Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => HowTo's and Build-a-longs => Topic started by: madcrow on January 02, 2008, 12:04:43 am
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This will be a knife build-a-long of sorts. This will take a few days for me to complete because of my work schedule. I will be using old saw blades for the metal. If you work with wood, you probably have a few of these laying around. If you don't have any, they should be fairly easy to get. The big blade is a 24" from a sawmill and the triangular piece is a support from a single wide mobile home. I will cut into those later. The smaller 7 1/4" blades can be used for fillet knives, trade points, broadheads, stuff that would need a thinner blade.
(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o281/maillemaker1/Knife%20Buildalong/newbows009.jpg)
(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o281/maillemaker1/Knife%20Buildalong/newbows008.jpg)
Now pick one out and go to work.
(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o281/maillemaker1/Knife%20Buildalong/Knifebuildalong001.jpg)
Most of the blades have a Rockwell hardness of 35 so they will need to be heat treated and tempered to hold an edge. Most industrial grade blades are hard enough and do not need to be treated. If it is too hard, it will not sharpen easily. The first thing you need to do is set down with a pencil and paper and draw out the pattern that you want. When the pattern has been decided on, cut it out and trace it onto a stiffer paper. Some use cardboard, but I prefer to use file folders. I could not get all of my patterns in the picture, so here a few of them.
(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o281/maillemaker1/Knife%20Buildalong/Knifebuildalong003.jpg)
Once that has been cut out, trace it onto the sawblade. I use a dremel tool with the carbon fiber heavey duty disks to cut it out. The light duty will work, but I go though a half a pack of them cutting out one blade. A better option is to use the reinforced disks. They cost more but are well worth it. I can cut 4 or 5 blades with just 1 of these cutting disks. These sawblades are almost impossible to drill through so to drill the holes for pins, I heat the handle red hot and let it cool down on its own. I also drill a few holes in the handle to help balance the knife out more.
(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o281/maillemaker1/Knife%20Buildalong/Knifebuildalong005.jpg)
(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o281/maillemaker1/Knife%20Buildalong/Knifebuildalong007.jpg)
After one side is cut, I cut about half way into the blade and use channel loc pliers to pry that cut apart. It just speeds up the process.
(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o281/maillemaker1/Knife%20Buildalong/Knifebuildalong010.jpg)
Don't throw away those left over chunks of steel. Some just need to be cleaned up and they can be used for scrapers, and you can never have enough of those.
(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o281/maillemaker1/Knife%20Buildalong/Knifebuildalong011.jpg)
After it has been removed, I clean it up on the bench grinder, and since this is a guthook, I use a chainsaw file to get the shape of the gut hook cleaned up.
(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o281/maillemaker1/Knife%20Buildalong/Knifebuildalong012.jpg)
I hit it with a little 120 grit and an orbital sander to get the rust and scratches removed.
(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o281/maillemaker1/Knife%20Buildalong/Knifebuildalong015.jpg)
No, your'e not experiencing double vision. Everytime I make a knife, my son wants me to make him one, so this time I am making a matching set of father - son knives. I cheated some here. I have already started the buffing process on his.
(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o281/maillemaker1/Knife%20Buildalong/Knifebuildalong016.jpg)
That is all I have for know. Tomorrow I will heat treat and temper and do some filework down the backbone to spruce things up a bit and maybe pick out the handle material.
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This is gonna be great. Can't hardly wait! Pat
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This is awesome. I've always wanted to know how to make a knife. Thank you!
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This is great - thank you!
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Looks good so far madcrow and thanks for the build along.
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I appreciate the build along too.... but like I need to have more projects!! ;)
But I'm watching with interest!!
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OK. I am back. This takes longer when I have to take the pics too. I am going to do a simple vine down the backbone of the knife. If the blade was thicker, I could do a vine and thorn or an arrowhead design, but I will save them for another day. If you have never done one before, practice on a scrap piece first to get the feel of it. Here a the tools that I use for that. A triangle file, chainsaw files, a small flat file and an improvised vice to hold the blade while I work. I had to move in the house for this because it is too cold in the shop.
(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o281/maillemaker1/Knife%20Buildalong/Knifebuildalong032.jpg)
I mark the blade in 1/4" increments. Most designs use the same measurement.
