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I concur with Pedro's advice about making your first knife with files. I made my first couple of knives with hand tools only. You really get to see how your knife progresses. One thing to remember is that power tools help get things done faster, but they can also screw up things faster. It...

I've used one to cut tile. I usually just use my hack saw to rough out the profile. The wide kerf of the carbide grit blade provably removes 1.5-2x times as much metal, which is more work. I can go through 1/8" annealed 01 pretty fast with a good bimetal blade. ric

I like that koa handle!

I have one of those Craftsman set up like jaysmith10's. Make sure you check to make sure the drill is mounted square when you set it up. It's not as nice as a regular drill press, but it quite functional. One thing I would do if get one, is to get some sort of remote switch or foot switch to...

Ernie, When you use the Gorilla Glue, how much pressure do you clamp with? I think I read somewhere that The Gorilla Glue works better if the layer is very thin and good clamping pressure is used. When I've used it on wood, I clamp it very tight and have gotten good joints. I am making a...

Don't laugh at your heat treat and tempering method. I do it the same way. My quenching oil is used motor oil (20-50wt, AutoZone) from my minivan that has over 200K miles on it. I made a 7" slicer out of 3/32" 01 for a friend of mine and he said that it holds an edge much better than his...

I also use a Grizzly. The belt speed is very fast. It took me a while to develop a lighter touch when grinding. I start with 80 grit belts. I take a couple of passes on one side then a couple on the other side. Then I move to 120 or 150 grit, then 220 grit before heat treat. I'm working...

Nice sheaths. I usually use some Armour All on my kydex sheaths. I'll have to try some mineral oil sometime. Ric

I use some firm foam rubber from the local hardware store (Orchard) glued on some 3/4" plywood. I sandwich everything in an arbor press to apply pressure. Like Justin, I use a toaster oven and heat gun. Sometimes for small pieces of Kydex, I just heat it with my heat gun. One of the nice...

I wouldn't bother with having a replacement switch on hand. If it breaks, put a better switch in to replace it. If you saw how the switch was made, you'd probably put a different one in. I used some 1/8" Micarta to make a plate to cover the switch hold and also to mount the toggle switch. I...

The push pull switch on mine broke with in a year. I replaced it with a toggle switch (made sure if had the proper rating) and have had no problems. I decided to go with a toggle switch rather than getting a replacement because l didn't like the mechanism in the switch design.

You lucky dog!! I'm very jealous. One of my favorite woods. I sand it using wet/dry paper with water as the lubricant. With the lignum vitae, it usually go up to 800 or 1000. Then I use a little carnuba paste wax and buff. Depending how the log was cut, it can have a really cool grain...

Nice list. Ric

I had something similar happen to me about 20 years ago at work (in California, the land of fruits and nuts). Someone in another department cut themselves while using a razor blade or Xacto knife to cut the tip off a plastic syringe. So what happens? My director immediately bans the use of...

I use the slow curing epoxies. Sometimes I use JB weld (rated to 500°F), but is gray when it dries. Ric

Just make sure you wire everything with NEMA4. That way you can just hose it down when you clean up the shop:lol:.

Check with some of the places that sell used pharmaceutical and food processing equipment. They may buy them from you. There's a place in the SF Bay Area (Fritzenberg, if I remember correctly) that we used to get a lot of used tanks, pumps and stuff for the pharmaceutical and medical device...

I use a toaster oven I picked up at a garage sale to heat my Kydex. I put the broiling pan in upside down to provide a flat surface while the kydex softens. I also use it to temper my blades. Ric

The Brazilian walnut handle looks great! I was thinking of using some on a kitchen knife modification, but ended up using birdseye maple. After seeing the Brazilian walnut on your knife, I'll definitely use some for handle material. What type of finish did you put on it? I picked up some of...

Use the slow cure JB Weld. According the the web site, it is rated to 500°F, the fast cure stuff is rated at 300°F. I used the slow cure stuff and have not had any problems. I was absolutely amazed how much it improved the performance of my Grizzly. They are well worth the $$. Ric