Uh oh, not a knife!

[Lorien]

It was suggested to me that I redo a thread I started on another forum here.
So, I'm going to get started, and it will take a little while, but maybe by the time I'm done redoing the thread, I'll actually have made a knife!

This is how it all started, thanks to my friend, Nick Wheeler.
(I named the file. It's called NWG - Nick Wheeler's Gym)

 

[Lorien]

damn, that steel is f-ing hard! Why does it keep eating my saw blades?

Fortunately someone pointed out the whole thing about mill scale. Thank goodness for that, or this might've taken a wee bit longer

I don't have an angle grinder, but I have a bicycle tube!
Behold, the weirdest etch tank ever conceived:

 

[Lorien]

that's some thick 1084, and I figured that tapering the stock toward the tip might be a way to help keep the weight down.

 

[JAWilliams]

Now you did. You started making a knife and posted pics. Now you have to post pics till it is finished.

 

[Matt Gleash]

Now you did. You started making a knife and posted pics. Now you have to post pics till it is finished.

Yep...I'd like to see this one completed as well! I learn all kinds of stuff from threads like this...such as, I didn't know you can etch the mill scale off of the steel! Lorien, what are you using there for an etchant, vinegar? Thanks. -Matt-

 

[Leatherface]

dude where you get thick 1084?

 

[Lorien]

vinegar- yes! Works like a hot damn.
That 1084 came from Aldo Bruno I believe.

I don't know if it's ok to link to the original thread I started on the other forum, besides that's cheating!

The pictures you've seen thus far were taken last March, so you'll get this all wrapped up into a fairly tidy package over a fairly short amount of time

 

[p moore]

If you removed that much steel by draw file, my hat's off to you. I'll bet your arms were about to fall off.

Paul

 

[Matt Gleash]

I'm putting vinegar on the grocery list, if it works that good! How long do you soak it for? Thanks! -Matt-

 

[Raymond Richard]

If you removed that much steel by draw file, my hat's off to you. I'll bet your arms were about to fall off.

Paul

Paul, Most Canadians are born with an extra arm. Lorien doesn't worry about losing one.

Lorien, Good to see you here and at it again! 2thumbs

 

[Lorien]

thanks Ray
We usually try to keep the extra arm out of sight because most people find it strange. But, it works for us! Making maple syrup take a lot of work

As for vinegar, you might not want to put any on your poutine, but soaking steel in it for 24 hrs removes mill scale pretty good.


I didn't start with a template, but had an idea of where I wanted to go with this, so then started bangin away on nailing the profile.

here it is, the profile cut out, and you can see where I drilled the start for my choil.

not a bad taper, and yes, I used nothing but a file, (well, a few different files, and a drill)

 

[Lorien]

that handsome fellow!

I decided to grind material off the spine for three reasons;

1. it removes so weight
2. it might be useful for some applications
3. it looks neat

and here, the business end of the knife is starting to get some rough love

 

[NJStricker]

Looking good! My first few knives were made entirely with files, but I didn't try anything nearly that large. I'm looking forward to the progress.

 

[JAWilliams]

Looks good. Keep them coming.

 

[Lorien]

I can see now, that I am going to screw up the sequence, but there are so damn many pictures, it's hard to keep it straighthuh1

One great piece of advice I got from this hobbyist knife maker, Wolfgang, ()was to use a chainsaw file for shaping the plunge and not a rat tail. That is great advice!

 

[Lorien]

sort of starting to look like a knifelike object2thumbs

 

[Lorien]

removing all the scratches and stuff is way easier when the steel's annealed.

 

[Lorien]

now to start in on the handle...

 

[Lorien]

 

[Lorien]