Knife Making Startup Costs....Need Input/Help
- Thread starter madupree
- Start date
No, I haven't purchased any tools/materials
Sounds even better!
smithy
Well-Known Member
Madupree- one thing you should consider in dealing with a large corporation is 'payment' time. I know this doesn't deal with your original topic, but it can make a huge difference in your success. The last job I did for a 'big' company (over $12,000.00 in material costs alone), I didn't get paid for 90 days (and much effort in telephone calls). Figuring the interest I lost on my investment just on material costs really ate into my profits. Just something for you to consider. I wish you the best of luck and good fortune.
well luckily they're going to pay half up front, which will more than cover my materials
bodam
Well-Known Member
just read through the entire thread, you are doing a batch of 50 "perfect" knives for a client, and you haven't made one knife in your life?!?
This should be a fun ride, can't wait to watch the results. I wish you luck. Like I said before, you are welcome to swing by and check out my set-up, I've only been making knives for about 6 months, and have completed around 10 or so, but I will offer any advice that I've gotten over the last few months, and where I've screwed up along the way.
The key is to take your time and be safe. So much can go wrong, and hurt you or the project. Don't rush especially since you are making these for a new client.
This should be a fun ride, can't wait to watch the results. I wish you luck. Like I said before, you are welcome to swing by and check out my set-up, I've only been making knives for about 6 months, and have completed around 10 or so, but I will offer any advice that I've gotten over the last few months, and where I've screwed up along the way.
The key is to take your time and be safe. So much can go wrong, and hurt you or the project. Don't rush especially since you are making these for a new client.
Yes i am definitely going to be patient (as i am with all my projects) and they will not leave my sight unless they are 'perfect'
I look forward to that man, we need to hook up sometime and talk about our ventures
arock
Well-Known Member
Madupree- will you involve all of us when you start the process with pics and your progress?? just reading through this thread really has me curious and so many are getting involved I would really like to watch your process and progress though out this commission. Good luck and you are definatly asking the right crew here at the pound!
Oh i absolutely plan on documenting all of it!!
Justin Presson
Well-Known Member
Very different approach to knifemaking then alot of people (myself included) are taking. There will be alot of little things that you need that I never thought I would. Regular flat sheets of sand paper just seem to disappear too I would put that in with my belt order probaly get some shop rolls.I would also throw in a knife vise and bench vise, lots of measuring devices like calipers also some 1-2-3 blocks, storage bin of some kind to keep 50 knives and material organized.
The best of luck, will be fun to follow.
The best of luck, will be fun to follow.
I always have a large quantity of sandpaper sheets on hand ranging from 60grit all the way up to 2000grit. I have a fairly decent sized bench vise handed down from my father. I have all kinds of measuring devices both analog & digital. Storage bins are something i haven't thought about. I see some people actually use those rolling tool boxes, i'm assuming because they can hold a large quantity and be locked, i see some of those tool boxes also have a solid wood top which could be doubled as an additional workbench.....
wall e
Well-Known Member
I am still wet behind the ears compared to all these gent on here but if you decide to follow with the post ht grinding of your blades I have a surplus of ht planer blades that will show you what joy to look forward to. As well as show how the steel will react to your belts and grinding technique. There is a slight difference though these are D2 blades so os a different steel but practice and template blade material.
After more talking & thinking i am going to do all my grinding pre heat treat
Learning more every day.......
McClellan Made Blades
Well-Known Member
Actually, some of the plans for building etchers are twice as strong as the professional model I bought! I know that having it (I think) 24 volt can be too much, but mine, I believe is a 12v, its just not as strong as I'd prefer, and there are other things the stronger etcher can do as well! Other than a makers mark that is! That mine would have a lot of trouble doing, if it can do it, at all.
If I had to do it over again, I'd go with Bob Warner's plans , awesome guy with an incredible mind...., in the 'smarts' dept., anyway! I'd have a stronger etcher, and a lot more money left in my pocket! And if I wanted, I could probably have a annodizer too!
Most of the plans out there for sale give a detailed list of what to buy and where to buy them, with parts numbers and the costs of each item , I know there are some plans that are free as well, but I don't know much about them or if they have kept their price lists up to date,etc.
I think I would add that to apply to everything, like Ken H. said, if you have the cash to buy whatever you want, I'm asumming within reason, if you bought a DECENT Mill, (look at the Little Machine Shop's) Hi-Torque Mill as well as their Hi-Torque Lathe, if you work on your abilities to run those two pieces of equipment, you will not only have an endless supply of your own manufactured blades, you could build MOST of the machines you needed to boot! That is the approach I wish I could have understood when I first started thinking about making knives!
Machinist in my opinion, go into knifemaking with more understanding of Metalurgy, of the mechanics of how to make things "square", there is so much they have a huge head start on that people like me did NOT benefit from! People like me are driven more by passion, by some freaky URGE(!) that made me WANT to, MADE ME NEED TO, make knives, I didn't want to make anything else when I started, until I had a little ( meaning a lot) of help from one of our resident Mastersmiths, Ed Caffrey! He helped me build my first forge, and he really opened my eyes that I CAN DO IT!! Something as simple as a forge, gave me the confidence to try to build other things, I've since built a 2nd forge, and several other things that would have costed me hundreds of dollars, if not thousands! It was just that little boost in the confidence in myself to be able to do it, was all I really needed, now I want a Mill, a Lathe, a Press, and several other things, the press I plan on building myself, once I get my funds in better order, to start the commitment! I don't think I'll need a mill to build the press, but I'm sure I will to make the Dies.
There are as many approaches to getting into knife making as there are to making knives! I'm not sure why your being defensive about your skil level, but do know if you have NEVER used a 2 X 72 grinder running a couple thousand RPM's, then you will learn the hardest way possible that the learning curb to making knives, is SHARP! The only reason anyone would ask about your skills, would be to better answer your questions, the same questions all of us have already asked, and answered! Some did it the hard way(me!). Some eased their way into it, maybe started off learning to forge their knives to shape first, then progressing into a grinder after they learned how to Draw file first. Like I said there are a lot of different ways to make knives, none are wrong as long as the end result is what the original goal was for.
BUT, PLEASE UNDERSTAND, as a group Knife Makers are solid gold!!! They are the most giving of themselves, their knowledge, and I think their most precious commodity, their patience! Please try to understand that when someone comes asking for that knowledge, no matter what that may be, that being defensive is the wrong approach, when the original intent is to help you no matter what you may want to know.
One more thing that might be a big help, is by using the SEARCH feature, in each section there is a SEARCH button , you will more than likely find your question asked already. Hope this helps, Rex
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