Birdseye Hunter
Posted: Wed Mar 06, 2024 11:38 pm
After my trip down to Jantz Knives in Davis, OK last month, I had several knife blanks to choose from to work with. I decided to try this new style hunter I have never worked with before, with the pre-installed guard. No damascus this time, it gets expensive. I went thru the drawer with the wood blanks and came up with a nice piece of Birdseye Maple... no accent needed, it has it's own. 
I chose brass rod for the pins and a brass tube for the thong hole. Laid out the materials for the preparation to get started.
Prior to glue up, I cut out a section of the maple, then marked two rough out lines for the bandsaw and got them cut. Then I cut the two pins to approximate length and the lanyard tube as well. Both needed to be polished down to fit the holes that I drilled in the rough grip shapes. Those were drilled by clamping the rough panels on the blade blank and using the blank as a template. Looks like we are ready for glueup, as soon as we lightly sand the contact surfaces of the grips and the blade blank.
Now that we are ready, I mix the epoxy and liberally coat the knife blank, insert the pins and the tube, and then put a handle on the proper side. Flip the blade blank, add epoxy, push the pins and tube through, just enough for guidance, and add the handle to the other side. Then I center the pins and the tube. Then, using Can't Twist Clamps...
I left the knife in the clamps overnight to insure the handles were rock solid. This morning I went out and removed the clamps, this is what I had....
Using the benchtop belt sander, I first sanded the pins and tube flush, then started to shape the oversized grips to the blade blank. I could do 90% of the shaping on the benchtop sander but the last bit, on the inside of the finger groove near the guard? Oscillating sander. Rough sanding was done.
Broke for lunch and to get off my feet for a while, then came back out and started on the hand sanding and forming. This is where the real work begins. After a couple hours, I knew it was time to protect that light color wood and applied a first coat of Watco golden oak. BOY did it make the grain pop. I did make the first couple passes at sanding the Silver Guard, but it will take a bit more work. (Yeah, a bit.
) Will be working to get all the scratches out and shine that puppy to a high luster.
I'll wet sand the Birdseye Maple between coats which is supposed to enhance the difference between the light and dark areas as I reapply the oil, thereby popping those eyes even more. After three or so coats, drying between each coat, I'll apply two or three coats of wax and we'll be good. Watch this Space!
I chose brass rod for the pins and a brass tube for the thong hole. Laid out the materials for the preparation to get started.Prior to glue up, I cut out a section of the maple, then marked two rough out lines for the bandsaw and got them cut. Then I cut the two pins to approximate length and the lanyard tube as well. Both needed to be polished down to fit the holes that I drilled in the rough grip shapes. Those were drilled by clamping the rough panels on the blade blank and using the blank as a template. Looks like we are ready for glueup, as soon as we lightly sand the contact surfaces of the grips and the blade blank.
Now that we are ready, I mix the epoxy and liberally coat the knife blank, insert the pins and the tube, and then put a handle on the proper side. Flip the blade blank, add epoxy, push the pins and tube through, just enough for guidance, and add the handle to the other side. Then I center the pins and the tube. Then, using Can't Twist Clamps...
I left the knife in the clamps overnight to insure the handles were rock solid. This morning I went out and removed the clamps, this is what I had....
Using the benchtop belt sander, I first sanded the pins and tube flush, then started to shape the oversized grips to the blade blank. I could do 90% of the shaping on the benchtop sander but the last bit, on the inside of the finger groove near the guard? Oscillating sander. Rough sanding was done.
Broke for lunch and to get off my feet for a while, then came back out and started on the hand sanding and forming. This is where the real work begins. After a couple hours, I knew it was time to protect that light color wood and applied a first coat of Watco golden oak. BOY did it make the grain pop. I did make the first couple passes at sanding the Silver Guard, but it will take a bit more work. (Yeah, a bit.
) Will be working to get all the scratches out and shine that puppy to a high luster.I'll wet sand the Birdseye Maple between coats which is supposed to enhance the difference between the light and dark areas as I reapply the oil, thereby popping those eyes even more. After three or so coats, drying between each coat, I'll apply two or three coats of wax and we'll be good. Watch this Space!
Looks great.