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Main Boards => Hunting Knives and Crafters => Topic started by: RGK on February 09, 2008, 11:42:00 PM

Title: Bigger saw blades make bigger knives
Post by: RGK on February 09, 2008, 11:42:00 PM

This blade is over an 1/8 of an inch thick. I am using a 24 inch diameter concrete saw blade.

 (http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/knives/sawblade.jpg)

I cut a chunk of it away with a angle grinder.

 (http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/knives/bigknife2.jpg)

This will be a hunting knife with a drop point and a finger guard.

 (http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/knives/bigknife3.jpg)

This is a very thick blade.

 (http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/knives/bigknife4.jpg)

 (http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/knives/bigknife5.jpg)

Next, I heated the blade cherry red and let it cool very slowly to soften the steel. so I could drill hole and grind a bevel and do some file work.

 (http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/knives/bigknife92.jpg)

this time I am going to do a "W" pattern on the backbone of the blade. I marked off the spacing with a sharpie.

 (http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/knives/bigknife6.jpg)

Then I used a small square file on one side of the blade.

 (http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/knives/bigknife7.jpg)

Title: Re: Bigger saw blades make bigger knives
Post by: RGK on February 09, 2008, 11:43:00 PM

Then turned the blade around and did the other side.

 (http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/knives/bigknife8.jpg)

I added a little bluing to bring out the details.

 (http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/knives/bigknife9.jpg)

 (http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/knives/bigknife91.jpg)

With all the file work done, I heat treated the blade by heating it until it was non magnetic (around 1500F) and then quenched it in 130F salt water. Next I temper it at 400F for one hour. Finally I polish the blade to a mirror finish.

I used curly maple and aluminum pins. I'm calling it "Blonde"

 (http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/knives/bigknife93.jpg)

 (http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/knives/bigknife94.jpg)

 (http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/knives/bigknife95.jpg)

 (http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/knives/bigknife96.jpg)

 (http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/knives/bigknife97.jpg)

Title: Re: Bigger saw blades make bigger knives
Post by: RGK on February 09, 2008, 11:43:00 PM

The last step is to make a sheath. I use 7 Oz. Veg. tanned leather and then dye it to the color I want after I sew it.

 (http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/knives/bigknife992.jpg)

 (http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/knives/bigknife994.jpg)

 (http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/knives/bigknife995.jpg)

 (http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/knives/bigknife993.jpg)

Title: Re: Bigger saw blades make bigger knives
Post by: RGK on February 09, 2008, 11:47:00 PM

Another knife made from that same saw blade

 (http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/knives/bolster7.jpg)

 (http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/knives/bolster9.jpg)

 (http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/knives/bolster92.jpg)

 (http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/knives/bolster8.jpg)

 (http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/knives/bolster93.jpg)

Title: Re: Bigger saw blades make bigger knives
Post by: farmboy on February 09, 2008, 11:54:00 PM

Wow! I just love those knives!......My wife wants one now she's looking over my shoulder.

Are your pins interference fit with epoxy? and what steps do you use to get that nice polish?

Scott

Title: Re: Bigger saw blades make bigger knives
Post by: RGK on February 10, 2008, 12:00:00 AM

The pins are a tight fit. I use lots of grades of sand paper. Up to 1000 grit. Then polish on a flannel wheel with rouge.

Title: Re: Bigger saw blades make bigger knives
Post by: RGK on February 10, 2008, 12:02:00 AM

I will attempt to show some of the steps I have left out in previous knives. Namely the grinding or stock removal steps. This knife will have elk slab sides. The blade comes from the same 1/8" thick rusty old concrete saw blade. Recently I cut a few small pieces from this blade and heat treated them and took them to work and used a hardness tester to see how effective my heat treat really is. The untouched blade material came in at Rockwell 35. The heat treated material came in at RC55 for hardness. A file is RC60. These will hold an edge nicely.

 (http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/knives/staghandle2.jpg)

For the first step in stock removal, I use a 6 inch bench grinder. I don't care if the blade gets hot and turns blue because I will be heat treating it later. I simply clamp a metal stop on the tool rest to keep things consistent.

