£5 Woodlore Clone but 2 yrs to make

[FGYT]

Started this Woodlore clone over 2 yrs ago when i started a 3/4 scale one for my new born daughter (which still isnt finished )

after the Cornwall RV i found the Profiled blank in a cupboard ( 01 steel from Cromwell £8 for a bit that makes 2 knives)

I had lots of fancy ideas for it, one of the reasons it was hanging around .
But since I started it im now sure I dont really like the type of knife:swordfigh

So i could just get on and do it. Also i picked up a small Clarke Bench drill at a car Boot for £15 handy for the holes and to run a set of Screwfix Drum sanders for shaping the handle etc

a quick look round the garage founs some 6mm stainless rod plus half a sheet of 18mm birch plywood ( lots of thin layers and generally void free) and next door had a bit of 5/16" alu tube.

it took a couple of hours to hand file the bevels on back to a resonable finish but doing it free hand the stop isnt wonderful.

Next door also has a good size Propane torch so a bottle of veg oil later and the hardening was sorted a quick rub down and in the oven at 220deg c for a loverly gold plated look.

the handles and pins where fixed on with a gel Cynoacrilate (superglue)
then on to teh drum sanders to shape the handle . The plywood has the advantage here that you can use it to visually check both sides are symetrical also means its obvious if it isnt.
the stainless pins where a pain being so much harder than the wood the rubber drum sander deforms over it so they are raised slightly this could be corrected but to be honest it feels fine and you have to look for it ALU next time.

to keep in line with the low cost so far and because it was what I had the wood is finished with a Beeswax block (and a bit of Mr Sheen :tapedshut ) I use for dive kit which is heated to melt in a bit. This and teh grainy finish on the birch gives a nice grippy feel but will never give a polished shiney look

I have now also Distal tapered as you can see by the change in grind hight on the front 50mm of the blade to 2mm which refines it a little
still needs a final rub down and proper sharpen

not sure what to do next in my search for a blade but it will be 3mm thick to start


ATB

Duncan

 

[IJ55]

Thats blooming lovely mate - wish I had a shed in which to potter round and set up all the gear to try make my own from just a blank steel piece!

Any how, I agree that 3mm steel or > is the best bush crafter size. Still a beauty though.

 

[JohnC]

That's a nice looking piece, I really like the effect of the ply.

 

[spamel]

The ply looks really good, surprisingly! That's a good effort, sheath next!

 

[Native Justice]

Very nicely done! Looks terrific and should be quite the user. Congrats on your efforts!

 

[British Red]

Tell yo what Dunc - that's the best Five quid knife I've seen !

 

[brancho]

I agree with Red the best £5 knife I have seen (I have done a couple for less than a tenner with bought blades including the sheath)
I totally understand where you are coming from with the stainless steel pins I use it as spacers on one of mine and it was awful to use.

 

[harryhawk]

Thanks for the heads up, I was going to use stainless tube for my next project.
I've ordered some 4mmx30mmx500 from Cromwell for it.

Cracking knife for a fiver and I love the tea-bag knife holder

 

[FGYT]

cheers guys to be honest the photos make it look a bit better than it is

But i am pleased with the handle reminds me of an old Brit bike tank a bit. back when they used to liner paint round them

Currently im not into leather work as i have no Kit or Material or time etc to start a new obsession missus would not like it :twak:

im looking for a blade for me so wont try a sheath till i find it probably knock up a blade cover out of something tho

i will however taper tang the rest as i think it looks good and the Distal taper works well to give a finer point for carving the woodlore is just to stubby on the end tho

Sorry Red looks like a PFK clone next if you dont mind (well maybe not all fancy engraved like ) a lot closer to the Mora clipper profile anyway


the stainless pins would grind alright IMO on a metal wheel linisher and Tube should be a lot easier as there is a lot less metal
as for making IJ55 i mostly used hand tools and you could do it all like that with hacksaw and files a battery drill would do for the holes or you could locate a local engineering shop or garage and blag a go on their drill and maybe grinder to help a bit
all the filing was done outside on the patio using a £10 wok mate copy and a small cheap Vice the type that clamps on and off

this was 2 yrs ago doing the 3/4 version


wonder if rubbing with the tea bag soaked in oil would dye the handle

ATB

Duncan

got a while to go yet before getting makers status on here my old Fileing instructor would cough a lung

 

[British Red]

I'll lend you the original to try if you want Dunc?

 

[FGYT]

very kind Red but ive a few additional ideas id like to try on the blade plus a differnt handle shape (big hands ) but i think the blade blank profile looks good for me nice n Pointy
ive also got a couple of other shapes etc to try and will be giving them all a good kicking to help decide on the best for me (dunno how many years its going to take )
Need a trip to cromwell for some more Steel the 3mm ive got isnt wide enough

Oh and i might get distracted making an ULU out of a common garden tool i seem to have too many of its old steel so hopfully will harden

ATB

Duncan

 

[caliban]

Superb knife FG, and even more remrkable considering how you made it. I've been making a couple of experimental knives fron a couple of old carbon veg cleavers. I've been using a hacksaw to cut the profiles without too much trouble, I'm thinking of having a go with "real" steel (01 from Cromwells), can you tell me if it's posible to cut 01 with a hacksaw? Any tips or advice would be welcome. If I can make a knife even half as good as yours I'll be well pleased.

Oh, one other thing, you said you hardened your blade using a blow torch, can you explain exactly how? Not asking much am I!

 

[FGYT]

01 steel comes Soft annealed so easy to cut and shape with hand tools


For hardening again 01 is easy to get a good job i use a Small Roofers Blow torch with Propane gas for the heat you could easily use a BBQ & charcoal
you heat the knife to light red/yellow (you can check with a magnet when it goes Non magnetic its cooked ) then straight into Veg oil i use Lidle's in a SMA baby food tin I only heat the blade the handle dosnt need to be hard

to Heat up on you can use Fire bricks or storage heater Bricks i use Thermalite Breeze blocks from a DIY store if you get teh broken ones they discount them it was quicker or cheaper than buying the fire bricks and they are a lot lighter to move

I have a couple of big 4" screws in them to hold the blades upon edge so they heat better
if you did it right once cool a file should skid across the surface

then i sand back to remove the black surface and pop in hte oven at 220 to 230 C for an hour at temp should come out a loverly Gold colour this tempers the blade and takes the hardness back a bit

oh ive upgraded now made a File jig for the bevels then got given a Belt sander (cheap £100 job) now converted to do Knife bevels a lot easier and quicker

but you can do it all by hand with little Stress


Mine is a Similer torch to this tho its bigger than you need


oh the knife has a Sheath now which has doubled the build cost and sold to my Dad

ATB and good luck


Duncan

 

[caliban]

Thanks mate! That is really, really helpful advice. Nice sheath BTW, altogether that's an excellent knife and sheath combo. You'll be selling them soon.

 

[Big Mark]

Cracking knife irrespective of the money....wow I wish I could make knifes like that for £5. If you can make em quicker I'll buy them off you for £10 - all day long! LOL!

 

[Asa Samuel]

Looks great, I wan't to buy one

 

[FGYT]

Blimey 8yrs ago it all began

 

[Nice65]

Blimey 8yrs ago it all began

I don't know where it goes mate. Bumped into an old flame a few days ago and we worked out we hadn't seen each other in 20 years. Scary.