Challenge Build Along Post

[BrokenolMarine]

So, Some of you wanted to watch, here we go.
Here is the reference picture to start us off. Remember, in my projects, plans are just a guide. Let's see how the finished project compares to the initial idea. Sometimes reality rears her ugly head.

01 layout.jpg

I decided to start by cutting the thick copper bar. It's tougher than I thought when I bought it. Nickel Silver is a female dog to cut too. I clamped it down to the bench and got the angle grinder, face shield, and welding gloves. Water on standby for cooling. I had five cuts to make. A new cutting wheel and time and I made it thru the task.

02 copper cut.jpg

Next I began the shaping of EACH piece. There will be the two accent pieces against the front guard and then the two endcap pieces. I began with the first accent piece, rubbing it on a piece of 120 grit sandpaper to get all the rough edges off, then marked a reference edge that will face the blade blank. I WON'T try and achieve a final shape before glue up, just get it close.

03 just started the fit.jpg

You'll have to work with me folks, as Clint says, "A man's gotta know his limitations."
My time during each session is limited. I knocked out that first task, and had intended to come back out after lunch, but the hands said "NO."

I will be working again this morning, hopefully two or three sessions today. The temps outside are supposed to reach triple digits without the heat index. Lucky for me the mini-split system keeps the shop at a nice 70 degrees year round, 115 outside or 10 degrees.

[BrokenolMarine]

Back at it this morning, working on shaping the copper again. I marked the second this accent piece and it was ready to rough shape.

04 marked for rough shaping.jpg

I moved to the work table where two of the sanders are set up. There is the bench top belt sander, where I use the disk sander the most for this process. You can sand on the copper for about ten to fifteen seconds at a time, then it has to go into the water to cool. The cold water in the bowl stays cool for about three dunkings, then warms up from the heat transfer.

05 two of the sanders.jpg

The other sander that will get a lot of use in this process is the 1 x 30 belt sander. This is going to come in when I start shaping the assembled handle later in the build.

06 1 x 30 belt sander.jpg

I also have the second end cap marked for rough shaping, and alternate on shaping while the pieces are in the cooling bath. Miss time the cooling, or try and shape just a bit too long and you can get a nice burn.

07 end cap marked for shaping.jpg

The copper pieces are taking shape. It just takes time and patience.

08 taking shape.jpg

[BrokenolMarine]

Another option while the copper cools in the bath, was to set up the Wet Tile Saw and begin on the Turquoise. This is a messy part of the operation as the saw throws water. I got 'er set up, and marked both the thin piece that will become the accents on the ends and the thicker piece that will provide the two center slices between the black walnut scales. For those who have never used one, the wet saw has a water reservoir UNDER the table and keeps the blade wet so it doesn't overheat the material causing the "tile" to crack or fracture. In this case, my tile is real turquoise from the Arizona mines. NOT cheap so I don't want to break it by rushing.

09 tile wet saw.jpg

I take my time, feeding the pieces slowly and following my reference lines carefully. The cuts went well and I managed to cut all the pieces I need without shattering. Hooray for the home team. There is more to come, watch this space.

10 we are getting there.jpg

[rickhem]

So here come some questions, I warned you.

I see that your blade is taped, and it looks like it is already ground for your preferred edge type. Do you tape it to protect the edge while you are working with it, or to protect you from the edge?
And is it fairly common to get the grind you want to use all set up on the "blank" (or whatever it is called) before you start with the handle area of the knife?
Tell us about turquoise. I've really only ever seen it in rings and watchbands and stuff like that. Is it a very unforgiving material to work with, meaning brittle or easy to over-stress while you are cutting and shaping it? I see you are using a tile saw to cut it, so does it overheat quickly?

Really appreciate you letting us follow along.

[BrokenolMarine]

So here come some questions, I warned you.

I welcome all the questions you want to ask, I'm sure others have some as well. The one thing I won't do is blow smoke. If I don't know, I'll do you the courtesy of telling you I don't. Most of what I learned I learned from YOU tube.

I see that your blade is taped, and it looks like it is already ground for your preferred edge type.
I buy the blade blanks ready to work, normally from Jantz Supply in Davis Oklahoma or from Woodcraft on line. I had originally planned to forge my own blanks, however it was a matter of "knowing my limitations. After watching Forged in Fire and a couple other knife making shows, I realized the arthritis in my hands, shoulders, and elbows would let me know early on I would NOT be able to swing a hammer onto that anvil for very long, nor stand at the dang thing while I did it. So I made the choice NOT to invest in the equipment THEN discover I should just buy the blades and create artistic knives to the best of my ability.

