Beginning Knifemaker!

[Axxe55]

I picked up some paint last weekend when we went to Lowes, so Saturday I tore down the belt grinder and cleaned up some welds and prepped it for repainting. Also decided to re-do my work table as well. Should have that finished up in the next day or two. Will upload new pictures once I get it finished up. Coming soon!

 

[Axxe55]

Finally got finished reworking the table on the belt grinder and it's all painted again. Went with black and silver this time.

 

[General Zod]

Nice! I just got a 5' x 2" x 3/8" bar of 1080 carbon steel to play with. It's knife making time.

Sadly, I'm going to have to make do without a nice setup like that - I just have a standard Ryobi bench sander, plus my bench grinder with various wheels. We'll see what I can come up with soon.

 

[Axxe55]

Nice! I just got a 5' x 2" x 3/8" bar of 1080 carbon steel to play with. It's knife making time.

Sadly, I'm going to have to make do without a nice setup like that - I just have a standard Ryobi bench sander, plus my bench grinder with various wheels. We'll see what I can come up with soon.

Looking forward to seeing your first forged knife! That is going to be pretty cool.

You really should try your hand at building a belt grinder. It's not really that difficult. And even if you had to source all the materials new, it would still be so much cheaper than a commercially built belt grinder. Check out the videos on YouTube for a DIY belt grinder. You might be surprised at what you might have laying around that you could use to build one with.

Since building mine, I find myself using my bench grinder less. I even took the grinding wheel off mine the other day and have now mounted a stropping wheel in it's place. the other side has the wire brush wheel which I still use a lot.

 

[General Zod]

Well, anything that requires welding is beyond my current capabilities. If I start making decent profits from knife making though, I might buy my son a welder - he's certified thanks to the welding class he's taking as a "fun" elective in high school. I'll at least have good, clean welds that way!

Once I'm making my own knives and sheaths, I'll probably start my own thread instead of monopolizing yours, my friend. It'll be a few weeks - I need to start with making knife-shaped objects out of mild steel to make sure I'm not going to ruin anything as I learn. I'll probably sell those prototypes as letter openers!

 

[Axxe55]

Well, anything that requires welding is beyond my current capabilities. If I start making decent profits from knife making though, I might buy my son a welder - he's certified thanks to the welding class he's taking as a "fun" elective in high school. I'll at least have good, clean welds that way!

Once I'm making my own knives and sheaths, I'll probably start my own thread instead of monopolizing yours, my friend. It'll be a few weeks - I need to start with making knife-shaped objects out of mild steel to make sure I'm not going to ruin anything as I learn. I'll probably sell those prototypes as letter openers!

Even of you had your son do the welding, you could still build a belt grinder.

About three years ago, when I decided to get serious about making knives, I was going to buy a cheap, (key word there, cheap!) belt grinder from Harbor Freight Tools, the more I looked, the less I was impressed with their belt grinder. Then I started looking at the commercially made 2 x 72 belt grinders, and the least expensive was still over a $1000! Way out of my budget for sure. I stumbled upon many DIY videos on YouTube, and decided to go that direction instead. I sourced most of the stuff from scrap steel I had, and bought some things new, but I have less than $150 in my belt grinder.

 

[General Zod]

Even of you had your son do the welding, you could still build a belt grinder.

About three years ago, when I decided to get serious about making knives, I was going to buy a cheap, (key word there, cheap!) belt grinder from Harbor Freight Tools, the more I looked, the less I was impressed with their belt grinder. Then I started looking at the commercially made 2 x 72 belt grinders, and the least expensive was still over a $1000! Way out of my budget for sure. I stumbled upon many DIY videos on YouTube, and decided to go that direction instead. I sourced most of the stuff from scrap steel I had, and bought some things new, but I have less than $150 in my belt grinder.

Yep, that's in the plans. Right now though, I'm lacking the $150, and I'm lacking a way to get all those pieces of steel to stick together...LOL. I'll need to buy the boy a welder of his very own. Then he can teach the old man to weld.

 

[Axxe55]

Yep, that's in the plans. Right now though, I'm lacking the $150, and I'm lacking a way to get all those pieces of steel to stick together...LOL. I'll need to buy the boy a welder of his very own. Then he can teach the old man to weld.

If you have a way to cut metal, drill and tap the metal. there are a few videos showing ways to build a belt grinder with no welding required.

Watching those videos can be addictive! I'm still watching some, and re-watching those I have seen already, looking to make improvements in my own belt grinder.

A belt grinder isn't a necessity in making a knife, but they sure do come in handy. Especially for grinding the bevels.

 

[Axxe55]

Built a small coal forge last month for forging. Made from a truck brake rotor and a end off a small air compressor. I tried it out yesterday with some wood chunks and hooked up to the exhaust side of my shop vac. It does work to some degree.

 

[General Zod]

Everyone asks me about whether I use a coal forge. I've got no idea where the heck to get coal!

Brake rotor forges are a really common, effective solution for an inexpensive coal forge.

BTW, I'm not quite on to knives yet, but I'm making letter openers to get practice with shaping/grinding blades.

 

[Axxe55]

Everyone asks me about whether I use a coal forge. I've got no idea where the heck to get coal!

Brake rotor forges are a really common, effective solution for an inexpensive coal forge.

BTW, I'm not quite on to knives yet, but I'm making letter openers to get practice with shaping/grinding blades.

View attachment 308901

I'm going to order some off Amazon. a 25 lb. bag for $39 seems reasonable to me.

Good looking letter-opener. It looks like a fancy steak knife!

 

[mongoose]

You should look up wheelbarrow forge. I have seen them used quite successfully.

 

[Axxe55]

You should look up wheelbarrow forge. I have seen them used quite successfully.

YouTube?

 

[skfullgun]

Where can I find pics of your knives?

I'm interested.

 

[General Zod]

Good looking letter-opener. It looks like a fancy steak knife!

I'm pretty pleased with it. I've got two more almost done, and another couple planned. It started out as about a 5 inch section of 3/8" round bar stock - I made sure I'd have the hardest route to making a straight, flat blade out of it so I can build those skills before I reach for the high carbon steel to make my first knife.

 

[mongoose]

YouTube?

On YouTube and one in person that a friend had made from a blacksmith course he had taken. It was a project for all class participants. My friend used an old beat up commercial grade body, but most folks used the cheapest ( lightest ) one you can buy at Ace etc.

 

[Axxe55]

Where can I find pics of your knives?

I'm interested.

'I have so far only made three completed knives. I have several I'm working on getting finished.

 

[mongoose]

Saw on the show “Mountain Men “ where the knife makers wife basically formed a forge out of mud.

 

[msharley]

Hey Axxe,

Yinz lived closer?

50# bag of "house coal"...is $5!

Dang....

Later, Mark

 

[Axxe55]

On YouTube and one in person that a friend had made from a blacksmith course he had taken. It was a project for all class participants. My friend used an old beat up commercial grade body, but most folks used the cheapest ( lightest ) one you can buy at Ace etc.

I watched a couple of videos yesterday, and I have an old wheelbarrow that I started making into one. Thanks for the tip.