Making my first Bushcraft Knife

[Nightwalker]

I've been working on some measurements for my self-made knife. Thanks to Greenpete myself and a friend have been inspired to make our own knifes out of tools (files & chisels etc.) I wanted a knife slightly smaller than Pete's guide, so here are the measurements im planning to use. I've got a file that should do the job, its a bit of a tight fit, you can see the faint outline of the file around the knife template. I also plan to use oak for the handle wood.

After I've finished my first knife im pretty sure I'll go on to make another one smaller again. Let me know any comments or advice, thanks for your time.

(is the image large enough?)

 

[Nightwalker]

I've got some linseed (flax) oil that I used to take when I was training (horible stuff! lol) will that be good to use on my Oak handle when I get round to it?

 

[brancho]

Good idea to plan your work so carefully. I wont comment on the metal work as i have not got round to that yet.
The linseed oil will work but danish is probably better IMO. I have tested oak in both linseed oil and danish oil recently and I liked the danish oil better.
My advice is soak the wood overnight and buff it up over several days as dries.

Good luck with blade.

 

[Nightwalker]

Good idea to plan your work so carefully. I wont comment on the metal work as i have not got round to that yet.
The linseed oil will work but danish is probably better IMO. I have tested oak in both linseed oil and danish oil recently and I liked the danish oil better.
My advice is soak the wood overnight and buff it up over several days as dries.

Good luck with blade.

Thanks for your comment.

Some questions.. is it best to oil the handle when its fitted to the blade and its finally attached or when the handle is ready and shapped but not attached to the blade, so oil on its own?

I'll get some danish oil and do some testing, thanks for the advice.

Also a question about buffing the steel blade for a final finish when im near the end of the project. Whats best to buff the steel then? I have a dremel and a recently aquired angle-grinder, I have some polishing bits for my dremel like a felt-wheel etc. I was told the felt wheel is good for using on the steel, is that right?

 

[weaver]

Some questions..

is it best to oil the handle when its fitted to the blade and its finally attached?
Yes, this is the best time to oil.

or when the handle is ready and shapped but not attached to the blade?
No, this will cause glue failure. Epoxy will not stick to the oil.

Also a question about buffing the steel blade for a final finish Whats best to buff the steel then?
I use a felt buffing wheel on a 6 inch bench mounted grinder with various buffing compounds depending on the work.

I was told the felt wheel is good for using on the steel, is that right?
Yes, but the dremel is so small and the speed is too high, better to cover a larger area at 3400 rpm or slower.

 

[Nightwalker]

Thanks for the advice weaver!

Regards the buffing, I understand what your saying now, I know my dremel can run at a max of like 10,000RPM, it is adjustable and can be slowed down but it covers a small surface area. Im new to the world of angle-grinders etc. I only have a hand one that isnt adjustable, its either on or off at 11,000RPM. I can get access to my uncles bench grinder, are bench-grinders typically adjustable in speed? (I've never used one before). Thanks for yout time and help everyone.

 

[weaver]

A few of the newer ones are adjustable, but the regular ones usually run in the 1500-3500 RPM range even if single speed. A medium felt buffing wheel works really well at those speeds.

I have most of the parts and am waiting to see if I move to a newer house to build a multi-speed bench grinder/buffer. It will run on a belt with several pulley options for changing speed. The grinding wheel will have a flow of water to keep the metal cool while being ground. On the other end will be a buffing wheel.

There is also the option of belt sanding machines. They now make a leather belt to fit some sizes of belt sander. The leather is charged with buffing compound just as a strop and used to polish metal.

 

[tommy the cat]

I would be interested in knowing if any bench grinder can have one of the wheels turned into a buffer? Got a bench grinder and that would make a great addition. Looked in Machine mart but not sure if you can convert any grinder.
Oh sorry I digress my bench grinder is a fixed speed and to answer your question I think they all are(?)
D

 

[weaver]

I would be interested in knowing if any bench grinder can have one of the wheels turned into a buffer? Got a bench grinder and that would make a great addition. Looked in Machine mart but not sure if you can convert any grinder.
Oh I digress my bench grinder is a fixed speed and to answer your question I think they all are(?)
D

Most bench grinders can have the wheel removed and a buffer installed. Have you never removed the wheel? I don't like the wheels that come from the factory, the cheap gray wheel. They are far too hard to grind efficiently. I use the white wheels, they are a bit softer and refreshen as you grind instead of clogging with metal.