(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o281/maillemaker1/Knife%20Buildalong/Knifebuildalong042.jpg)
I use the triangular file just to put in the inital notches, so the round file won't slide all over the place. Pick one side to start and notch every other one. Turn it around and do the other side. Then switch to a small chainsaw file. Try to keep it at around a 20 degree angle and file almost to the opposite edge of the knife. I try to get mine to where it almost touches the other side.
(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o281/maillemaker1/Knife%20Buildalong/Knifebuildalong046.jpg)
(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o281/maillemaker1/Knife%20Buildalong/Knifebuildalong047.jpg)
(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o281/maillemaker1/Knife%20Buildalong/Knifebuildalong053.jpg)
If you take it too far across the blade, a few swipes with a bastard mill file will cur the problem, then you just have to reshape the notches.
I lost some pics here. I think it had something to do with a 13 year old deleting them. Oh well. I will explain it anyway. I use a large chainsaw file to make the notches wider and then switch to the flat file and round off the shape edges. The blade is only 1/16" thick, so I was cutting it close with the files.
(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o281/maillemaker1/Knife%20Buildalong/Knifebuildalong056.jpg)
There will be some minor ut-ohs and scratches, but some 150 grit sandpaper wrapped around the file will take care of them. Because of the hook on th blade, I could not run it across the grinder like normal, so I free handed the bevel for the edge. I usually try to leave a flat edge roughly 1/64" wide. During the buffing part, when I use a leather buffing wheel and some buffing compound, the edge will form. Now on to the heat treating and tempering.
OK, nobody tell my wife what I use the kitchen for, if she finds out, I will never hear the end of it. For this crutial step, I run one of the large stove burner on high. This is not hot enough to get the blade to around 1500 degrees, so I use a map gas torch and the burner together. That will take it to a non-magnetic state. The first pic is of the shop foreman making sure everything is being done correctly.
(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o281/maillemaker1/Knife%20Buildalong/Knifebuildalong062.jpg)
Once it gets hot enough for the magnet not to stick, I hold the temp for a minute to make sure it will be an even heat treat. I had to skip the pick of all that. It was hard to hold a camera, a torch and pliers with a magnet. This pic does not show how red it really was. i think the flash canceled it out.
(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o281/maillemaker1/Knife%20Buildalong/Knifebuildalong063.jpg)
Next it will be quenched in vegatable oil that is about 130 degrees for 1 minute. If you have made it this far with no file work and decide you want it on there, you can do a differential quench. Just dip the edge of the blade in, leaving the backbone out of the oil. It will leave the backbone softer and easier to file.
(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o281/maillemaker1/Knife%20Buildalong/Knifebuildalong065.jpg)
Then I wipe the oil off the blade and throw it in the oven at 375 degree for one hour. Do yourself a favor and lay it on some aluminum foil first, that way there are no knife shapes burned into the wifes' favorite cookie sheet. It will come out black and a little flaky but some 120 grit sandpaper will take care of that. If you don't wipe it down, the oil congeals on the blade and forms a very sticky mess that is a pain to get off.
I changed the temper temperature mentioned above. It will vary from steel to steel, 375 degrees being more common.
(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o281/maillemaker1/Knife%20Buildalong/Knifebuildalong070.jpg)
Tomorrow, I will cut out the handles and glue them on and do the final shaping.
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I amy have missed it but where did you file the cutting edge? I assume that has to be done before the heat treating.
Don't think I can use the wifes stove she has one of them glass topped jobbers, I assume a oxy/acetelene torch will do the job though.
Loofs good so far.
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No, you did not miss anything. My daughter decided that I had too many pics on her camera and deleted some. I had 40 pics and the camera only holds about a thousand. Teenage math? The edge is easier to work with softer metal. I always try to do a double bevel and work the edge down to about 1/64". It will tighten up some after heat treating and tempering.
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I know somebody out there is hoping that I will hurry up and finish, but work has seemed to get in the way and it will be Monday before I have time to finish.
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Cool bild a long.
I have made knives out of files befor.
But a saw blade, thats a cool idea. I cant wait to Try it!
Thank you.
Leapingbare.
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Am watching with interest too. May be yet something else to get me in trouble ;D.
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This is excellent thank you!
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Great thread,thanks for sharing. :) Looking good so far.
Pappy
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I'm following along madcrow did these today ;D
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Dana, you are doing a fine job. I like the shape of the bottom blade the best. They make easy to handle skinners.