Do you tape it to protect the edge while you are working with it, or to protect you from the edge?



I tape the edge to protect ME from the edge. I found that I poked and cut myself often, so the minute I take the blade blank OUT of the cardboard or plastic sleeve to begin working, I normally tape the edge. I often cut an edge protection blank from an old manila folder as well and tape THAT in place as well.


And is it fairly common to get the grind you want to use all set up on the "blank" (or whatever it is called) before you start with the handle area of the knife?

I have to, since I buy my blanks already made, and work my knives from there.


Tell us about turquoise. I've really only ever seen it in rings and watchbands and stuff like that. Is it a very unforgiving material to work with, meaning brittle or easy to over-stress while you are cutting and shaping it? I see you are using a tile saw to cut it, so does it overheat quickly?

I just started working with Turquoise, but have found that it is a brittle material to work with and you have to work slowly and carefully or it will crack and break easily. When you put it into a project, you want to make sure you have it supported, or placed in such a way it won't get stressed. I used a scrap left over from an inlay in another knife and was going to make Miss T a cross, inlaying the two scraps together. I was carefully filing a rabbit into the two pieces and spent a couple hours with jeweler's files... slowly and carefully forming the joint and when I attempted to test fit the piece I pushed a bit too hard and Boom, done. Nope, broke into lots of pieces. I go slow, and keep the pieces wet and cool as I shape them. For the most part all my final shaping is done by hand with small pieces of fine sandpaper. Once the glue up is done, and I am shaping the knives, I do sand them on the sanders, but in ten and fifteen second passes then dip them in the bath to cool.

Really appreciate you letting us follow along.

I really encourage the questions, I'm happy to share and it lets me know others are following the post. I also encourage input. If someone knows another way to do something, I'm happy to consider it since, as I have said, I haven't had another knifemaker around to teach me. My daughter asked me to make her a knife, and when I told her I didn't know how, she told me to look it up on you tube. Same with the sheath, "look on You Tube," she told me.

[BrokenolMarine]

I went back out for a little work, and marked the endcap copper pieces for a bit more work on the disc sander. Black felt tip shows where they need attention and shows up better than just the pencil lines. I grind "Almost" all the felt tip off then stop. When I glue up, I will do the final fitting with the pieces in place.

11 marked for more shaping.jpg

Before starting on the layout, cutting, and fitting of the black walnut scales, I decided to tool the spine. The first step in that process is to darken the spine so the layout lines will show up. You can buy a dye to use but I haven't yet. I cheat, and use a wide black magic marker.

12 darkened for marking.jpg

I use a GOOD ruler to mark every 1/2 centimeter. Then a square to transfer the line across the mark across the spine.

13 layout.jpg

Once I am satisfied with the layout, I take a triangle jewelers file and cut a notch on both sides of the spine to help guide the cuts. Using a triangle file lets me cut a NOTCH and avoid the file skating along the edge. Once the notch is cut I move to a small round file, and cut each notch into a dimple, then move UP in size and cut an oval shaped cut. Once I am happy with the final cuts, I use paint thinner to remove the black marker...

14 tooled.jpg

The spine will, of course, get highly polished toward the end of the build. I may also go back and look at the tooling a little closer before I start assembly, and round some of the edges in the individual areas to make the tooling flow better. I have just started with the tooling and am learning as I go...

[rickhem]

Thanks for those detailed responses.
I admire your work, and that you know where your skill set starts getting thin, but that you push into that regularly and make it stronger. I had some buddies that worked in the electronics lab at one of my former employers, and they'd build some fairly sophisticated control systems. I remember someone once asking them why two of the same units they built months apart were not configured identically, and they said that they learn as they build things, and the latest version they build always includes what they learned building the previous ones. Always thought that was a good way to go, and fits in with the whole "constant improvement" theme so prevalent in corporate worlds these days.

Anyway, another question. I see your vice has the jaws taped. Is there some soft wood under that tape, or what do you use to pad the jaws so they don't mar your work?

[BrokenolMarine]

I have an old pretzel jar filled with scraps of leather from sheath, holster projects. I find all kinds of uses for the pieces. From practice for tooling to padding the clamps and vise jaws...

[Hatchdog]

Looking good BOM and thanks for the detailed report. So interesting to understand how you get the results you do. Love those cuts in the spline, what a nice touch.

[BrokenolMarine]

Thanks guys, still a lot of work to do, like NASCAR, plenty of laps to go, plenty of time for that crash and burn.