Motor City Mike's KITH WIP

[Motor City Mike]

I figured I'd get started, December isn't that far away

This is where it all starts. I taught myself enough CAD to design it in Draftsight

Working on the handle here. I hide the layers I don't need and make a bunch of copies. No sense wasting an entire sheet of paper for just one.

I cut one out to use as a template

Now I layout some lines in a titanium sheet and cut them out. After they're cut I take them over to the disk sander to get them flat. I hit them on my surface plate for good measure.
They're harder than you might think to get flat but it has to be done. Flat, square and parallel is the name of the game with folders.

Now I have 2 flat pieces of titanium

Now I glue the paper template onto the Ti with super glue. I usually do this outside because the fumes are horrendous. Really nasty stuff.
I use some accelerator to get it to kick off quickly.

Note to self: vinyl gloves will melt from the glue or maybe it was the accelerator

 

[Motor City Mike]

This will have a hidden stop pin so I don't want to drill through the outside of my scale. So I need to transfer the stop pin location to the other side.
I do this using my height gauge. I do this to both pieces.

I use my optical center punch to make sure I hit the right spot. I don't remember how much I paid for this thing but it's well worth whatever it was. I love this thing.
And because I need this to be right I use a center drill to get it started.
While I have it out I go ahead a punch all the holes that will need to be drilled later.

I don't want to drill through so I set my depth and drill.

Since this will be the holes for the stop pin I want as much depth as possible so I ground down another drill to flat and flattened out the angle in the hole. Then ream for a slip fit 3/16.

The stop pin is just a standard 3/16 dowel. Here I've shortened one a lot so it just sticks out.

Next I glue the 2 pieces together using the same super glue and clamp them together. I use the shortened dowel to keep the 2 pieces perfectly located to each other for the next steps.



That's all for now

 

[opaul]

That looks really, really complicated.

 

[Daniel Macina]

This is a awesome WIP! I got to get started everyone's way ahead of me!

 

[DanF]

That looks really, really complicated.

Ha, my exact thouts as I read through, laughed when I saw your post!

@Mike, that is so far beyond fixed blades!

 

[Rick Otts]

Looks like you did your homework looking forward to seeing the end result good luck!

 

[Kevin Zito]

This will have a hidden stop pin so I don't want to drill through the outside of my scale. So I need to transfer the stop pin location to the other side.
I do this using my height gauge. I do this to both pieces.

I use my optical center punch to make sure I hit the right spot. I don't remember how much I paid for this thing but it's well worth whatever it was. I love this thing.
And because I need this to be right I use a center drill to get it started.
While I have it out I go ahead a punch all the holes that will need to be drilled later.

I don't want to drill through so I set my depth and drill.

Since this will be the holes for the stop pin I want as much depth as possible so I ground down another drill to flat and flattened out the angle in the hole. Then ream for a slip fit 3/16.

The stop pin is just a standard 3/16 dowel. Here I've shortened one a lot so it just sticks out.

Next I glue the 2 pieces together using the same super glue and clamp them together. I use the shortened dowel to keep the 2 pieces perfectly located to each other for the next steps.



That's all for now

You are going to be sooooooo disappointed if you get my knife lol.

 

[Kevin Zito]

I just read through it again... I honestly have no idea what Im even looking at lol.

 

[Von Gruff]

The folding knife has to be about as complicated as it gets for the exactness of requirments as far as drill and fit is concerned. I have made a total of one folder and know just how much more has to go into them as opposed to a simple fixed blade regardless of how "flash" it might be.

 

[Justin Presson]

Looking good Mike. I will be following along. I have some knives I need to wrap up before I start anything new and I'm already feeling the squeeze of this December deadline. This is my busiest time at work right now so hopefully by mid September I can get something going.

 

[Motor City Mike]

Thanks everybody. I think this WIP is going to be more in depth than I originally intended.

I just read through it again... I honestly have no idea what Im even looking at lol.

I think once I get further along and it starts to come together you'll have a better idea of what's going on.

 

[Kevin Zito]

Thanks everybody. I think this WIP is going to be more in depth than I originally intended.




I think once I get further along and it starts to come together you'll have a better idea of what's going on.

Actually, I went through he pics again, and I think I see what’s going on. It’s going to be awesome to see one of these come together. I’m impressed to say the least. Great work!

 

[BrandantR]

Looking good, Mike! I'll be making a folder too for my KITH knife. It's fun to see the unique techniques that different makers use. I'll be following along with you.

 

[Motor City Mike]

OK. Where were we?

Still have both pieces glued together and it's on to the portaband

Rough cutting the shape

Titanium is hard on tooling so time to change the blade. I usually leave the old blade on way too long.

Back to cutting.

OUCH!! CRAP!! That's what I get for changing the blade. And on the very last cut!
Looks like I violated rule #1. This is NOT being safe. I hope I don't get disqualified

OK, bandaged up. This one's been bled on but definitely not the first one that's had that some blood on it.

On to the grinder to clean it up.

Got it cleaned up as much as it needs to be for now

Drilling the holes for the back spacer

Drilling and reaming the pivot hole. Even though the pivot will be 3/16 I'm reaming it out to a #13 for now. I'll explain why when I do the blade.

Now that everything is drilled I can separate them. Since I pinned them together using that small stop pin and glued them together, I know every thing will line up when the time comes.
You can see that the paper template is burned at the edges. Titanium throws some mean sparks when it gets ground.

Now that they're apart I drill the relief holes for the lock bar. This will help when I cut the lock bar.


I could cut the lock bar now but I really hate that part. It's LOUD, messy and s l o w so I'll get to it later


More later...

 

[Kevin Zito]

This is going to be so cool Mike ...thank you for showing this to us.

 

[Gene Kimmi]

Very cool! I've thought about trying a folder and this is making me think about it more. More in that I'm not ready yet.

Excellent WIP.

 

[C Craft]

Mike that is just "Rite of Passage"! Push sticks or blocks, when at all possible. you can make your own or buy them like these.
Those fine toothed blades will cut bone just as easy! Never loose sight of the fingers!!

 

[Daniel Macina]

Glad your ok!

 

[Jon Buescher]

OK. Where were we?

Still have both pieces glued together and it's on to the portaband

Rough cutting the shape

Titanium is hard on tooling so time to change the blade. I usually leave the old blade on way too long.

Back to cutting.

OUCH!! CRAP!! That's what I get for changing the blade. And on the very last cut!
Looks like I violated rule #1. This is NOT being safe. I hope I don't get disqualified

OK, bandaged up. This one's been bled on but definitely not the first one that's had that some blood on it.

On to the grinder to clean it up.

Got it cleaned up as much as it needs to be for now

Drilling the holes for the back spacer

Drilling and reaming the pivot hole. Even though the pivot will be 3/16 I'm reaming it out to a #13 for now. I'll explain why when I do the blade.

Now that everything is drilled I can separate them. Since I pinned them together using that small stop pin and glued them together, I know every thing will line up when the time comes.
You can see that the paper template is burned at the edges. Titanium throws some mean sparks when it gets ground.

Now that they're apart I drill the relief holes for the lock bar. This will help when I cut the lock bar.


I could cut the lock bar now but I really hate that part. It's LOUD, messy and s l o w so I'll get to it later


More later...

Things bite don't they?

 

[Dennis Morland]

I would not be worried about disqualification. I’d be worried about tetnus!