My latest - VERY happy

[Sleepy]

Been making this knife in my bits of free time all week and must say I'm over the moon with it. Got a few bits of fininshing off to do, including a few more hours on the water stones but I've run out of time and energy for now.

http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn71/bubbles2482/011.jpg

Nice patch of wood sorrel found in sherwood forest the other day;

http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn71/bubbles2482/007.jpg

[RobbC]

Wow that is amazing! What wood is the handle made from?

Robb

[Sleepy]

it's manmade I'm affraid; dymondwood (sp?) supposed to be black and red. it's my fifth (iirc), a guy once asked me to make him one and sent me a cheque for £125 to pay for it - I said to pay whatever he felt it was worth when he recieved it. I must admit, I was very flattered to find he was very happy with what he recieved.

[jbrown14]

Very nice knife, mate! Dymondwood is colored, laminate hardwood that is usually vacuum impregnated with epoxy resin. It makes an extremely durable, stable and in my mind, attractive handle material. Gun stocks are made out of it, and there's even a line of woodworking hand tools that has taken a similar approach to chisel handles and mallets.

Superb job, nice finish. I like the handle shape. Looks comfortable!

Oh, and wood sorrel...mmmmmmm. Tangy. Can't wait to get out and find my first batch of the year.

Josh

[Sleepy]

Indeed, I've got several rifles with laminated stocks, it's where the idea came from. I didn't know you could buy it to be honest, I was looking for thin strips of wood to dye and stick together to come up with the same sort of thing and eventually found what I was really looking for.

[Sleepy]

Oh, random as the wood sorrel picture seemed. It seemed a bit of a waste to start a new thread in the relevant section. Never seen so much of the stuff in one place, right next to the path too! Knowlege is sometimes a privilidge.

[fish]

Very nice knife, mate! Dymondwood is colored, laminate hardwood that is usually vacuum impregnated with epoxy resin. It makes an extremely durable, stable and in my mind, attractive handle material. Gun stocks are made out of it, and there's even a line of woodworking hand tools that has taken a similar approach to chisel handles and mallets.
Josh

not forgetting some rather fine catapults!
http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m92/fishfish_01/crafts/vista1a1hunterxmas_bak.png

that knife is very fine indeed.

[Realbark]

Very nice!

[Adam Savage]

Did you use a pre-made blank, or did you forge the steel yourself? It's an impressive blade.:cool:

[Sleepy]

All from scratch mate, blade's (or was) 40x4mm o1 flat bar, I've not tried beating a lump of steel into a blade yet, maybe next time if I can find a cheap anvil. Pins are 6mm round alu bar and the handle's dymondwood.

[Adam Savage]

Great work mate. I might have another go at making a knife soon. My last effort didn't work too well, as I tried to make it from a HSS industrial planer knife. Could grind it ok, but couldn't drill it for the scale pins.

[Sleepy]

Assuming it's made of a carbon steel all may not be lost;

It'll be hardened and tempered, you need to undo this by getting it red hot (or just beyond) and letting it cool very slowly, leave it in the coals and forget it until the fire's totally out. Drill your holes and get it to the shape you want, it's better not to sharpen it all the way but symetry's important (I.e. Get your bevels even but leave about a mm of bluntness). Then you're into re-hardening it. It's a hugely debated and complex topic but very basicly; get it glowing an orange-yellow and dip it in oil, try to keep the heat even or one side will expand quicker than the other and bend it. The same goes for when you dip it. In this state the steel's hard enough to cut glass but is brittle and any impact or trying to bend it will snap or shatter it. A file won't cut it, it just scates across it.

Soo, you temper it; put it in the oven and heat it to 260c (gas. 8 iirc) and keep it at that temp for 20mins before quenching it again. You should find it's now in a useable state and a file will cut into the steel.

Hope thats of some use and not teaching any egg sucking.

[Adam Savage]

That is very useful, thank you. I have heard similar things, but not all match. Having never spoken with anyone that has done it doesn't help either. I shall dig it out and have a go, when I get chance. Thanks again Sleepy.

[Sleepy]

You're welcome, I don't claim to be an expert with heat treatments but it's gotta be worth a go. A very good quality, sharp drill bit will also help. Masonry drills work too but I'd say it's a last resort, I've only tried it once and although it cut steel that no other drill bit would- it went straight in the bin afterwards, it was knackered.

[Adam Savage]

You're welcome, I don't claim to be an expert with heat treatments but it's gotta be worth a go. A very good quality, sharp drill bit will also help. Masonry drills work too but I'd say it's a last resort, I've only tried it once and although it cut steel that no other drill bit would- it went straight in the bin afterwards, it was knackered.

i have cobalt bits that are used for drilling stainless, so drilling shouldn't be a problem if i can soften the steel a little.

[Notredame11211]

Very nice looking knife!