My first knife handle

[Biddlesby]

Finally managed to get a drum sander for me drill and got down to work on my knife. The blade is a blank that chris claycomb gave me..quite a while ago (thanks so much!)..and it's been mainly fright which has put me off! Learnt a lot so far (i.e. how NOT to put the pins through the handle - will use less pins next time or bolts!). I even had to make a half-wave rectifier to slow the drill down for the smaller drums so I learnt some electronics too!

Some areas which I would like to improve: namely neater glueing, perhaps some sort of plastic layer inbetween the wood and metal, and to extend the handle right up to, or nearer to, the cutting edge.

The wood is oak (whilst the grain might not be as spectacular as some, it has a nice charm to it) and the knife a windriver or something. I have shaped it to what feels right in my hand so far (I have big hands so it is quite thick), and think I will sharpen it up and see how it carves then maybe take some more wood off. But it has a nice contour anyway (thanks Rapidboy tutorial).

So if anybody has any advice on sharpening it from completely blunt to hair shaving I would be appreciated. I was considering using an angle grinder (please forgive me) but then decided it would be awkward trying to keep the temperature down so perhaps some sort of file? Or just hours on my oilstone?

Also need to polish the blade a tad and of course oil the handle. Linseed oil ok?

Bring on the next project! (probably a sheath by the looks of it)

 

[C_Claycomb]

My favourite "no-brainer" finish for wood is to soak overnight in Danish oil. Danish oil has thinners and driers in it that aren't present in Linseed, so it will penetrate the wood much better, then set/dry out faster. People do use boiled linseed, but it takes multible coats to build up protection.

When you want to sand the handle, be sure to back your sand paper with a stiff piece of leather to prevent undercutting around the pins. Probably a lot of stuff would work, piece of a rubber sanding block for instance.

You might also think about running a counter-sink in the lanyard hole, some tube is too thin but you have enough material thickness there to take a chamfer.

A very creditable first effort! well done!!

 

[Chopper]

Very nice

 

[beowolf762]

Very nice!! :You_Rock_
Have to agree with C_Claycomb on finishing. ( though I don't user the soaking method).
As for sharpening, check out the stickies on the top of the Edged Tools page.

 

[dwardo]

Good job looks like a user

I am trying my first at the min and it a shall we say "learining experience" lol.

 

[chrisanson]

good stuff m8
chris

 

[Snufkin]

Very nice first effort mate. I would point out that it is a good idea to use a spacer of some kind when using oak as it corrodes steel. The epoxy will help protect the metal though.

 

[falcon]

Well done......everyone has to start somewhere and you must feel proud of this.. Take on board all the advice that's forthcoming....and if you use the search function wisely, you'll find top class tips from people like Rapidboy and Leon-1 (amongst others) with regard to techniques and finishes. Keep on persevering...

 

[scottishwolf]

Nice one mate, well done

 

[penvisser]

Looks like a vry good user ro me, I think you shoud spent a liitle time more with some sandpaper mate, the result of that will add a bit more.

Nice job.

Penvisser

 

[nickg]

Very nice result, I will have to try an Oak handle Myself.
As for finishing, get yourself some Birchwood Casey Tru-Oil. Its a drying oil finish specially designed for high quality gun & rifle stocks. It wipes on with a soft rag and dries in a few hours, when dry it formwes a penetrating sealer that is quite resistant to liquid and moisture. It brings out the grain beautifully and will give good resistance to rain, sweat muddy water and keep the handle looking good. You can put on a few coats for a deeper penetration, if you rub it in wgen wet it gives an egshell/matt finish, if you wipe on a thicker coat and leave it then it will level itself to a diamond hard gloss, if you dont like that then a gentle wipe with some 4o wire wool will dull it and you can put another coat on. One bottle will last years. You can get it from some gun shops or E-Bay etc

Cheers Nick

 

[C_Claycomb]

Re TruOil

One bottle will last years.

PLEASE, how do you make it last?!?
I love it as a top coat, although it doesn't penetrate anything like as well as Danish oil, it does make a nice shiny surface, which the Danish oil does not. I am only on my second bottle, but have found it nearly impossible to keep for any great length of time due to it drying out in the bottle. The original bottles seem totally useless for sealing out air. I have decanted the second bottle into a couple of smaller containers with better seals, but it still wants to dry out. It seems to use the same thinners as the Danish oil, at least, a tiny bit of Danish oil added to syrup thickness TruOil had the TruOil back at its original consistency.

If you are going to use it fast enough, its a nice finish, but if not, it can be pricy.

 

[nickg]

One thing that I did was to just use a small puncture in the silver foil seal rather than ripping it all off, then when I use it i tip a little onto an old, well washed hankie and rub it straight in. ?The first coulpe of coats are fairly heavy but the next three or four are literally a few drops maybe quarter of a teaspoon max. Top goes back on straight away. I suspect that leaving the seal in place may well help the sealunder the cap. Ive had my bottle opened for about 2 years now, nowhere near the bottom.

Cheers
Nick