What did you do in your shop today?

[Jaro Petrina]

Something wicked in works.

[Garry Keown]

I got the 10 1/2 inch K tip ground, hand sanded and the handle on today (with the mini corby bolts)  so will have it ready to send by friday.

 

[Joël Mercier]

That's one mighty slicer Garry 

 

On my side, I worked through some grits on this 7" bunka style in 26c3. I believe I made some improvement on hamon control on the steel again. 

[Garry Keown]

6 hours ago, Joël Mercier said:

That's one mighty slicer Garry 

 

On my side, I worked through some grits on this 7" bunka style in 26c3. I believe I made some improvement on hamon control on the steel again. 

 

Was pleased with the finished knife and really like the K tip style. Your deep blade will be very usefull as well as looking good.

 

[Alan Longmire]

Nice ones!

 

I've been working on a Culver-pattern folder, using Resin Ivory scales for the first time.  That's some finicky stuff!  Very soft yet chippy and brittle.  I have a new respect for Garry's handles that turn out so nice using this stuff.  It does look like real ivory, though.  If anything the grain is a little too pronounced, at least in the scales I got.  I might try their new Q4 version next time.  It's supposed to be harder, denser, and whiter with a more subtle grain pattern.  https://guitarpartsandmore.com/mainCategory.php?Q4-trade-Advanced-Imitation-Ivory-Handles-126

 

 

[Alan Longmire]

And since pics or it didn't happen, here you go:

 

 

 

 

Amazing what shows up in the pics that doesn't in person, like the pivot pin is invisible in person, and the grain on the "ivory" is much more prominent in person...  but this was a pretty harsh lighting situation.  Scratches really pop and the grain got washed out.  I may take some better ones after I fix some things.

 

Speaking of, here's one that the owner has been waiting on patiently for a year or more for me to get out of my rut of failure on these little mini-barlows.  Again, you can't see that scratchy spot on the bolster in person, but boy does it pop in the pics!  Scales are Mediterranean briar burl, the stuff they make pipes out of.  The issue was multiplicative error.  Turns out that if you use a folder in progress as the pattern for the next, you get a slight increase in dimensions. After about five iterations of this, the tang is too big for the spring, which now doesn't have the tension to snap it closed.  Only took me six failed ones to realize that. 

 

 

 

The steel for both of these is AEB-L, bolsters and pins are nickel silver. The ivory one has nickel silver liners, the other has brass liners.

 

These have not been sharpened yet, so fixing the scratches will be much easier/safer than it could be.

 

 

[Garry Keown]

On the bench 3 whittling knives, a heavy hunter and3 buffalo skinners, 2 swords and a set of the K tip chef knives. The chef set has yet to be heat treated so is not ground yet.

[Gary LT]

But at least your done or almost done! (Glad you mentioned this ivory source and Q4, I had earmarked them a while back)

I did two pocket knives earlier this year and used G10 (white and yellow).

No more!!

Drove me nuts trying to get the finest surface finish possible. 
Hah!
Gary LT
 

[Matt Walker]

5 hours ago, Alan Longmire said:

pretty harsh lighting situation

I have one of those small photography cubes. Borrow next time to see if it makes a difference.

[Joël Mercier]

Yes, the photo tent makes a world of difference. It's one of those things I got on Amazon for a few bucks. 

[Aiden CC]

I met up with my old enemy, casting, in efforts to make seax sheath rivet bosses:

 

 

Most if the defects came from disturbance to the sand due to removing the master and the long rod forming the shank/vent, so I hope to be able to fix that by making the mold a bit differently. 

[Alan Longmire]

10 hours ago, Matt Walker said:

I have one of those small photography cubes. Borrow next time to see if it makes a difference.

 

10 hours ago, Joël Mercier said:

Yes, the photo tent makes a world of difference. It's one of those things I got on Amazon for a few bucks. 

 

I have one as well, and a Nikon D7500, I was just too lazy to dig them out and set them up.  Those are just quick phone pics in the shop.  

