I don't know about the pickets but I'll echo what Shing said about the RSJ, it's certain to be mild steel. If I were you I'd keep it, even if only in bits, as it's very handy stuff. :wave:
RSJ/Lintle.....any idea's? ? ?
- Thread starter bambodoggy
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I'm going to keep about 6" as Shing suggested to use as an anvil but I'll most likely dump the rest as I've had it 3 years and not used it yet and have no plans (a part from this hair brained one) to use it. Can't see us extending our house in the near future, we've already got 4 bedrooms between two of us!!!! 
):
):
Just so that you can see what the fibre spacers are like, go and look at www.brisa.fi Dennis has some colors and sizes on sale at the moment but I'm really suggesting this just so that you can look at the materials.
Spacers are added for decoration not function. Most knives don't have them so just leave them off. In any case, the deal is that you are going to glue the scales (2 sides of the handle), the spacers (or not) and the "tang" (handle end of the blade) up like a sandwich using normal (slow set) araldite. It's the glue not the pins through the handle that normally keeps it all together these days. If you pick some plastic for spacers that doesn't glue well, you're better off without them. That's probably why the vulcanising business - this material needs to be stong and to bond well with glue.
So far as the steel is concerned, purely practical considerations mean that scrap suitable for turning into knives is likely to need forging. If you want to make a first blade by filing there aren't many scrap sources of tool steel that won't require a huge amount of effort to file down to the right thickness etc. On the other hand it can be bought cheaply (under a fiver) from industrial suppliers like RS components or Cromwell tools under the name of "ground flat stock" in numerous sizes and thicknesses. These will need far less work to file into shape before you heat treat it.
Cheers
Spacers are added for decoration not function. Most knives don't have them so just leave them off. In any case, the deal is that you are going to glue the scales (2 sides of the handle), the spacers (or not) and the "tang" (handle end of the blade) up like a sandwich using normal (slow set) araldite. It's the glue not the pins through the handle that normally keeps it all together these days. If you pick some plastic for spacers that doesn't glue well, you're better off without them. That's probably why the vulcanising business - this material needs to be stong and to bond well with glue.
So far as the steel is concerned, purely practical considerations mean that scrap suitable for turning into knives is likely to need forging. If you want to make a first blade by filing there aren't many scrap sources of tool steel that won't require a huge amount of effort to file down to the right thickness etc. On the other hand it can be bought cheaply (under a fiver) from industrial suppliers like RS components or Cromwell tools under the name of "ground flat stock" in numerous sizes and thicknesses. These will need far less work to file into shape before you heat treat it.
Cheers
alick said:
Heat treat it.....heat treat it.....boy, I have got a lot to learn haven't I.....and there was me thinking a few hours of fun in the shed with my angle grinder, a hacksaw, a few files and my bench grindstone and I'd wonder out with a blinder and finish the edge on my DC4!!!! :yikes: Clearly not the case at all...!!!!
Thanks for all the info guys but I'm not sure I'm going to be able to do this after all....I know nothing about forging or heat treating and it's unrealistic to think I can learn from you guys via a forum and a bit unfair to ask you to teach me for free....tips are cool but teaching me from scratch strikes me as taking the ____ a wee bit. :shock:
Think I'll give up, hand the angle grinder over to my Dad (who clearly wanted it in the first place..lol) and just carry on with my MOD Knife/Spiderco combo.
Again....many many thanks for all your help and ideas :wave:
A good thread never dies......
Found this just in case anyone's interested.......................
Vulcanise:
To improve the strength, resiliency, and freedom from stickiness and odor of rubber, for example, by combining with sulfur or other additives in the presence of heat and pressure.
Vulcanized Fibre:
A dense homogeneous cellulosic material which has been partially gelatinized by swelling with zinc chloride solution. It is made in sheets, rods, coil and tubes and is used for electrical insulation as well as mechanical applications.
Found this just in case anyone's interested.......................
Vulcanise:
To improve the strength, resiliency, and freedom from stickiness and odor of rubber, for example, by combining with sulfur or other additives in the presence of heat and pressure.
Vulcanized Fibre:
A dense homogeneous cellulosic material which has been partially gelatinized by swelling with zinc chloride solution. It is made in sheets, rods, coil and tubes and is used for electrical insulation as well as mechanical applications.
bambodoggy said:
If you've the equipment I'd go through it with you... but you're a fair distance away from me. Maybe at a meetup sometime :biggthump Are you coming to Dartmoor in Feb for our Scandinavia expo meetup?
