Thread: What are you working on?

Great work as usual Mike! I still have the pen you gave me, used up all the ink and got a replacement, had to mess with the replacement a bit because it was the wrong one but it's working well!

I'll bet those knives turn out excellent, looking forward to the finish!

Originally Posted by MikeB52

Nope, slack belt finish I think Tom. Will hack off the exposed bits of aluminum, then file the bolsters to where I want em.
Use the 2” slack belt at 1600 rpm on the wood. Then a beeswax finish I think..

AH! Now it is starting to come to me! Still need those progress pics?

Almost done. Both thumbs are bleeding, lol. Dang these are sharp. Taped up with packaging tape is NOT a good edge protector.


Now to try to clean the staining off them and put some finish on them..
They feel nice in the hand with just a touch of bolster edge to keep your lead finger safe..
Knife handles, not quite like scales to make....
Cheers men.

I have no idea how you did it, but the slack-belt worked a treat!
The pommel on the larger is understandable.
It's absence on the smaller one is same.
I say well-Done!

You DO still have my address?

Nice work Mike. Love the looks of those.

Man I miss working on stuff. The knives look good mike.

Originally Posted by RezDog

Man I miss working on stuff. The knives look good mike.

Man, I am with you, Rez. All Our precious time...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7L6egkbKTo

Hello Pard's,
I see lots of nice work going on. I get emails from StewMac all the time & I got one of interest. They now have tinted CA. I have some coming but they have it in black, white & amber. I have tried to dye some black awhile back but it wouldn't work, even with India Ink. Here's a link to it:

https://www.stewmac.com/Materials_an...001_C_20180807

The black should be good for black horn & bakelite scales. The white should be interesting to try on ivory & bone.

A couple weeks ago when I found that old iron in my garage, Richard asked if it would work on some scale blanks. I have some I cut out the scale shape but they are still around 3/8" thick & one of them had warped pretty good after I cut it. I tried it & to answer his question, it did work on a piece of thick scale blanks. Speaking of scale blanks, I thought i would show how I can make a set of scales out of one piece of blank. I got myself a mini table saw a short time after I got my mini drill press & it comes in really handy for cutting small things like scale blanks & other things.



I don't cut them exactly in half but at an angle so I can still make curved scales up to a certain point, then if ya need more curve, ya have to use one whole piece per scale. The jig in my hand is for cutting the angle. It's tricky & the first scale blank I cut didn't come out even, one was bigger than the other. Just a way of not wasting horn blank material.

Notice this scale blank I cut, on the top piece, it has a high side.


This is the same set showing how you can make a set of scales from one blank.


Got another tapered balde. This one is a Joseph Eliot. The guy had it for way too much but kept going down on it plus I messaged him & told him what I'd give for it & that he'd never get what he was asking. I finally got it for a good deal. Someone dropped it on the wedge end which is how I think the scales got cracked/broken. I already have it apart for repair plus that colored CA will be a test for these.



Got my trusty little drill press to do it's thing.






Had to edit. Two pics didn't work.

I've got a question:

When drilling out pins, what is the technique for producing the least amount of heat?
Low pressure and low rpm?
Low pressure and high rpm?
More pressure etc etc etc?

I have melted pin holes on plastic scales before..

Ive never built up that mu h heat unless i end up spinning the pin. I dont drill any other way than the lowest speed my drill press.will.go and light preasure. Always works for me.