 (http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/knives/staghandle3.jpg)

 (http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/knives/staghandle4.jpg)

I move it once to get closer to the tip after removing material from higher up on the blade. The tape is to keep me from grinding away the finger guard

 (http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/knives/staghandle5.jpg)

I follow up with a belt sander to smooth out the grind marks.

 (http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/knives/staghandle6.jpg)

 (http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/knives/staghandle7.jpg)

This leaves more of a straight or convex grind which is slightly stronger than the conventional concave grind.

With all the stock removal done and the blade heat treated, I give the blade a going over with 120 grit sandpaper on on orbital sander.

 (http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/knives/staghandle8.jpg)

Title: Re: Bigger saw blades make bigger knives
Post by: RGK on February 10, 2008, 12:03:00 AM

I will use elk antler for the scales.

 (http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/knives/staghandle9.jpg)

I split the section in half and sanded them to shape.

 (http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/knives/staghandle91.jpg)

I added the antler scales to the knife blade. I used slow cure epoxy and brass pins. I turned out fairly well.

 (http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/knives/staghandle92.jpg)

 (http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/knives/staghandle97.jpg)

 (http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/knives/staghandle93.jpg)

 (http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/knives/staghandle94.jpg)

That rusty old blade sure cleans up nice. It was pretty much like a mirror.

 (http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/knives/staghandle96.jpg)

 (http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/knives/staghandle95.jpg)

Title: Re: Bigger saw blades make bigger knives
Post by: farmboy on February 10, 2008, 12:15:00 AM

Thanx a bunch for posting those pics.....very helpfull! Now I will get busy....My wife will help me post the pitures.

Take care Scott

Title: Re: Bigger saw blades make bigger knives
Post by: Caveman IL on February 10, 2008, 07:52:00 AM

Great pics and a lot of good info!  I love that curly maple!! Larry

Title: Re: Bigger saw blades make bigger knives
Post by: BigRonHuntAlot on February 10, 2008, 07:58:00 AM

:bigsmyl:    :notworthy:   Pretty Impressive.

Title: Re: Bigger saw blades make bigger knives
Post by: Lewis Brookshire III on February 10, 2008, 07:59:00 AM

VERY NICE!!!

Title: Re: Bigger saw blades make bigger knives
Post by: yellow bow on February 10, 2008, 08:12:00 AM

very nice work.

Title: Re: Bigger saw blades make bigger knives
Post by: sticshooter on February 10, 2008, 09:04:00 AM

Ron those are some awesome knives . Great job.<><

Title: Re: Bigger saw blades make bigger knives
Post by: Leftieshot on February 10, 2008, 11:09:00 AM

Why do you use salt water to quench?  Is that specific to that particular steel?  Using a quench agent other than oil and air is new to me.  But mostly what I've heat treated has been O-1, A-2, and D-2 tool steels.

Title: Re: Bigger saw blades make bigger knives
Post by: Leftieshot on February 10, 2008, 11:10:00 AM

RGK, how long have you been making knives?

Title: Re: Bigger saw blades make bigger knives
Post by: RGK on February 10, 2008, 12:19:00 PM

I made my first knife when I was 18. I am 43 now but have not made knives during that entire time. I got back into it a little more in recent years.

Title: Re: Bigger saw blades make bigger knives
Post by: brettlandon on February 10, 2008, 02:29:00 PM

Wow!  :clapper:    :clapper:    :clapper:  

-Brett

Title: Re: Bigger saw blades make bigger knives
Post by: Montauks on February 10, 2008, 03:20:00 PM

very nice knives.

Gene

Title: Re: Bigger saw blades make bigger knives
Post by: drewsbow on February 10, 2008, 04:00:00 PM

Wow , Those are awesome :0)

Title: Re: Bigger saw blades make bigger knives
Post by: varmint on February 11, 2008, 07:08:00 AM

Beautiful knives!!

Title: Re: Bigger saw blades make bigger knives
Post by: skullworks on February 11, 2008, 08:05:00 AM

As always...FANTASTIC job, Ron! I will reach this level one day! LOL!

Title: Re: Bigger saw blades make bigger knives
Post by: RGK on February 11, 2008, 12:03:00 PM

Skull my friend, you are already there.