A sleeping pod with a knife connnection

[Von Gruff]

A few weeks back I committed to doing a road trip to the other end of the country for Lynette to visit with her sons and siblings and then decided that I would combine it with an advertising trip to see if I can get some exposure here in NZ for my knives so have a few address to call in to on the way (so I can write the expenses off as knifemaking advertising costs)
As a way to cut expenses I decided that I would convert my trailor to a sleeping pod so we could use tentsites in the camping grounds aong with thier facilities rather than paying for motels etc so our costs will go down from $100-$140 a night to about $20 a night.
I I got some 1 1/2 x 3/4 and split it is I ended up with 1 1/2 x 5/16 and laminated 3 together to make a set of hoops as a base for the roof and then split the ends of the purlins so I could bend and alminate them down over the front of the hoops to make for a wind cutting front f the trailer to compiment what was already there.
I had built the trailer many years ago as a tool mobile shed to have all my building tools when I was working away from home and with 4 ft sides and a 11ft long floor I will have plenty of room for a doube bed even though it has a tapered front the mattress wil go neary a foot into the forepeak ans leave over 4 ft at the rear for changing clothes etc or the mattress can be stood up and secured against the side so we have the full floor space.
I have got all the roof boned out so all I have to do now is lay the felt covering and the tarpaulin over it and screw the hinged back window/shutter into place.

I got the handles on the last of the knvies I want to take with me as samples, except for two I want to do to finish my kitchen set. In this batch is a JT Ranger with swamp kauri, a large horse shoe rasp bowie with brass and bluegum, a skinner with buff horn and swam kauri (for me as I think I should have something with the swamp kauri on it before it all gets used for ordered knives) , an AH big game knife with buff horn and blackwood, a general hunter with jarrah and blackwood, a hunter skinner with jarrah and rimu, and the first two (of 4) in a kitchen set with the paring knife and a salami slicer both with anged jarrah bolsters and blackwood handles. The large kitchen slicer and a kitchen cleaver are yet to be done.

I did a short video today on how I do my knife handles when I have bolsters which I do first

 

[soundmind]

I enjoyed that short clip. It's helpful to see what other people are doing. I made a clamp similar to that out of a c-clamp, but I like yours better.

I think I noticed that the block of wood was about double the thickness for one side. Just curious if you split the material after you drilled the holes?

 

[soundmind]

BTW I hope your trip goes well. I just took a road trip this summer with my family and thought I'd be out of knifemaking for two months. But God prepared me a blessing and met a knifemaker in Washington and had my first chance to actually work alongside another maker in his shop. I hope your road trip provides opportunity for meeting new people and getting the publicity you need.

 

[Von Gruff]

I enjoyed that short clip. It's helpful to see what other people are doing. I made a clamp similar to that out of a c-clamp, but I like yours better.

I think I noticed that the block of wood was about double the thickness for one side. Just curious if you split the material after you drilled the holes?

Thanks soundmind. The handle wood is thick because it came from some 1 1/4 in thick sticks that I split into 7/16 scales. So there is another one for the other side.
I have posted these before but this is how I do the shaping so the thicker handles take no more to shape than those that are closer to finished thickness.

 

[opaul]

Looks great. Reminds me of molds for boatbuilding.

 

[Smallshop]

Von Gruff...nice vids! Hope you and your wife have a great trip!

 

[Von Gruff]

Thanks guys. I was reluctant to do the trip (I dont like being away from my sed) till I thought about combining it with exposure for my knives.

 

[C Craft]

Cool videos!

You know it is funny I know all of you from the forum and most have a pic with them. However I had the impression you were a young whippersnapper, Von Gruff! From the video I see you are a seasoned maker!!

I like the suspenders. You see I am an old fat man with a bad back and I have been working on suspenders. Although I haven't found any that the buckles don't cut into me!!!

Take you time and enjoy the trip. I have thought about the same thing you are doing. The Misses is sick and she don't travel well,.....maybe one day!! Good luck to you. Something tells me your trip is gonna be good!

 

[Von Gruff]

Cool videos!

You know it is funny I know all of you from the forum and most have a pic with them. However I had the impression you were a young whippersnapper, Von Gruff! From the video I see you are a seasoned maker!!

I like the suspenders. You see I am an old fat man with a bad back and I have been working on suspenders. Although I haven't found any that the buckles don't cut into me!!!

Take you time and enjoy the trip. I have thought about the same thing you are doing. The Misses is sick and she don't travel well,.....maybe one day!! Good luck to you. Something tells me your trip is gonna be good!

