RCCrawler Forums

RCCrawler Forums (http://www.rccrawler.com/forum/)
-   Chit Chat (http://www.rccrawler.com/forum/chit-chat/)
-   -   AWCC 1st place prizes Build Thread (http://www.rccrawler.com/forum/chit-chat/321620-awcc-1st-place-prizes-build-thread.html)

DwaneO 06-15-2011 12:42 AM

AWCC 1st place prizes Build Thread
 
Rodney over at Axial asked if I would do a little build thread on these knives and I thought the rest of you might like to see what goes into making a knife. So....Here we go

I get this particular knife cut out at a waterjet place back east. It saves me about 1.5 hrs. This is the only one I do this with. The rest of my knives I cut from barstock. When I get them I aneal them , put them in the oven at about 1400 deg F , let em get up to temp and then just shut the oven off and let them cool real slow. This makes them dead soft.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...8/DSC03030.jpg

Then I flatten the edge so I can mark it with a sharpie and mark the grinds. This is the tool I use for that.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...8/DSC03035.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...8/DSC03034.jpg

Then I get my sander set up to do a flad grind. I built this sander from scratch , it's built just like the ones you can buy , but mine has a 2hp DC variable speed motor, and I built a vertical 5/8" shaft on the other end. I can put several different tools on it.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...8/DSC03038.jpg

I built a small work rest to do flat grinds on , it helps to hold the blade still.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...8/DSC03037.jpg
The belt direction is down , I always grind into the edge , never away.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...8/DSC03036.jpg

Here is one that has been ground next to one that hasn't.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...8/DSC03041.jpg
I start on a 60 grit belt then go to a 120 grit and then 220 grit before heat treat.

Here they are , ready for the oven to be heat treated.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...8/DSC03042.jpg

My digitally controlled oven , it will go up to 2200 deg I think.
1095 High Carbon steel heat treats at 1550 , I take them to 1600.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...8/DSC03043.jpg

They are in there , wow thats hot.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...8/DSC03044.jpg

When I take them out of the oven I dunk them in the quenching oil , that cools them off very fast. As long as your grinds are even you dont hear a pop when you drop them in. If you do ......its cracked and now scrap iron. lol , its has happened to me before, not in about 5 years though 8)
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...8/DSC03045.jpg

After they cool off to about 200 deg , I put them in the toaster oven at about 325 deg for 2 hours.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...8/DSC03046.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...8/DSC03047.jpg

Here they are after the heat treatment , thats the oil burned on the blade.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...8/DSC03048.jpg

I then go back to the grinder on a 120 belt , 220 , 320 , 400 then a burishing 3M wierd belt. Makes a great brushed finish. Here they are after that.....I had some others at the same stage and just shot them all.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...8/DSC03049.jpg

While the blades were in the oven I made the handle material. I buy the G10 ( fiberglass composite ) in different thickness and colors and then laminate them together. Not all of the choices , just custom ones like this.
I sand each side with a 30 grit block and then use Devcon 5 min epoxy to hold em together. I put it in my 20 ton press and squeeze the chit outa it.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...8/DSC03050.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...8/DSC03051.jpg
Cut up and ready to put on the blades.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...8/DSC03053.jpg

Here they are again , with handles on them , epoxy drying , it dont take long before I can start shaping them. I also put 4 brass pins all the way through the handle. this helps with latteral strains.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...8/DSC03052.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...8/DSC03054.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...8/DSC03055.jpg

Sanding and shaping is done on the belt grinder , I have a .500" wheel that works great for the finger groove. I use a Hook-it II system( 6" disks with velcro on them , real fast to change grits ) mounted on the vertical shaft to finish sand handles on. Missed a pic of that.
Now its time to make the Kydex sheaths. Kydex is a heat moldable ABS based plastic , its super tough stuff , and really cool to work with. If you mess up a mold , you just put it back in the oven and try again.
Here is my home made Press , it just has 2" of a real dense foam on the bottom and then 1" on the top.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...8/DSC03062.jpg

Here is the first one ready for pressing. I tape the chit outa the blade to give it some room inside the sheath , the square on the handle is for the loop to attach to. The Kydex I decided to use has a silver carbon fiber look to it , i think it looks cool. It goes in the oven at 325 deg F hard as hell , and comes out soft as dough.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...8/DSC03063.jpg

Its pretty simple , put a piece of sheet down , the knife on that and another sheet on top and press.....2 min later and take it out and here it is.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...8/DSC03065.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...8/DSC03066.jpg

I have a system of holes for these sheaths that will accept 2 different kinds of attachment , there is a rhyme and reason for the layout. It can be worn righ or left handed , cross draw or upside down. Pretty cool I think. The rivets closest to the handle are critical in placement. They are the ones that dictate how tight the knife fits the sheath.
Drill a 1/4" hole and put a rivet in it and press it in the arbor press .
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...8/DSC03067.jpg

I make my own stencels for marking my name on my blades too. I use this light sensetive material , its like a silkscreen. You put the negative on the glass and then put the stencel material on top. Close the lid , turn on the light , wait 2.5 min and turn the light off. Take it out , peel a clear film off each side and put it in the developer for about a min.....done.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...8/DSC03071.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...8/DSC03070.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...8/DSC03072.jpg

Then I just tape the stencel on the blade and etch it on there , comes out cool most of the time. These came out pretty good.

