April 22, 2014 (edited) I'll be there. With this knife and hopefully some more. Hell, I live 3mi from Carl, I could just trek it down to your shop and show you earlier! Edited April 22, 2014 by Caden_Vekk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Walker Posted April 22, 2014 Share Posted April 22, 2014 I don't know where Carl's shop is, or where you are. Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new. - Albert Einstien Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caden_Vekk Posted April 22, 2014 Author Share Posted April 22, 2014 I-75 exit 277. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caden_Vekk Posted April 22, 2014 Author Share Posted April 22, 2014 Does anyone have any suggestions for sealing walnut? Is it necessary? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Longmire Posted April 23, 2014 Share Posted April 23, 2014 Does anyone have any suggestions for sealing walnut? Is it necessary? It is necessary, walnut is pretty porous. I use boiled linseed oil followed by car wax once the oil has cured (about a month). You could use any kind of sanding sealer followed by oil, or just use Tru-Oil and rub it back if you don't want a gloss finish. Or shellac, sand level, then oil or wax. Lots of ways to do it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caden_Vekk Posted April 23, 2014 Author Share Posted April 23, 2014 Sounds great. I've got my trusty BLO/Turpentine/Beeswax "Axe Wax", do you think that'd do as well? Tru-OIl sounds like a good way to go as well. The local Home-Deepa got a stash hidden away. And I really like the way it looks on the walnut gunstocks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miles Hebbard Posted April 23, 2014 Share Posted April 23, 2014 Nice looking handle! It deserves a good finish! (I'd go with the tru-oil) To become old and wise... You first have to survive being young and foolish! Ikisu.blogsot.com. Email; milesikisu@gmail.com mobile: +27784653651 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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