Knife making my first project. I have questions

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  • .356luger

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    Ok let's start by saying I have decided on a steel ats34 yes I know it's not the best for my usage I would rather use D2 for this project but I digress.
    Here is my outline for the knife

    Usage: I decided I need a multi purpose knife for general abuse such as but not limited to breaking deer pelvis, splitting wood, hammering, clearing branches etc...

    Design: I wanted to make it a cross between a Gurkha Kukri and a Kabar with a walnut handle.

    Dimensions: 10.5"L x 1.875"W (at the widest)x 3/16" thick

    Anyone have experience working with this steel? I can't anneal it and heat treat it again so how difficult will it be to work? Any tips ontools to use will grits saw blades basics tools for working with hardened steels.

    Here is my design

    http://s1256.photobucket.com/albums/ii496/356luger/?action=view&current=1340671313.jpg&evt=user_media_share

    356luger
     
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    cubby

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    i can't see the pic.

    ats34 is a great steel! don't discount it just because its not a "new, cool" steel! i like it better than d2. but that is not the norm....

    send it to have it professional heat treated. this is the most important part of any knife. i know everyone wants to try it themselves. but with ALL the hours you are going to spend working on it, WHY would you set yourself up to fail? it is not some simple process.

    i would do this, in this order:

    make your profile.
    mark your center line of the edge. use a drill bit to find the center of the edge on the blank.
    get the biggest file you can find.
    start going to town, removing 98% of the metal to create the bevel.
    drill holes for handle
    send to heat treat
    get sand paper and backing board (paint stirrer)
    use sandpaper to complete bevels, finsh knife
    creat handle and shape handle
    sharpen your knife
    use your knife!
     

    billyboyr6

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    Cool knife design, but that's going to be tough to shape the blade like that and to sharpen later too. All curves on a sharpened edge should flow together to be easy to sharpen. You almost have a 90 deg. angle in there, that will be a tough one. Keep posting pics. through the process so we can all watch progress. Have fun with it and enjoy.
     

    teddy12b

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    It's kinda like a toned down tops tracker. I like the design, but if you do this please take lots of pictures and make a how to post showing what you did.
     

    teddy12b

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    send to heat treat


    Where do you send out custom knives for a heat treat? I've never made my own and always figured that if I did I'd try the old fashioned method of heating it up red hot with a torch and then putting it in oil. If there's a more professional way I'd like to know about it.
     

    drbarnes

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    Do a google search for knife industry specific heat treating. Two that comes to mind immediately is peters heat treat, and paul bos.

    Let them know your blade material and dimensions and they can gibe you a quote
     

    billyboyr6

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    Where do you send out custom knives for a heat treat? I've never made my own and always figured that if I did I'd try the old fashioned method of heating it up red hot with a torch and then putting it in oil. If there's a more professional way I'd like to know about it.

    This is where most send them that I have found.

    Peters heat treating
    (814) 333-1782
    Out of Pennsylvania.

    Ask for brad.
     

    .356luger

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    Cool knife design, but that's going to be tough to shape the blade like that and to sharpen later too. All curves on a sharpened edge should flow together to be easy to sharpen. You almost have a 90 deg. angle in there, that will be a tough one. Keep posting pics. through the process so we can all watch progress. Have fun with it and enjoy.

    That is why I chose that steel so I could keep a working edge a little longer and minimize the sharpening. It will be interesting to say the least.
     

    Capt. Jeff

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    the blade design is going to rather difficult to make. especially for your fist knife. the rule in knife making is KISS... Keep It Simple... start with a smaller knife, maybe a neck knife. not only because it will be easier, it will be cheaper to make as well. if you get into this big project and it gets difficult, you may get turned off with knife making and decide to quit. plus if you mess up with this first knife, (and you probably will) thats a lot of steel to scrap!

    about the heat treat... most companies are set up for high volume orders. both Peters and Paul Bos works that way. if you send them 20 blades its a good price, but if you are only sending one, its expensive. they charge extra for knives over 12" also.
    here is the quote i got from Peters... "The 1st 4 blades are $25/ea. Up to 20 blades can be included for the 4 blade price of $100. Price includes a cryo treatment. I need 1-2 weeks to complete". Paul Bos... Heat treating up to 20 blades: $85.00. Each blade, minimum charge of $17.00

    hope this helps
    Jeff
     

    .356luger

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    1347134145.jpg
    [/IMG]From paper to steel i built a prototype out of mild steel just to see if i liked it plus i can use it as a template

    1347134145.jpg picture by 356luger - Photobucket

    My tablet wont let me copy the image url.

    Because this was just a mock up I didn't take pictures of the whole process when I do the real deal I will take multiple pics. I can tell you however I took the drawling of the knife I had laid it on my steel blank and soaked it. The. Took a dremel with a deburing bit and traced the outline on the face of the steel. Then used a Porta-band, grinder and file to profile the edge and cut out the knife.
     
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    PointFiveO

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    It's very nice, you transitioned the bevel nicely where the blade drops!

    If that's a mock up, might I suggest moving the lanyard hole further in so that it has more steel around it?
     

    Gabriel

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    Looking good! I agree with tha above statement that you did a good job transitioning the grind where it drops near the tip. :yesway:

    Depending on what portaband you have, you can get A SWAG Offroad portaband tbale. It turns it into a small verticle bandsaw and actually works extremely well...

    SWAG-table2-M.jpg


    Of course, that isn't the first tool I'd get for knife making...but if you already have a deep throat portaband it's a cheap way to make it a lot more versatile.


    I still want to see a work in progress!
     

    .356luger

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    Looking good! I agree with tha above statement that you did a good job transitioning the grind where it drops near the tip. :yesway:

    Depending on what portaband you have, you can get A SWAG Offroad portaband tbale. It turns it into a small verticle bandsaw and actually works extremely well...

    SWAG-table2-M.jpg


    Of course, that isn't the first tool I'd get for knife making...but if you already have a deep throat portaband it's a cheap way to make it a lot more versatile.


    I still want to see a work in progress!



    Well now this is genious and wouldnt you know my bday is coming up. :rockwoot:

    I wish i had a bench grinder as instead of a handheld model but with some more practice i feel as though a hand held is more versatile for the type of designs i concoct.

    On the knife design i flared the tip for slicing skinning so it is easy to sharpen. The purposes the angled inch or so is for using like an axe. Lastly the strait portion is for batoning and cutting cordage and such. After all i want this for a backwoods camp knife.
     
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