AND here they are. As Parker would say...Those drivers that Do Work , will reap the rewards. The winner of each class will get a hand made knife.
Here are the two for the 2.2 pro and Sportsman classes.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...8/DSC03080.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...DSC03081-1.jpg

And a special one for the winner of the G6 scale competition.
It has Moon Glow in the center of the handle , man its some bright stuff and glows for hours. The lanyard has glow string in it as well. It is also equiped with a whistle and a Black Crater cord light flashlight. Of course all of the knives have a ferroCerrium fire steel in the handel as well.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...8/DSC03073.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...8/DSC03074.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...8/DSC03075.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...8/DSC03076.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...8/DSC03078.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...8/DSC03079.jpg


Well I hope you enjoyed my little how to here.
I wish I was going to AWCC , but it just ain't meant to be I guess. There will be a little bit of my sweat there though , these were fun to make.
They will be Cali bound by 8 AM .

transambill 06-15-2011 01:29 AM

Pretty Cool, thanks for shareing.
Back in the mid 80's we had a project in metal shop in high school where we made knives.(6" blade limit)
We made them out of a little bit of everything. The most popular and easiest for students to get were lawn mower blades.
I made mine out of an old woodworking file but saw a couple made out of a leaf spring.
Been into knives ever since but collect mostly automatics and some fixed blade designs.

JeremyH 06-15-2011 06:42 AM

Very cool Dwane!

C*H*U*D 06-15-2011 07:51 AM

Easily one of the best how-to articles I've seen here! My girlfriend does jewelry and has a kiln capable of those temperatures...I'd love to try something like this some day.

Very cool to see it done by someone who knows what they are doing "thumbsup"

krawlfreak 06-15-2011 08:07 AM

WOW!:shock:

Speedracer19 06-15-2011 08:19 AM

Nice work, you made it look easy & quick!

Skeeno 06-15-2011 09:29 AM

You can go ahead and etch my name on there since I am going to win the AWCC5 G6. You can give it to me Friday afternoon when I show up.

DwaneO 06-15-2011 10:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JeremyH (Post 3142503)
Very cool Dwane!

Thanks Jeremy , tell your dad to get ahold of me with his order...

Quote:

Originally Posted by C*H*U*D (Post 3142559)
Easily one of the best how-to articles I've seen here! My girlfriend does jewelry and has a kiln capable of those temperatures...I'd love to try something like this some day.

Very cool to see it done by someone who knows what they are doing "thumbsup"

Glad you like it , thanks

Quote:

Originally Posted by Speedracer19 (Post 3142596)
Nice work, you made it look easy & quick!

It took me about 14 hours to get all that done , it goes faster when your doing multiples.
If it was easy everyone would be doing it , lol

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skeeno (Post 3142675)
You can go ahead and etch my name on there since I am going to win the AWCC5 G6. You can give it to me Friday afternoon when I show up.

Good luck with that

Brandon 06-15-2011 10:29 AM

Thanks for sharing! Cant wait to see them in person "thumbsup"

Skeeno 06-15-2011 10:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DwaneO (Post 3142730)

Good luck with that

Thanks, if you have ever done a Parker G6, you know I'll need it.

Rig Rocker 06-15-2011 11:11 AM

Awesome!

GCRad1 06-15-2011 11:18 AM

I jumped this thread over to the Oliver / AWCC Announcement:
http://www.rccrawler.com/forum/showt...25#post3142825

THANK YOU OLIVER KNIVES!!!!

rob_b 06-15-2011 12:05 PM

Very nice Dwane"thumbsup"

gdhknives 06-15-2011 01:41 PM

Great build thread Dwane! I definitely like your belt grinder, they make life easier."thumbsup"

Del Monte 06-15-2011 01:46 PM

wow indeed!

If that's not a little extra motivation to get out and practice, I don't know what is "thumbsup"

ecoli 06-15-2011 01:49 PM

Super cool how-to thread. I never knew so much went into making custom knives.

crawl-o-matic 06-15-2011 04:01 PM

Nice!
 
Dang, you are TALENTED!


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 07:24 AM.

Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Content Relevant URLs by vBSEO ©2011, Crawlability, Inc.
Copyright 2004-2014 RCCrawler.com