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I finally made it back. I chose to use bloodwood for the handles on these knives. For the sake of time, I am going to concentrate on just one knife for now. I can finish the other one after the build along. I rip off a couple pieces that are just wide enough to feel comfortable on the knife and trace the pattern for the handle onto the wood. Make sure the sides that touch the metal are perfectly flat so you get the best fit.
(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o281/maillemaker1/Knife%20Buildalong/Aknifebuildalong001.jpg)
Then I run the piece of wood through the bandsaw and cut them about 1/16" larger than the handle pattern.
(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o281/maillemaker1/Knife%20Buildalong/Aknifebuildalong003.jpg)
Once I get them lined up with the handle, I mark the holes for the handles on the wood with a sharpie marker and throw a piece of tape around the wood to hold it together while drilling the holes.
(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o281/maillemaker1/Knife%20Buildalong/Aknifebuildalong008.jpg)
To help keep them from slipping around and getting the holes out of alignment, I drill one hole and add a pin, then drill the second hole and add the second pin, and finally the third.
(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o281/maillemaker1/Knife%20Buildalong/Aknifebuildalong009.jpg)
Now I switch to a sanding drum and remove the tool marks and round the edges. While I am at it, I sand in a couple of finger grooves at the front.
(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o281/maillemaker1/Knife%20Buildalong/Aknifebuildalong010.jpg)
(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o281/maillemaker1/Knife%20Buildalong/Aknifebuildalong011.jpg)
The next step is to clean up the blade some and tape the handles. I cover the handles with tape except for where the adhesive will be. While I am taping, I press down where the pins will be inserted. That makes it easier to find the holes and insert the pins while everything is covered with epoxy.
(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o281/maillemaker1/Knife%20Buildalong/Aknifebuildalong018.jpg)
This is the first time I am using this epoxy, so I don't know how long it will take to dry. It said industrial grade heavy duty, so it should hold everything together. I mix it on old plastic lids. When the leftover is dry, it peels right off and the lid can be reused.
(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o281/maillemaker1/Knife%20Buildalong/Aknifebuildalong019.jpg)
The epoxy said that no clamping was need, but I did it anyway. I wanted a thin glue line. With the pins inserted and the clamps on, I had some left over so I decided to finish a couple broadheads that I wanted to try.
(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o281/maillemaker1/Knife%20Buildalong/Aknifebuildalong020.jpg)
I have a few that are about ready for some heandles. It looks like I have my work cut out for me.
(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o281/maillemaker1/Knife%20Buildalong/Aknifebuildalong006.jpg)
As soon as the epoxy is dry, I will be ready for the final shaping and clean up.
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You about have me hooked into giving this a go :). like I need more projects - I'm getting really interested, carry on ;D.
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I appreciate your patience while I do this. Now, lets' wrap this puppy up.
This is one of the reasons I wrap the handls with tape. It is alot easier to clean up.
(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o281/maillemaker1/Knife%20Buildalong/Aknifebuildalong022.jpg)
When it comes to the pins, I do not peen them. Most of the epoxy I use has atleast 2500 lb. per square inch holding strength, so I cut the pins close with a dremel tool and grind them flush with the sides of the knife. They can be ground all the way flush, but take your time. The brass gets hot really and can melt the epoxy and come loose.
(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o281/maillemaker1/Knife%20Buildalong/Aknifebuildalong024.jpg)
(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o281/maillemaker1/Knife%20Buildalong/Aknifebuildalong025.jpg)
I use the sanding disk to smooth the handle out and take off the left over epoxy. Then I switch to a cloth buffer with black buffing compound to take out most of the scratches, white for the initial shine and brown to really shine it up. I put some tape around the front of the handles to keep the compound from packing into the wood.
(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o281/maillemaker1/Knife%20Buildalong/Aknifebuildalong030.jpg)
(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o281/maillemaker1/Knife%20Buildalong/Aknifebuildalong031.jpg)
(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o281/maillemaker1/Knife%20Buildalong/Aknifebuildalong032.jpg)
I use a homemade leather buffing wheel and the brown compound to shine the edge and to hone down the last 1/164th of an inch. It brings out a razor sharp edge.
(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o281/maillemaker1/Knife%20Buildalong/Aknifebuildalong034.jpg)
I retape the blade to add the finish to the handles. I like to use tung oil for this and if it dries on the blade it is a pain to remove without scratching the blade.
