What did you do in your shop today?

[billyO 374]

That looks great, Paul.  Thanks for sharing

16 hours ago, Paul Carter said:

I Tig fusion welded all the way around so no flux is needed.

FYI - you don't need to do this in order to weld without flux.   All you need is good surface prep and a reducing atmosphere in your forge.  I've been welding without flux for the past year and a half or so and all I do is weld the handle side pretty well and run one bead down the other end with my stick welder.   

Having access to a TIG welder would be nice, though, to not have to grind off any weld bead.  But one might be able to avoid that by tacking the billet with minimal penetration.  I didn't do this on purpose, but on my last 2 billets, I noticed the tack welds popped off while drawing out the billet after setting the weld.  All I had to do was chisel them off, or hot rasp them.  I need to start paying attention and see if I can do this on purpose, now.

 

[Brian Dougherty 1,307]

This was a quick weekend project.  It isn't knife related at all, but it struck me as I was making it that the knifemaking experience over the last few years really impacted the design of the project for the better.  A few years ago, this would have been made as a boring 2-dimensonal object.

 

One of my employees lost her husband in an accident this year.  She asked me to make a topper for her Christmas tree.  She gave me the general design concept, and I just had to figure out how to make it a reality.  It is full of symbolism that is too private to share here.

 

It's made from aluminum and copper.  The hand-made brass rivets are actually holding it together.

 

[Alan Longmire 3,387]

That's sad but cool, Brian.  I'm glad you could make something that meaningful for her.

 

I'm still working on those @!@$!$!@ folders.  They're fighting me every step of the way,  but here's what they one looked like about an hour ago:

 

 

Ebony scales.

 

 

In case you've ever wondered what's inside a slipjoint folder...

[Garry Keown 1,264]

A few cut out and ready to keep me occupied over the next few weeks untill I can ship off shore again.

[Gerhard Gerber 404]

Had a table at a local market on Saturday, no sales for me but lots of interest, my fellow knifemaker sold an Ulu at least, made his 800km round trip worthwhile.

Even though our prices are low to the point I could make more money per hour cleaning toilets, people just don't have that kind of money this year, so the interest and appreciation of our work helps, and I will get some follow-up business from this.

Spent the whole of Sunday afternoon doing the post-HT grind on four O1 cleavers, people want cleavers! 

45 minutes ago, Garry Keown said:

A few cut out and ready to keep me occupied over the next few weeks untill I can ship off shore again.

And in the blue corner, Garry "The Machine" Keown!!!!

[Pieter-Paul Derks 300]

18 hours ago, Alan Longmire said:

That's sad but cool, Brian.  I'm glad you could make something that meaningful for her.

 

I'm still working on those @!@$!$!@ folders.  They're fighting me every step of the way,  but here's what they one looked like about an hour ago:

 

 

Ebony scales.

 

 

In case you've ever wondered what's inside a slipjoint folder...

That looks like it will be a really nice folder once you have won the battle Alan.

Classic slipjoints are my favourite, I like them a lot more than the ''tactical'' stuff everyone seems to be making today.

[Gerhard Gerber 404]

Table on the left is my fellow make from the coast, Neels Bredenhann, some of neighbour Mike's forgings and my table on the right

[Brian Dougherty 1,307]

Good Luck Gerhard!

[billyO 374]

12 minutes ago, Brian Dougherty said:

Good Luck Gerhard!

I'll second that.  Don't forget to have fun!

 

[Gerhard Gerber 404]

I sold nothing, Neels sold one Ulu.
Our table had some of the more expensive items of the day and our economy has been hit as hard as everywhere else so that is not surprising.
Fun was had and totally worthwhile, had people drop by I hadn't seen in 25 years+, fellow students and teachers from high school.
Funniest was a Dutch/Belgium/somewhere round there guy that really liked a 52100 blacksmith's knife, his wife took him by the arm and just about dragged him away! 

