Birthday Build

[BrokenolMarine]

Someone's Birthday is coming up this month, and she had picked out the synthetic scales on the last trip to Jantz. Got busy polishing the brass bolsters and glued/pinned them in place and applied the clamps.

01 bolster in the clamps.jpg

After they had set, and the clamps came off, you can see the pins. I had used a reamer to open the holes so peening would widen the top of the pin and seat it in the bolster. I'm trying to learn to peen the pins so well they completely disappear.

02 pins.jpg

[BrokenolMarine]

The next step is to grind the pins down to about a 1/16" of an inch on both sides, then using the ball peen hammer and my mini anvil, peen them down as close to flush as you can. This spreads the brass pins into the holes and helps insure the bolsters won't loosen even if the epoxy fails.

03 pins peened.jpg

Carefully, cooling often by dipping the blank in water, I ground both sides flush on a 400 grit belt.

04 pins ground flush.jpg

[BrokenolMarine]

Over two or three sessions in the shop, I polished the mounted bolster by hand, using a pink rubber eraser wrapped in various grits of sandpaper, working my way up to 1,000 grit. A small amount of dawn is applied, a spritz of water, and buff lightly with each grit to finally remove the swirls from the previous grit.

05 polished to 1000 grit.jpg

These are the scales Miss Tina chose, I think when they are properly mounted and shaped they will Rock.

06 Tina picked the scales.jpg

[BrokenolMarine]

Today's session was all about cutting the slots in the top of the bolster to start matching the slots in the spine.

I started by using a jewelers saw to cut a centered groove above each slot, right down to the bottom of the groove in the spine.

Then I used a triangle file to widen that groove.

Then a fine cutting bit in the pencil dremel to cut a channel across the brass to start matching the slots.

Dressed it a bit more with a thin file. Still looking rough.

07 rough spine cuts.jpg

Used a flat fine diamond file to bring the brass down even with the stainless spine, using tight circular motion in the last phases to limit the amount of final sanding I'd need. Then working with the rubber eraser and 400, 600, and 1000 grit paper I worked to remove all the swirls. This is NOT the final polish, but a good start. There is a lot of rounding and shaping left to do.

08 buffed to 1000 grit.jpg

[BrokenolMarine]

The channels still need more shaping and of course we'll roll the edges when we shape the handle after the scales are mounted. Plenty of work to be done. We are just getting started.

[rickhem]

Those pins sure disappeared, great job on that.
Do you add a slight chamber or bevel or countersink (not sure proper word) on each side so the peened pins lock in place?

[BrokenolMarine]

Those pins sure disappeared, great job on that.
Do you add a slight chamber or bevel or countersink (not sure proper word) on each side so the peened pins lock in place?

As I mentioned earlier, and you can see in one of the pics, I used a long reamer to cut a bevel in each hole for exactly that purpose. If I remember, I'll take a picture of the reamer kit and the jeweler's saw when I head out to the shop this morning. Some of these tools are rather interesting themselves.

[Hatchdog]

Looks great BOM, and a very happy birthday to Tina when the day arrives. She is going to love that knife and those grips are (will be) beautiful.

[BrokenolMarine]

Thanks Hatch, I'm hoping I'll be able to duplicate the shine after I shape the grips to the knife blank. Roughing up the back of the blanks they turn dull quickly, it'll be a challenge.

[BrokenolMarine]

As promised, let's look at some of the specialty tools.

This is the jeweler's saw and a package of the various blades. The ruler is in the pic for size and if you can see the blades, this is NOT a saw you can muscle, the blades will snap in a heartbeat. However, the top bar on the saw will collapse on itself and lock in place. This will allow you to take half a blade and reinsert it into the bow, and continue to use both halves.

09 jewelers saw.jpg

Next up is the jeweler's diamond file set. This refers to the diamond chips embedded in the files not the shape of the files. They cut very well on the hardened steel of the knife blanks. Tooling the blade spines and shaping some of the bolsters and pommels would be very difficult without them. This mid range set wasn't too expensive and contains ten files. There is a five file set that was three times as expensive, but supposedly cuts SO much better. I had to pass.

10 jewelers diamond file set.jpg

I have mentioned my Mini Anvil in several posts. It really is a mini-anvil as you can see. I bought it specifically to use for setting pins, and peening them down into the bolsters or driving them into the scales. There is also a technique where you can trim them to within a 1/16" of the scales, then round the edges with the ball peen, and polish. I haven't gotten around to learning that yet. Perhaps I'll do that on a scrap piece to learn it.