[Eric Niefert]

I worked on saving a damscus billet that had some delams.  Wound up with a workable 385 layer billet with a few thicker light and darker steel layers.   cut it for a ladder pattern and roughed out a big hunter profile.  It's going to get a deep hollow grind on the edge, flat grind on the big false edge and a fresh buck antler handle.  Also deep fullers with a ball end mill to take out some weight.  Long way to go on this one, but thought I would share.

Edited November 21, 2022 by Eric Niefert

[Bill Schmalhofer]

Side project I did yesterday. Not knife related but thought some here would appreciate this. Each face is 0.625+/-0.007 inches and all angles are 90 degrees to as accurately as I can measure. Numbers are electro-etched. All done by hand (grinding). Why? To challenge myself; and I'm a gamer - can never have too many dice .

 

Edited November 22, 2022 by Bill Schmalhofer

[Jerrod Miller]

5 minutes ago, Bill Schmalhofer said:

Side project I did yesterday.

Need to put some gold leaf in the numbers to make them pop now.  Very cool die.  

[Alan Longmire]

Nice, Bill!  

[Charles dP]

7 hours ago, Bill Schmalhofer said:

Side project I did yesterday. Not knife related but thought some here would appreciate this. Each face is 0.625+/-0.007 inches and all angles are 90 degrees to as accurately as I can measure. Numbers are electro-etched. All done by hand (grinding). Why? To challenge myself; and I'm a gamer - can never have too many dice .

 

That’s super-cool Bill.

Now, for your next challenge:

https://vonholdt.wordpress.com/2015/02/21/how-to-make-a-solid-twenty-sided-die/

 

[Jaron Martindale]

5 hours ago, Charles dP said:

Now, for your next challenge:

https://vonholdt.wordpress.com/2015/02/21/how-to-make-a-solid-twenty-sided-die/

 

For what its worth I've used this guide several times now, and it works wonderfully.  If you're using a grinder I suggest a fresh 220g or a used 120g and go slow.  check flatness frequently and don't over-grind.  Even if one or two of the faces is slightly off it still makes a wonderful gift for friends or a way to spice up your nat-1 rolls...

 

[Bill Schmalhofer]

Thanks for the comments guys. My "long term goal" is to make a complete set (4, 6, 8, 10, 12 and 20). The 20 seemed like the daunting task but the "how to guide" will make it childs-play .

15 hours ago, Jerrod Miller said:

Need to put some gold leaf in the numbers to make them pop now.  Very cool die.  

Don't know if I etched deep enough to take gold leaf, but that is an interesting idea.

[Bill Schmalhofer]

And another non-knife project I just finished last night. My brother likes wearing great kilts to ren-fairs and his wife wanted something to match the sgian dubh he had me make for her. I *offered* to make a Scottish dirk but she was a no-go on that idea. So we came up with this for his kilt. Took me 6 learning tries and making three special tools to get this done right. The joy of blacksmithing - need a tool - just make it! Stones get a bit lost in the picture, but live they really pop.

 

 

Now it's back to knife making and increasing "inventory".

[Brian Dougherty]

Thanks Bill and Jaron, if my daughter sees this, I'll end up with another project to do 

 

Seriously cool dice though!

[Eric Niefert]

OK, been here on this site only a month and have been pinging everyone for questions -- and I really appreciate all the help.  So here is my 16th knife -- finished!  I am my own worst critic because it isn't perfect, but thought I would post to show some of my work.  

 

The blade is 275 layer Damascus 1095/15N20 with a faint diamond pattern.  Scales are G-10.  I made all of the parts for this knife including a 1080 tempered lock spring.  Fun build -- but man, this design of lock blades must be exact on the fit-up or the knife is total junk! 

[Jaro Petrina]

[Jaro Petrina]

San mai.

[Doug Webster]

Started working on stacked birch bark Saya.  Since the bark is not under compression like a handle, I have been using epoxy to make the sandwich.  Only 400 more spacers to go.