Day was a dead loss because a few stalls down there was a young lady that makes bullwhips, and I've always wanted a bullwhip.
Since he with the most toys wins, I now own a bullwhip...... 

[Brian Dougherty 1,307]

Well then, "Get cracking" man!

 

[Gerhard Gerber 404]

3 minutes ago, Brian Dougherty said:

Well then, "Get cracking" man!

 

Scared neighbours and their dogs already, young lady knows what she's doing.....real easy on the eye as well 

[Garry Keown 1,264]

Got everything prepped with all the stainless blades foil wrapped and ready for HT when I pick up some more liquid nitrogen at the end of the week.. Did a pre grind on these ones, hardened them and have them in the tempering for first cycle to have the second one in the morning. Had to think through how to do the grind on the ulu but with a bit of an adjustment to one of the jigs I can repeat the angles for the finish grind and now have the tooling if there are more orders for these handy little kitchen knives. I leave enough spine on them all so that after the oil quench (12 seconds) I can bang them in between the alloy plates in the vise (to ensure straightness) for a minute or two as I am setting the next blade in the heat. Still have a couple of minutes to dunk the plates in the water bucket to cool before the next blade is ready to come from the forge to quench.

[Zeb Camper 784]

Didn't make these today, but just looking at what the forum's been up to thought I'd say hi.  Spent most of the past month or so on gifts. 

 

A necklace for my girlfreind (who's very crafty herself) and a barn for my nephew (she helped). Merry Christmas ya'll! 

 

Edited December 9, 2020 by Zeb Camper
Unnecessary pic

[Alex Middleton 788]

Good to see you back Zeb!  At first glance it looked like that flower was just hovering there, it took me a second to realize that it was suspended in something clear. 

[Brian Dougherty 1,307]

Nice Zeb.  That barn will be a big hit!

[Gilbert McCann 126]

Prepping for paint. Hydraulic press 

 

[Garry Keown 1,264]

 

Edited December 13, 2020 by Garry Keown

[Brian Dougherty 1,307]

I made about 30 feet of breakfast sausage.  It's cold rough now that I can ripen it in the shop 

[Gerald Boggs 271]

On 12/10/2020 at 12:08 AM, Gilbert McCann said:

Prepping for paint. Hydraulic press 

 

Just a heads up, beware how much power you give it.  I know two shops that have build/bought presses with I-beams and both have quickly bent.  Both times, the I-beams were pretty massive and yet bend they did.

[John N 319]

Tried not to take any Christmas orders this year due to the workshop issues, but had some to do on deadlines! Got a couple finished today (just in time, as they have to get to California as gifts) -

 

There is this 220mm gyuto in Stainless glad Super Blue steel, with hawthorn and bog oak handle, with a matching Petty. In the event we get any 'light' (a rarity in Manchester at the moment) I will take some proper photos before they ship!

 

Hawthorn is a lovely timber to work, and I think it looks good. Very dense and finishes nicely. I got a board of it from a street market for a few £ - got quite a bit left for future knives! 

 

Just needs a final fettle, and sharpening before I risk Covid at the post office tomorrow!

 

 

#

 

[Alan Longmire 3,387]

Nice one John, that hawthorn is pretty.  As is the whole knife, of course. I'm diggin' the blade finish you're getting with that san mai.  

[Garry Keown 1,264]

Finish grinding done on this lot with the stainless chef, slicer and steak knives to be done tomorrow. Then there be some handsanding to do

 

[John N 319]

Same knife as above, with the petty!

 

I found the light tent, so chucked them in there - still a phone photo but the knives look a lot more presentable IMHO. No light rig for the tent, its just under an LED baton on my workbench. 

 

Interesting how the photo arrangement changes the relative sizes of the knives. The Gyuto is 220mm, the petty 135mm edge length.

 

 

 

[Garry Keown 1,264]

All the blades are finidsh ground to a trizact A65 grit so the hand sanding will not bo too difficult from there. should still be a coupld of days in it though.