11 mini anvil.jpg

This is my high end custom sanding block for working metals to a high sheen, with sandpaper and dawn dishwashing liquid. Hard to find, though cvs, dollar stores, office max... well, you get the drift.

12 high dollar custom sanding block.jpg

I have a few others, if I mention something and it's not shown and someone wants to see it, or have it explained, speak up. I'm always happy to share.

[BrokenolMarine]

I marked and rough cut the scales this morning, they are looking good so far. I cut off a bit here and there so I could center the best of the (fake) grain on the blanks.

13 rough cut scales.jpg

I have the left side scale glued up and clamped. Once it sets (cures) I can use the blade blank as a template and drill the holes for the pins. In this build I'll use corby rivets (bolts?) They screw down tight and you file or grind away the screwdriver slot and polish the exposed portion. They come in Brass, stainless, and nickel silver. I'll use brass here to match the bolster.

14 corby bolts.jpg

You set these using a special countersink bit that matches the smaller blade blank hole and the head size on the corby rivet.

[rickhem]

Those pins sure disappeared, great job on that.
Do you add a slight chamber or bevel or countersink (not sure proper word) on each side so the peened pins lock in place?

As I mentioned earlier, and you can see in one of the pics, I used a long reamer to cut a bevel in each hole for exactly that purpose. If I remember, I'll take a picture of the reamer kit and the jeweler's saw when I head out to the shop this morning. Some of these tools are rather interesting themselves.

That makes sense and would add a lot of mechanical strength to the bond.

[rickhem]

In this build I'll use corby rivets (bolts?) They screw down tight and you file or grind away the screwdriver slot and polish the exposed portion. They come in Brass, stainless, and nickel silver. I'll use brass here to match the bolster.
You set these using a special countersink bit that matches the smaller blade blank hole and the head size on the corby rivet.

Never heard of those, but the idea is really neat.
Would you just rely on the tightening to hold them, or do you add loctite or epoxy to the threads?

[BrokenolMarine]

In this build I'll use corby rivets (bolts?) They screw down tight and you file or grind away the screwdriver slot and polish the exposed portion. They come in Brass, stainless, and nickel silver. I'll use brass here to match the bolster.
You set these using a special countersink bit that matches the smaller blade blank hole and the head size on the corby rivet.

Never heard of those, but the idea is really neat.
Would you just rely on the tightening to hold them, or do you add loctite or epoxy to the threads?

I put two part epoxy in the hole and then they are bound not only to the blade blank by the smaller shaft, but to the scales by the bottom of the head, and the sides of the head as well where the touch the sides of the countersink. They are VERY secure and look great.

Examples from an earlier knife build. First, the countersink:

08 set up to countersink.jpg

Note that the depth of the countersink left enough of the corby exposed that the slot would be ground away.

09 corby nuts and bone accents.jpg

After shaping and final sanding, they look awesome

12 stained and varnished.jpg

You'd never know there was ever a slot in the brass.

[rickhem]

Very cool!
Whoever Corby was, he had a great idea with that.
Thanks for the follow-up on it.

[BrokenolMarine]

I had glued up the one side, and clamped it to cure. I left it for several hours while Miss T and I had lunch, and watched a couple episodes of a Netflix series. When I went back out to take it out of the clamps to drill the pin holes, using the blank as a template, I found that the scale had shifted "just enough" to have an edge of the blank exposed on the belly. The bleed out of epoxy had hidden the shift, although I had checked several times before walking away. Stuff happens.

Normally I might cut another piece of walnut or maple, but ... these were matched blanks and ... no just cutting another blank. Miss T picked them. Wait, remember how I mentioned in previous posts that you have to be careful about overheating the blank or the epoxy might let go? I got a lighter used to burn thread ends off when making sheaths, and heated the blade blank. NOT red hot, just hot. Several cycles. Then one last time and PUSHED hard on the scale and POP... off it came.

I spent a half hour cleaning up the blade blank, then the underside of the scale, sanding both clear of epoxy residue. I decided to go with the B-plan. I positioned the blank, clamped it in place, and insuring it was PERFECTLY positioned and didn't move, backed the face with wood to prevent tearout, drilled both holes. I took off that scale, applied the other scale and clamped it, then repeated the process. Adapt and overcome.

16 both sides.jpg

[BrokenolMarine]

Okay, we have holes, now to countersink them. Using the actual corby bolts, and the drill index sizing card, I determined which countersink I would need. It was this one.

17 countersink bit closeup.jpg

After some careful measurements and testing, I determined the depth I wanted to go with the countersink. I set up the drill press to STOP at that depth, and had a scrap piece of wood to protect the bit. We were ready to drill. The pucker factor was high...