Some days I still feell like a your whippersnapper, others not so much

As for the braces or suspenders, I make my own and have done for many years from a doube layer of uphollstery leather or a single layer of heavier leather which requires a slightly different treatment at the yoke . It is easy enough to make the rollers at the top of the button loops by bending a length of 1/8 brass rod round a 1 1/2 steel strip whie threading a length of brake line on as the roller. I use sam browne stud for adjusting the length

 

[soundmind]

Thanks Von. Those videos we're helpful too.

I visited your website recently and if I would have had extra cash I would have picked up one or two off of you. I like your blade shapes and I also have some ideas for what I want in a knife from cutting up animals (I think that's what you said about butchering sheep). Your knives look just right - something I would put to work right now on about two and a half animals I have waiting outside (frozen). Your handles look user friendly and comfortable, too. I see why the scale looked thick at first to me. But I see the thickness is for contouring the handle. The template you made a good idea. I'm still getting my feet wet but just want to say very nice and thanks for the demo videos you did. Have a good trip.

Luke

 

[Smallshop]

Some days I still feell like a your whippersnapper, others not so much

As for the braces or suspenders, I make my own and have done for many years from a doube layer of uphollstery leather or a single layer of heavier leather which requires a slightly different treatment at the yoke . It is easy enough to make the rollers at the top of the button loops by bending a length of 1/8 brass rod round a 1 1/2 steel strip whie threading a length of brake line on as the roller. I use sam browne stud for adjusting the length

LOL!! I was admiring those suspenders in the first set of vids too! Then I realized....He's making them....and I don't have that much ambition. Store bought for now.....

 

[C Craft]

Some days I still feell like a your whippersnapper, others not so much

Yep, I know that feeling! LOL Thanks for the details on the suspenders!

 

[Von Gruff]

I have nearly got all my sample knivs ready to take away on our road trip with just 4 left to do now but this is how they stand at the moment except this pic includes Joes new JT Ranger and a jarrah and rimu hunter skinner that I will make sheaths for next week and get packed up and sent away. I emailed the editer of the NZ Guns and Hunting magazine as I have sent numerous articles for pubication over the years and am sending him the hunter skinner for field evaluation over the next few weeks as he has a west coast roar hunt booked. I will call in and see him on the road trip and we will discuss an editorial artical and advertising for 12 months in the magazine. Anyway this is the knives ready at present.

 

[Von Gruff]

This is a few of the individual knives. A Wapiti hunter with walnut, a general purpose with buffalo horn and walnut and safari hunter with brass and zebrawood.

Two skinners with my new one with buffalo horn and swamp kauri and a standard blackwood one at the bottom.

A blackwood JT Ranger, a blackwood lion knife, and a jarrah pig sticker.

 

[Von Gruff]

The top one is a hunter butcher with buffalo horn and blackwood and under it is the AH big game hunter again with buffalo horn and blackwood which is standard for these two knives.

At top is a fiddleback mapel hunter skinner and under it is the jarrah and rimu hunter skinner that is going to the NZ G&H mag for review, with a hickory general hunter at the bottom.

This one is a horse shoe rasp bowie because some time back it was sugested that I make one. It has brass and bluegum on a 7 inch blade.

 

[Von Gruff]

This was a proof of concept trial of two knives of a 4 knife kitchen set with jarrah and blackwood. I am starting to like the jarrah bolsters almost more than the buffalo horn - maybe!!. I have some 12C27 stainless coming and will make these plus the large slicer and a cleaver to round out the set. I like the angled bolsters so will do that again but may make them a little longer on the larger knives so they retain the same length to depth ratio as the little paring knife.

 

[Smallshop]

The only problem I see is....when you open the satchel of knives it will take every guy an hour plus to look at 'em before he can choose one to buy...LOL. Nice work!

 

[Von Gruff]

Cheers Ted. I got handles on another two blades today and four more ground and heat treated so should get them done by early next week. I still have the kitchen set to do but decided in the meantime to make a few more on my best sellers for the road trip with a variety of handle woods.

 

[opaul]

I hope we are going to get a road report. This is going to be an interesting story!

 

[Von Gruff]

Certainy will OP. I got another 7 knives with their handles all shaped up today so that wi give me 38 to take with me apart from the kitchen knife set which I hope to get onto next week when the 12C27 steel arrives.
I am not going to do sheaths for them all but wanted to have at least the standard patterns with a sheath for each. I have 25 waiting to be sharpened so will get to that over the next coupe of days. Will post a pic in the morning of the 7 I got done today with at least some of the finish on the handles.