What's going on in your shop?

Well, while not as grandiose as most of you folks endeavors, I finished polishing up and putting the makers mark on 9 wood carving knife blades today. I also got all the handles rough-cut and holes drilled for pins. Next on the schedule is to drive down to Jantz Knife Supply and pick up some brass rod and other materials so I can get these put together and the handles shaped.

Yesterday I got the plumbing all completed for my vacuum bell. In the afternoon, UPS delivered two 3 1/2" diameter by 8" tall glass jars to hold my wood and Cactus Juice. (bought the extra in case I brake one) All I need now is to find some silicone sheet to put under my vacuum dome and I can start stabilizing. I'm not going to stabilize these 9 knives because they are pretty tight grained walnut and I think all I want to do to them is to apply some finish.

Also, yesterday, I picked up a toaster oven to use for tempering my blades after heat treating. Oh yeah, earlier this week my Acraglas came in. I'm not going to have the problem I had with the last knife.............that's for durn sure!

All in all, the last two days have been pretty productive.
 
I don't recall now who said this, but a member here mentioned they didn't make much progress on improving their grinds until they had made ten blades of the same style. So from that perspective I'm going back to a design I did months ago that got put on hold; Bird and Trout.

Tonight I profiled out 5 of the Bird and Trout (I already had two that were in progress). So I now have seven Bird and Trout knives to work on. :eek:
Except for the profiling and drilling I doubt I will do these completely as a batch. After this point I will do one at a time.

And without the Milwaukee Port-a-Band saw and the table that Abbott so graciously gave me, I would have never attempted to profile this many blades at one time. Truly a time saver. Well worth the money.
69000

I hope I haven't gotten carried away
 
My fun day yesterday was changing out BOTH elements on my heat-treat oven. First time both had went out at same time. Getting old and some things are very tedious now so had at it. Loaded 6 knives in packets and went to town.I have 15 more blades ready for bevel grinding on my cart so that is my next item. i have an order for 6 skinners then one light hunter and skinner that I need to do.
Well I got the 15 ground heat treated and now doing the cryo. Repetition does well when you start grinding.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top