18 preparing to countersink.jpg

After drilling four holes, I tested the depth with the corby bolts.

19 corby bolts in place.jpg

The true test is to assemble the scales with the bolts sans glue. I did and it went together like a champ. My shop time was up, and I was feeling it. I'll do the glue up in the morning, let it cure, and start shaping.

20 test fit.jpg

[BrokenolMarine]

This test fit of course is all rough shaped, the lines on the scale show the rough outline and I cut outside the lines ON Purpose. You can sand or file away excess, it's hard to add back. Tomorrow is the fun part after the glue up. The payoff is when you start to see the "Plan come together."

[BrokenolMarine]

Out this morning after breakfast. Loaded the soundtrack for American Graffiti for good working music. Needed some good background and I know most of the words to all the songs. Back when that came out, you could go to the first showing and stay in the theatre thru as many shows as you liked. I spent my summer watching that movie over and over. I knew everyone who worked at the place and eventually started watching the darn thing from the projection booth. But that's the subject for another thread...

My first step to begin the glue up, was to prep the clamps. I already mentioned in another thread that I save scrap leather, and some are cut in strips. I cut small squares off the strips and use painter's tape to secure those to the clamps so they don't damage/scar the scales when putting pressure on them during glue up. Getting them ready first is important since it's five minute epoxy. It sets up quick and you don't have much time. It needs to cure for several hours before you start working with it, but you have to have the pieces in contact and no further movement within five minutes.

21 prep clamps.jpg

Next up, prepping the contact surfaces. I roughed the back of the scales and the metal of the blade blank with 80 grit sandpaper. Doesn't have to be pretty, just insure that ALL the contact surface has been roughed slightly to insure a proper bond. A glass smooth finish would appear to be a better surface, but NO... you need the slightly roughened surface for grip strength.

22 prep surfaces.jpg

I mixed the epoxy and spread it on the left panel and put it in place, then put the female halves of the corby bolts in place, as guides to insure alignment. Before inserting the bolts, I used a q-tip to apply epoxy to the lower portion and underside of the head, and along the outer portion of the shaft. I then carefully seated the bolts in both holes.

23 glue up left side.jpg

Next, I coated the right side and seated in on that slightly protruding portion of the corby bolt. and insured it was properly fitted and flush on the blade blank. Then, coated the male corby bolts one at a time, coating the lower portion and underside of the head, and the threads, then hand tightened them, for now. I put the blade in the small desk vise and using two screwdrivers, snugged the bolts.

Now, I placed Kant Twist clamps on both ends of the scales outside the corby bolts and screwed them down snug to insure the scales were tight against the blank, and placed the last clamp in the middle. Tightened it down snug as well. I'll allow this to sit for at least six hours.

24 right side and clamped.jpg

I may start shaping late this afternoon, or may wait until tomorrow. WE are close.

[BrokenolMarine]

Took the knife out of the clamps and started to shape it. First, I did the rough shaping on the benchtop belt sander and took away the excess scale and brass and then started the rounding of the edges. I moved to the oscillating sander and shaped the small inside curves that couldn't be shaped on the top of the benchtop sander's round edge in it's vertical position. Rolled the edges of the bolster on the 1x30 belt sander as well. This left scratches on the brass and the scales.

I moved to my bench and started on the bolster, working up from 400 to 1,000 grit with dawn and spritzes of water and got the brass gleeming again. It was looking good.

25 bolster to 1000.jpg

I put some painter's tape across the bolster, and moved to the scales. I started with 400 on the 1x30 and started to refine the polish, moved to 600 and worked it. This works WELL on the spine and sides but you have to be careful on the inner curves. I moved back to the bench. Using 600 I worked around the scales and the dust highlighted the scratches and dings I'd missed. Back to 400 to work out the scratches and then back to 600, then 400 again for the last of the missed scratches. 600 to 800 and on up to 1000. Looks good so far.

27 scales to 1000.jpg

The corbys have the scratches from being ground flush, so they need some serious attention, time to break out the pin kit and the pencil dremel. I'll work up from medium, thru fine and extra fine. That will make the pins gleem like the bolster. Look close at the picture below and you can see the scratches I'm referring to. I'll post the after pics tomorrow after the polishing has been completed.

28 pin polishing.jpg

I'll get back at it in the morning, possibly working thru 1500 and 2000 on the scales and buffing the pins and bolster with rouge before being ready for final finish. I plan to try a new technique, finishing the scales with CA glue. Yup, using CA glue as an actual finish. Six or Eight coats of CA glue to build up a base, buffed out and waxed. Stay tuned.