(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o281/maillemaker1/Knife%20Buildalong/Aknifebuildalong035.jpg)
After three days and three layers of tung oil, I do the last step in this. I use a large chainsaw file to sharpen the guthook. Since the blade is thin, I only sharpen one side. It looks like somebody chnaged the settings on the camera so this pic is in black and white.
(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o281/maillemaker1/Knife%20Buildalong/Aknifebuildalong036.jpg)
Guess what? This one is done, finally. Since I will be using this knife on a regular basis, I did not take this one to a mirror finish. I knew I would be cussing when I put the first scratch on it.
(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o281/maillemaker1/Knife%20Buildalong/Aknifebuildalong037.jpg)
(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o281/maillemaker1/Knife%20Buildalong/Aknifebuildalong040.jpg)
I am working on a hidden tang antler handle and a hidden tand wood handle build alongs as well. I promise that they will be written and completed before they are posted so it will not be a long drawn out process.
(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o281/maillemaker1/Knife%20Buildalong/Aknifebuildalong041.jpg)
(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o281/maillemaker1/Knife%20Buildalong/Aknifebuildalong031.jpg)
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Thanks for taking the time to do this build along, I know I enjoyed
and learned a few things from it. Looking forward to next ones.
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Sweet,thanks for sharing,like Daman said I learned a few[a lot] of things.Very
nice job. :)
Pappy
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Good job! I'll be getting started soon :).
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Thanks, this really answered alot of ????'s I had....Brian
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thank you for this build a long its great :o
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Thank you for the show! I think I've got an old saw blade around here somewhere...
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Excellent teut and great job. So far I'm just assembling knives using finised blades but you never know. Are your buffing wheels on your drill press - or did you rotate the pictures? I also will be looking forward to the hidden tang teuts. Thank you, madcrow.
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They are on the drill press, but can be used with a regular drill. I used to lock it in a vise, then my wife bought me the press for Christmas. That thing comes in handy.
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I see, thank you (nice, thoughtful wife :)).
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.....WOW! ;D
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NICE!!! I allways wanted to know how to make a knife!!!
nice pics!
p.s. why did you put a pic of a cat in it?
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When making knives, i just wanted you to know that there is more than one way to skin a cat. He is the shop supervisor.
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finally drew some knife outlines on an old blade. it's a 10 inch blade with only 24 teeth...came with the saw...basically brand new steel, since i replaced it with a decent blade immediately. Thanks madcrow...
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well i cut one out today...took 2 of those little dremel wheels...my instructor (in carpentry) at the college requires us to bring in some chisels and plane irons to get practice on the grinders and stones...what'll he say when i bring in this knife???
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here are the 3 blanks i cut out today. The rough edges have been filed off...now i just hope the school doesn't mind me using their equipment for this project!
(http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm102/radius-01/knives/Picture.jpg)
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(http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm102/radius-01/knives/Picture001.jpg)
(http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm102/radius-01/knives/Picture002.jpg)
(http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm102/radius-01/knives/Picture003.jpg)
(http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm102/radius-01/knives/Picture004.jpg)
Well, either they didn't mind or they just didn't care to say anything...the school's grinders are set at 25 degrees (for chisels and plane irons) and i think i need a much steeper edge than that...but i did grind them to shape and grind a rudimentary edge on them...then brought them home to polish them up a bit with the orbital sander...
enjoying it so far...next tool: a grinder!
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25 degrees is good for utilty and skinning. Once you drop below 20 degrees, the edge will become more delicate and prone to chipping.
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q 4 u, madcrow
I have taken one of those 3 knife blanks above, and filed an edge on it, and taken it to the sharpening stone. It's not super sharp yet, and i wonder: do i take it to full sharpness before tempering it, or after? This is my 1st try, so i'm pretty much walking in the dark...thanks.
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Harden and then temper the blade before final sharpening, thats how I do it anyway.
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isn't hardening and tempering the same? you bring the steel to non-magnetic state, and then quench it in motor oil?
So you're saying I should bring the knife to shape, but not sharpness, and then sharpen it after the quench?
Have you ever coated the back (spine) with clay so that it doesn't quench as rapidly as the blade? From what I can tell, it helps keep the thing from becoming brittle.
