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Outdoor Activities => Northern Ireland Camping and Bushcraft => Topic started by: b0ogaloo on January 26, 2012

Title: My first steps into the world of knife making
Post by: b0ogaloo on January 26, 2012
After all the help I got from Pablo making the Adze blades , I've started making myself some small wood carving/ whittling knives
Finished the first one this morning

Blade is from   15mm x 2mm 01 flat ground stock , actual blade length is about 30mm
Handle is oak with piece of bone I stole from the dog :D

(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-I401x0-6iP8/TyFqRhtbXRI/AAAAAAAAFmA/AfQtKkgpPWY/s640/IMAG0115.jpg)

Andy

Title: Re: My fiirst steps into the world of knife making
Post by: WildWesty on January 26, 2012
That looks great mate !! - wish I had the skill and patience to make things like that! :)
Title: Re: My fiirst steps into the world of knife making
Post by: b0ogaloo on January 29, 2012
So after my initial success I ended up making a set of wood carving knives
Just need something to put them in now .. I was thinking of making a leather tool roll type thingy

(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-oXPHaiQwhbc/TyVOUakooUI/AAAAAAAAFpQ/NpXLqhoGSsk/s640/IMAG0144.jpg)

Took a few photos while i was making the last one , might be of interest to someone

I make the handle first , still experimenting with handle design

This is a piece of reclaimed oak from a Kitchen unit door

(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-b28pguJopDU/TyVNtcNmUDI/AAAAAAAAFnI/ADRhxQc0MqA/s640/IMAG0125.jpg)

Draw out the rough shape of the handle and cut it out with a jigsaw

(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Phh44rx2uxI/TyVNrMCW3HI/AAAAAAAAFm8/wQX8ZMxCQ_w/s640/IMAG0126.jpg)

10 minutes of sanding and shaping and  I ended up with this

(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-BK9yKwxROvg/TyVNs8j2w9I/AAAAAAAAFnE/F43YJ0MLh88/s640/IMAG0127.jpg)

I epoxied a piece of bone onto the end

(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-4SOQEARPqrM/TyVNyfhOyjI/AAAAAAAAFnY/NrQIUXD51L0/s640/IMAG0128.jpg)

I also inlaid a piece of Antler ...   and after another 10 mins of sanding and shaping

(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-nfKsjFuUJ9A/TyVN032z1sI/AAAAAAAAFnk/WtTUxi6gDvI/s640/IMAG0130.jpg)

Marked  the slot for the tang and drilled and filed it out

(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-iCfe0ekevxk/TyVN2xyb00I/AAAAAAAAFns/2OaXNwxtaCs/s640/IMAG0131.jpg)

Next up was the blade .. i used a piece of 15x3 01 flat ground stock

(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ZHMnshW0GIA/TyVN7PWdWXI/AAAAAAAAFn0/U6_2MEyu-6A/s640/IMAG0132.jpg)

I didn't draw a blade template .. just free handed it

(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-mbZDyRE21o8/TyVN-pXRWUI/AAAAAAAAFn8/IFAkFOmA5e8/s640/IMAG0133.jpg)

Ground the bevels and the tang

(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-LNfV-2nYj7U/TyVOCsDTS9I/AAAAAAAAFoM/tz28_ve7zwk/s640/IMAG0135.jpg)

Then I hardened it in my four brick DIY forge

(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-0c2t3YMVnHc/TyVOFaa2DxI/AAAAAAAAFoc/F8Xkk7EgabA/s640/IMAG0136.jpg)

(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-XPr8ctZJYE0/TyVOHHXOt4I/AAAAAAAAFok/DkfDDbwEk-Q/s640/IMAG0138.jpg)

After a quench in an oil bath the blade was tempered in the oven for an hour

(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-r3Ddge4szNw/TyVOO1ZhfDI/AAAAAAAAFo8/l6aRztQjnCk/s640/IMAG0141.jpg)

After a quick polish on the bevels  it was time to epoxy the blade into the handle

(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-RcxOFSJe9hI/TyVOPLVZZxI/AAAAAAAAFpA/XUVwnWWiPG0/s640/IMAG0142.jpg)

And that the last one in the set

(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-oXPHaiQwhbc/TyVOUakooUI/AAAAAAAAFpQ/NpXLqhoGSsk/s640/IMAG0144.jpg)

Really enjoyed making these . next up is something a bit bigger

Andy






Title: Re: My fiirst steps into the world of knife making
Post by: wee gaz on January 29, 2012
is this any thing to do with your job ( i dont know your job) or just a hobby, whichever its cool. you may start getting orders from NI Wilders
Title: Re: My fiirst steps into the world of knife making
Post by: b0ogaloo on January 29, 2012
I wish it was my job .. but its just a hobby .