http://www.deltamachinery.com/index.asp?e=139&p=2105
Norton grinding wheels


Not all grinders are fixed speed. Delta make a couple variable speed grinders.

http://www.deltamachinery.com/index.asp?e=136&p=4652

 

[Nightwalker]

I will be keeping my blog updated with my progress on my first knife. Updated my blog today:
http://www.bushcraftuk.com/componen...making-a-knife-for-the-first-time-part2.html/

 

[Nightwalker]

To keep you updated on my progress; I quenched/hardened my blade a few nights ago, There's a video of the homemade forge we made and me using it, aswell as a few progress photos at the end:

Homemade Forge, Hardening & Progress Shots : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53ZeRtF5t44

I've gathered some nice Oak for my handle I've taken it down from a log and shaped it roughly to my handles. Im not far off now! Im just after some 4mm brass bar and some danish oil.

 

[jojo]

B&Q do sell 2, 4, and 6 mm brass rods and also brass tubes.

Weaver. Where can you get the leather belts? I haven't seen one anywhere.

 

[Nightwalker]

The linseed oil will work but danish is probably better IMO. I have tested oak in both linseed oil and danish oil recently and I liked the danish oil better.
My advice is soak the wood overnight and buff it up over several days as dries.

Thanks for the advice, Im looking at getting some Danish Oil now to give it a try. Will Danish oil give Oak a darker appearence than lineseed oil? If someone has some spare Oak & danish oil lying around I would love to see a photo of the combination

Also; I have no prior experience or knowledge about buffing, any advice would be greatly appreciated. So I would soak my handle in either danish or lineseed oil for a night and then buff with what exactly? Is it a special buffing wheel that I can put on my angle grinder that I use? I've got a angle-grinder & a dremel. Specific recommendations would be great. Do I need compound?

I think I read somewhere danish oil soaks deeply into the wood, so im guessing buffing dosent take off the nice oiled look?

 

[Nightwalker]

Im guessing I'll only need a small amount of danish oil, not like the 2.5 litres from Screwfix. So what sorta price am I looking at? Im looking on eBay, £6-£10 for 500ml?

 

[Jedadiah]

You can get it from B&Q or Homebase for less than a fiver.

 

[Nightwalker]

I've been working on my oak handle slats and they're looking good now I think. I have tested some lineseed oil on a peice of wood and think I might just go with that now, I like it.

So a few questions about oiling my handle/oak.. do I oil the inner face if the wood? (the part that will be stuck to the blade). Im guessing its not to bad to oil the lot because Its been said to soak the wood completely for a day or two. Im guessing you want the inner face fully dry before fitting/glueing?

I read a saying somewhere on here about oiling wood, cant find it now, something like...
oil once a day for a week, once a week for a month then once a month for a year.

Is that right?

 

[michiel]

Don't oil it on the inside. The epoxy won't stick as good. Just finish the knife completely, then soak the knife handle for a day in the linseed oil.

Michiel

 

[Nightwalker]

Don't oil it on the inside. The epoxy won't stick as good. Just finish the knife completely, then soak the knife handle for a day in the linseed oil.

Michiel

So im not to oil on the inside of the wood? but im to soak it for a day? So soak the outside face and sides but not the inside face.

 

[Ogri the trog]

So im not to oil on the inside of the wood? but im to soak it for a day? So soak the outside face and sides but not the inside face.

Not quite, sorrie (!) for butting in,
You build the whole knife with dry scales, Degease them with solvent then epoxy them onto the sides of the handle end as well as rivetting them on. Then do your shaping of the handle as a whole and THEN, when its shaped and smooth, dunk it in the oil!

ATB

Ogri the trog

 

[Nightwalker]

Not quite, sorrie (!) for butting in,
You build the whole knife with dry scales, Degease them with solvent then epoxy them onto the sides of the handle end as well as rivetting them on. Then do your shaping of the handle as a whole and THEN, when its shaped and smooth, dunk it in the oil!

ATB

Ogri the trog

Whoops! Thanks for the information guys (and for bearing with me ) I seem to have messed up then.. last night I put my handle-scales face down in lineseed oil to soak for a day. The outside face is at home soaking, I got a few drops on the inner face aswell by accident. So I've done it in the wrong order, im hoping the scales are recoverable? I will probably wait until they dry and then sand the inner-face a little to make sure it sticks well to the blade, I hope that will be ok.

I will then wait until the scales are fully attached & the handle shaped THEN I will oil