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radius I get mine almost sharp then as you say bring it to non magnetic and quench in drain oil, after its cool check it for hardness by
taking a file to it if you can't file it than its harder than the file. At this point I clean it up real good and put in the oven at 400 degrees for
1 to 2 hours to temper it, in otherwords I draw some of the hardness out making it less brittle, I usually leave it in the oven until its a straw yellow color.
As for the clay thats a diferential hardening process and I don't know much about it .
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well i got a ol saw blade at work and got the blade all traced out on it gunna give this a shot this weekend i think. i ain't gotta camera but once i can get one i will show ya's what i come up with :)
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Josh I can help ya with this also when ya come visit.
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that is comming up soon! i think i'll take ya up on that, if i do get around to any of it i'll just get it cut out. i got 65 cedar post to peel starting at 7:30 am till 3-4 pm (if i get em done then start bed building) then off bass fishing and picnic at the ford river mouth till dark.
i'll wait to do the heat treating and finish till i come visit....
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Hey everyone,
Madcrow and I teamed up to put this article up on wikiHow.com. What do you all think? Is it clear? Are there any tips or warnings we can add?
http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Guthook-Knife-from-an-Old-Saw-Blade
If there are any corrections or additions you can think of, please edit the page directly. You don't even have to register. Here is the link to the editing box for that page:
http://www.wikihow.com/index.php?title=Make-a-Guthook-Knife-from-an-Old-Saw-Blade&action=edit&override=yes
There's a link back to this forum in the article, and I'm hoping this article gets featured on the home page, so that might bring new people to this community--so any help to make this article accurate will be great!
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;D ;D ;D
This tutorial's going to get featured on the home page at wikiHow! It's scheduled for Oct. 15. Congrats Eddie!!
I'm curious to see how the public responds. Maybe they'll add tips and insights? Anyway, I'm hoping it brings more traffic to this forum. That would be cool. :D
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I'm not sure what we were looking up, but my girlfriend stumbled onto the wiki page around the 15th. :-P Guess that front page worked, eh? I loved the idea, so I saved the page so I could look at it after I got back from our house there.
Three weeks later I sifted through the pile of my grandfather's old sawblades. I went for one of the cheapers with no carbide teeth. I figure I might use those later as actual sawblades, go figure. ::) I traced out my pattern and got to cutting with my little dremel tool. I actually found that the thicker reinforced blades seemed to take longer and more effort from the tool. Also, munching through three of the light duty blades (the third was because I forgot to support the falling knife blank and it pinched) is by far cheaper than the wearing out the heavy duty cutter. :-P
So, I cleaned it up and found that without a suitable large diameter grinder... I just had to do all the clean up by file. I tried a 'hollow grind' for one side of the blade and after I noticed that my little wheel would just cut in and not give a nice edge, the file was the way to go. I used the MAPP torch here and softened up the handle enough to drill pin holes and then went for hardening and tempering it. Non-magnetic came reeeeeally quick. Much quicker than I thought it would. I also had no used motor oil anywhere. Hopefully the veggie stuff worked. A felt wheel and jeweler's rouge will still not take any scratches out, so it must still be decently hard. :-P
The wiki should probably be edited to add in a note to test it with a file for hardness before tempering. Sounds like a good way to make sure you're not getting it hot and then tossing it in the oven. :-P
After all of that, I ran it through with the orbital and some hand sanding to get it to the shine that I wanted it at. Cut some scales out of the 1/4"x4"x48" red oak I'm using for a doorway transition (lintel?) and shaped those up. Snipped a few lengths of 1/8" steel rod for pins. Got the scales positioned and sanded up. I didn't want to epoxy it (didn't have any anyways!) so I looked up peening methods. I should have done both sides the same, but wanted to try different methods to see what I like. :-) I ground one side to a taper and the other I dimpled with a punch (not pictured).
What do you think? I'm getting into wood carving and needed a good knife. The very edge is still flat, but it slices through the pine shims I used as buffers when peening. Not sure if I finish the scales or let them get finished with skin oil. :-P
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Good thing I forgot to attach the picture, keeps crashing everytime I try...
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Looks like you arte on the right track. I was getting ready to ask for a pic when you posted it. I have seen some carving / whittling knives with single and double bevels. When it gets dull, if you have not knicked the blade, you should be able to use some rough on a leather strop to hone the edge. Thinner blades will slice through the wood easier. Also, you want it as sharp as you can possibly get it. Dull knives and chisels on hard wood will get you atrip to the emergency room for stitches. If you are using softer woods, you really want it sharp because a dull blade will bust through instaed of slice. You made a nice lloking nad very handy knife. Before you know it, you will have a set of them.