Andy

Title: Re: My fiirst steps into the world of knife making
Post by: b0ogaloo on February 03, 2012
I added one more to the set .. a crook knife ( spoon knife )

(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-MtFd5djlKI0/TywLKgzVM6I/AAAAAAAAFq8/gHMPyUmLijs/s640/IMAG0149.jpg)

Andy
Title: Re: My fiirst steps into the world of knife making
Post by: Spud on February 03, 2012
Lovely job andy, they look great!
Title: Re: My fiirst steps into the world of knife making
Post by: Dowser on February 03, 2012
Great Job... I love posts like this!!!

I'd like to hear more about the 4 Brick Furnace.  What Fuels it, where can you buy the bricks etc

Oh, and what kind of oil do you use for the oil bath?

8)
Title: Re: My first steps into the world of knife making
Post by: b0ogaloo on February 03, 2012
The four brick furnace couldn't be simpler

Four bricks from Scarva pottery supplies (http://www.scarva.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=841) .. just outside Bambridge

A gas torch and regulator from flea bay  (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-ROOFING-PLUMBING-PLUMBERS-GAS-BLOW-TORCH-KIT-HOSE-/160623091604?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item2565e1df94)

Bottle of butane gas from your local supplier ,, I use the 13kg ones .. costs £30:00 to get filled , lasts a long time

Cut the corners off the bricks using an old handsaw , keep the offcuts for blocking up the hole at the rear of the forge

(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-pCyH14lRluQ/Tyw_7UkvguI/AAAAAAAAFrI/oXn7Eq87w9Q/s640/IMAG0104.jpg)

(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-pDPCdoivroE/Tyw_8bZbt2I/AAAAAAAAFrQ/xcIv4GuT-E0/s640/IMAG0105.jpg)

it can be used like this  by just holding the torch and directing the jet into the forge

(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-nJ1s9dDcoBE/Tyw__-v8KII/AAAAAAAAFrg/XW5eN5H9tjk/s640/IMAG0107.jpg)

Or what i did was bore a 40 mm hole at 45 deg through the brick and welded the torch nozzle to a piece of box section i had lying around

(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-zWa_F648f88/TyxACwikWoI/AAAAAAAAFrw/G6JMaVsyAww/s640/IMAG0108.jpg)

easy peasey ..lemon squeezy :D

The oil is old engine oil from the landrover , any oil will do .. sunflower oil  etc is fine

just check the steel is non magnetic before you quench it in the oil

Once its quenched .. put it in a preheated oven @ 200 deg c  for an hour to temper it .. job done

Andy


Title: Re: My first steps into the world of knife making
Post by: b0ogaloo on February 03, 2012
P.S .. I get the tool steel from Kennedy and Morrison on the Boucher road , they don't keep a huge stock but will order it in for you .. takes a few days


Andy
Title: Re: My first steps into the world of knife making
Post by: Dowser on February 03, 2012
P.S .. I get the tool steel from Kennedy and Morrison on the Boucher road , they don't keep a huge stock but will order it in for you .. takes a few days


Andy

Thanks BOogaloo... Excellent description of the furnace, with pics an everything  :D

I have a gas torch already (Which seems to be the expensive bit of kit).  Just the bricks to get then.

Thanks again

8)
Title: Re: My first steps into the world of knife making
Post by: wee gaz on February 03, 2012
its the dog i feel sorry for, is that more bone i see on the handle lol
Title: Re: My first steps into the world of knife making
Post by: b0ogaloo on February 04, 2012
its the dog i feel sorry for, is that more bone i see on the handle lol

She's caught on and buried all her bones .. i've had to switch to using mahogany :D


(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-v7mQf5IKnlY/TywLXMpBDVI/AAAAAAAAFqM/1s4VHxktBMg/s640/IMAG0154.jpg)

Andy
Title: Re: My first steps into the world of knife making
Post by: b0ogaloo on March 04, 2012
Few more from today

Mahogany and beech laminated handles ,, bone ferrule thingy

(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-eY8LgJA-YOY/T1PvwwU2INI/AAAAAAAAFy4/NrdYASu358E/s640/IMAG0269.jpg)

(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-9CS82ybiOx4/T1PvyYfTu5I/AAAAAAAAFzA/s9ffP-ivSOY/s640/IMAG0268.jpg)

Andy
Title: Re: My first steps into the world of knife making
Post by: Fred on March 06, 2012
Thanks for sharing those photos with us Andy, the knives look really good. Engineers files are made of carbon steel. If you can pick up an old scrap one somewhere they would be cheaper than ground flat stock, and enviromentally friendly.

Fred
Title: Re: My first steps into the world of knife making
Post by: b0ogaloo on March 06, 2012
Yeah I know , but  I don't  have any old files so just bought the steel

for that size of woodcarving blade its not expensive .. about £5 for a 500mm length, and probably get 8-10 blades out of one length
My next project will be a few draw knives, If i can source some old leaf springs, which will be my first foray into actual forging  .. and then a shave horse which im really looking forward to making

Andy