I certainly hope so....just need to clear it with the Mrs....she gets the **** if I'm away to much! I'm at the Ashdown meet right at the end of Jan so if it's too close I won't be able to......unless there's a B&B close by that she can stay at! lol
What was the date in Feb again?
What was the date in Feb again?
If you think it unfair to ask for tuition on BCUK why not hop over to us on www.britishblades.com where we all positively revel in giving advice on knives and knifemaking. Our threads are positively awash with the sort of help and information you want!
:biggthump
Danzo
:biggthump
Danzo
We were thinking of Fri 18th over to Sat 19th Feb. Everyone I have spoken to so far seems to be OK for those dates - I am sure there are many B&B's there too, Dartmoor has hundreds.
It is perfectly realistic to think you can learn to make a knife by reading forums!!
www.britishblades.com
Shop Talk on Blade Forums
Custom Knife Directory
Plenty of info out there. That is how a lot of people start. There are even good books that can talk you through the basics, Wayne Goddard's are particularly good.
www.britishblades.com
Shop Talk on Blade Forums
Custom Knife Directory
Plenty of info out there. That is how a lot of people start. There are even good books that can talk you through the basics, Wayne Goddard's are particularly good.
C_Claycomb said:
Fair enough and thank you all for your support....I just thought it was a bit cheeky expecting the guys to talk me through things from scratch...(I'm still not totally comfortable with it - as I said hints and tips are cool)...
Think if I do decide to go for this then I'll stick my hand in my pocket and buy a good book about it first (thanks for the links above Mate).
Well, it might be cheeky to ask to be talked through it 
:rolmao:
It is a question that has come up both here and (LOTS) on BB not to mention other sites, so a bit of searching and reading will turn up litterally tons of info without having to ask for anything :biggthump
Best way to consistently get good info from knife makers is to do some leg work first, then ask about the bits you are really stuck on.
:rolmao: It is a question that has come up both here and (LOTS) on BB not to mention other sites, so a bit of searching and reading will turn up litterally tons of info without having to ask for anything :biggthump
Best way to consistently get good info from knife makers is to do some leg work first, then ask about the bits you are really stuck on.
Problem solved.... ): I was disapointed that I couldn't use the RSJ but I have found in amongst my gash kit store a brand new unused knife that is the size of a Rambo survival knife but is just one solid bit of metal. It was a cheap market knife somebody bought me once thinking I'd like it....I didn't but never throw anything away....
Not one of those hollow things with kit in them but still the sort of thing you wouldn't want to be seen out with for fear of being nicked and far to big in the hand to use for anything other than chopping. Think it's made in china by mikarta for somebody....might have been maxim, started with an M anyway!
I know the steel isn't going to be fantastic but it's a first try so I'm quite happy now....I can grind it down to the size I want and have a go at making a bushcraft type knife with it...
Will be using the dried apple wood from my apple tree and the old plastic files as spacers.....as/when I'm finished I'll post a few pics of before and after.
Thanks again for all your help and advice...
): I was disapointed that I couldn't use the RSJ but I have found in amongst my gash kit store a brand new unused knife that is the size of a Rambo survival knife but is just one solid bit of metal. It was a cheap market knife somebody bought me once thinking I'd like it....I didn't but never throw anything away....Not one of those hollow things with kit in them but still the sort of thing you wouldn't want to be seen out with for fear of being nicked and far to big in the hand to use for anything other than chopping. Think it's made in china by mikarta for somebody....might have been maxim, started with an M anyway!
I know the steel isn't going to be fantastic but it's a first try so I'm quite happy now....I can grind it down to the size I want and have a go at making a bushcraft type knife with it...
Will be using the dried apple wood from my apple tree and the old plastic files as spacers.....as/when I'm finished I'll post a few pics of before and after.
Thanks again for all your help and advice...
bambodoggy said:
I'm not doing any forging then, but if you want, I can bring along some bits & pieces of kit for you to see? I'm not lugging it out of the Land Rover if I don't need to, either!!!
Another very kind offer Espy....but hopefully I won't need it....got my angle grinder....various files, new hack saw and electric grinding wheel so if it can't be made with that lot it won't be made at all.... :wave:
again, many thanks for the offer..... See ya in Ashdown!):
again, many thanks for the offer..... See ya in Ashdown!
):