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Yeah, the bevel looks so shinie, I figured it would be a pity to bring out a stone and scratch it up. :-P So, I cut out a 1" rough circle from a belt no longer being used and turned it into a dremel sized stropping wheel. :-P It is doing much better than the felt wheels I have already.
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I've done a little knife building as a result of this thread (thankyou) and am enjoying it. One ? I have is how do you stop the surface rust? I get it to a nice shine but after a week or three I get a small amount of rust appearing on my blade. Is there something you use to prevent this????
Thanks.
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About all you can do is keep a little light oil on it :)
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You can use very high grit sandpaper (400 - 1000) to buff the surface rust off, or you can use a dremel tool with a buffing wheel and some polishing compound to get rid of it. One trick that seems to work for oiling is to hold the blade against a 100 watt light bulb and warm it up. Then rub in some mineral oil, 3 in 1, WD-40. The oil seems to soak into the steel better if the blade is warm. Whenever you use the knife, or are showing it off and letting people handle it, wash and dry it and oil it. Do not store it in a leather sheath in between uses. The leather just soaks the oil off the blade and it will rust in the sheath. I have steel blanks in my building that have been there for a year or more that have not rusted yet.
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Thanks for all the info. I work construction and old blades lay everywhere. Can I use my wood stove for the heating? It should be ok as long as I watch the temp. I take it that the same princaples stand for broadheads. Thanks again Leroy
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Never tried a wood stove, but with a good bed of coals, it may work. You may have to rig up a hair dryer to a piece of pipe to give it an extra boost. If the blades are carbide tipped, you will need to test the blade to see if it will harden. Heat it red hot in the coals, dunk it in a bucket of water, put it in a wise and hit one of the teeth with a hammer. If it breaks, the steel has hardened. If it bends over, it did not harden and probably won't. If it did harden, let it cool, draw the pattern and have at it. You may have to anneal to cut it if it is too hard. Just heat it red hot again and let it cool on its own.
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I'll have to give it a try soon as I get my shop back in order.Wife thought it was a good idea to move,maybe she was right I now have mule deer in my yard Thanks Leroy
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hi madcrow,
Question:
A guy just gave me a sawblade that's 18.5" across, 17.5 or so inside the gullets. Can i use the steel all the way up to the gullets, or only inside that outer ring of steel? This blade came from a sawmill and was used to cut stacks of plywood, 8 high at a time, the guy said. Would this be the pro industrial steel that doesn't need to be hardened (as you said)? If so, then should i anneal it? Anneal the whole thing at once, before setting to work on it?
Thanks
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another question: did you ever wind up doing that hidden tang tutorial?
thanks
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Those big sawmill blades are made from the same metal as the tablesaw blades, which is a variation of L-6 steel. You could cut the blank out and try to clean up all the rough edges with a good bastard mill file.If the file digs in and grabs alot of steel, it is soft and will need some heat treat and temper. If it seems to glide across and not grab much, it is hard and should not need any heat treat. Either way, I would just anneal the handle with a cutting torch or a plumbers torch to be able to drill the holes. That stuff is murder on drill bits. I would also stay away from the teeth. Those things are under alot of stress when in use and get small cracks in them. One other thing to consider is the blank layout on the blade. Some sawmill blades are tapered. They are thinner at the teeth and thicker around the center hole. There are a few different ways to work this to your advantage if it is tapered. You can layout the design with the blade tip toward the hole or the handles toward the hole. These would both offer a tapered tang design, one would be blade heavy and the other would be handle heavy. You could also place the patterns around the blade, with the blade edge close to the teeth. This will give a slight taper from the top of the knife to the bottom. As far as the other buildalong goes, I actually did a couple more, but my daughter decided that my pics were taking up too much memory on the camera and deleted them before I could get them transferred. I will try to get another one started this weekend since I have a few knives that I need to finish up and a bunch that I need to get started on.
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thanks madcrow, that's awesome...this blade is full thickness across, i think, or else the taper is so slight i cannot tell...
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what about fullers? have you tried putting these in with sawblade knives?
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This is the bible of the knife making I feel. Thanks for sharing great ideas. Beautiful knives.
Tao
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for Adam