Home made knife attempt #2

[RandyRhoads]

Vast improvement from my first.

If you can point out my flaws, mistakes, and tell me how to make them better i'd appreciate it. One thing I know for sure is learning how to shape the handle better. (It's hard with only 120 grit!) as you can see from the last pic. Last picture is a throwback of the first joke I came up with.

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[crashdive123]

Looking better. If you keep at it you might just get addicted.

[Wildthang]

Not bad for your first attempt! I think knife making is an aquired talent, and the more you make, the better they get. One tip I have is that you should have sanded the handle down more so the metal of the tang and the handle material is dead flush with no rough edges showing between the handle peices. Also I would think that you would want to smooth the blade from all fabrication marks prior to finishing the handle.
But you know the bottom line is that if I was lost in the wilderness, I would be proud to have that knife!

[RandyRhoads]

I think i'm already addicted. Been pricing forges and anvils already, I need to slow down haha.


Wildthang can you point out which pic shows the handle needing to be sanded down to the metal more? Hopefully those fabrication marks in the blade, and mishapen handle will be taken care of on the next one when I get ahold of some finer grit sand paper. I can't find anything finer than 120 for the belt sander anywhere.

[hunter63]

Looking like a knife.......Nice job.

[Wildthang]

I think i'm already addicted. Been pricing forges and anvils already, I need to slow down haha.


Wildthang can you point out which pic shows the handle needing to be sanded down to the metal more? Hopefully those fabrication marks in the blade, and mishapen handle will be taken care of on the next one when I get ahold of some finer grit sand paper. I can't find anything finer than 120 for the belt sander anywhere.

The fifth pic down from the top, where it shows the top of the knife. The metal and handle material should look like 1 surface where the handle meets the tang on the top and bottom of the knife. I would grind it down to that point before going for the finish polishing on the handle.

[RandyRhoads]

The fifth pic down from the top, where it shows the top of the knife. The metal and handle material should look like 1 surface where the handle meets the tang on the top and bottom of the knife. I would grind it down to that point before going for the finish polishing on the handle.

Thanks i see it at the back end. Ill keep that in mind on the next one.

[crashdive123]

For hand sanding - most hardware stores - even the big box ones will carry finer grit paper - up to 2000 (sometimes higher).

[Wildthang]

Thanks i see it at the back end. Ill keep that in mind on the next one.

Hey no problem Randy, if I made a knife it would probably have some flaws on the first one too. You will eventually work out the process and naturally know which step comes before the next. but from what I see, I could offer this advice:

Get the blade and tang as smooth as possible, just before the final polishing point before attaching the handle.

Once the handle is attached, sand top and bottom until the tang is absolutely flush with the mating handle pieces.

Then shape the rest of the handle to desired shape.

Do final blade and handle polishing.

[Skinner]

I Can Oly Go up to 240 Grit On My 1X30 and then After that it's All Hand Sanding from there.

[canid]

Randy: if you don't want to drop too much cash right away, consider the setup I'm using for cheap:

Harbor Freight weed burner and several fire-bricks for a forge.

The head from a big sledge sunk half way into a decent diameter log of the right length for the height you want to work at for a light duty anvil.

It's definitely a light duty setup, but I haven't had much problem doing swords with it and it ran me around $100, including the propane cylinder and the first fill-up.

[RandyRhoads]

That's awesome thanks Canid. I have all that stuff already but i'm not following how the weed burner can make a forge, don't you still need to aid some sort of blower? How are you assembling this?

[crashdive123]

The brush burner does not need and assist. In fact - I never ran mine wide open.

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[Skinner]

That's awesome thanks Canid. I have all that stuff already but i'm not following how the weed burner can make a forge, don't you still need to aid some sort of blower? How are you assembling this?

I Use the Same Set up As Canid The Weed Burner Is Great and I Get a Lot of Heat treating Out of a Cylinder Of Propaine.
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It Beat Doing it this Way and Is Faster to Boot

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[Woodmaster750]

Looking good Gio...

[RandyRhoads]

Looking good Gio...

Thanks, i'm working on it. I can see myself getting more addicted. I was itching all night to get ahold of some steel to start another. Killing me not to have any, I might have to break down and buy a new saw from Home Depot.

[canid]

That particular weed burner does have some problems, but mostly it's high fuel consumption. Still, it's not too bad.

If you wanted to put together a more efficient burner, you could build something like a sidearm burner from a couple pieces of pipe and some fittings. You don't need forced air mixing for most forging, but you would need something like it for say forge welding.

[RandyRhoads]

Only issue I have with that kind of homemade forge is a neighbor of mine that makes knives swears by fires says that the Carbon from the fire it's trapped in the course of the steel increasing carbon content