iamzeus Posted July 20, 2012 Share Posted July 20, 2012 I just finished my first knife and i must say, i'm really proud of it. The blade itself turned out full of dents ( i need a better hammer >_< ) but the black and red micarta handle turned out fantastic! I just need a buffer to make it really polished. Took me 3 tries to get the micarta just right. At first i was putting way to much hardener in the epoxy which made alot of chunks before i could finish. Then on the second try, i just didnt make enough epoxy to glue the whole thing correctly and some layers seperated when i was pining it to the knife. I melted the point of the knife during the last heat so the shape turn out a little awkward. I think i succeeded in heat treating it properly since it cuts pretty well and it holds the edge. Tested it with a file as well. I'm going to try and make a tanto type knife for my next one with Black and blue micarta. Similar to this: http://www.jayfisher...voryMicarta.jpg Might be a challenge but thats exactly what i want :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iamzeus Posted July 20, 2012 Author Share Posted July 20, 2012 Sorry, the image wasnt posted for some reason. Here it is! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Hale Posted July 20, 2012 Share Posted July 20, 2012 Glad youi showed us your knife, and for sure that handle did come oiut really nice....now about that buffer. A good buffer in good hands with the right wheel and compound could make all of the dents and marks in that blade really shiney. No tlikely in a real lot of days would it remove any of them..It is for finishing a smooth surface to bring the shine up. Filing,sanding etc is wot removes the texture and makes a nice finish,,,anyone can do it if they care. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iamzeus Posted July 21, 2012 Author Share Posted July 21, 2012 I have a small 1x30 inch belt sander that i used to sand it a little bit but i only have cheap aluminum oxide belts at the moment. They aren't hard enough to really grind the knife and remove the scratches and dents. But i ordered some zirconia and ceramic belts from http://www.supergrit.com/. They should get here soon and work much better :) Got some polishing belts as well. I'll try and put a nice satin finish on it. I tried to use files but i suck with them and i don't really have the patience. Plus i don't have a vise so its really awkward to use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Hale Posted July 21, 2012 Share Posted July 21, 2012 If youi anneal the blade after forging it is easieer to finish,,it will scale a little in HT but should clean u fairly easy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iamzeus Posted July 21, 2012 Author Share Posted July 21, 2012 I can't really anneal or HT it with the handle attached. The micarta will melt. I'll just polish it a little bit to make look more clean. This was just a "test" project anyway, to see how things work. I won't ever use this one. I'll go the extra mile with my next knives, make them look alot better than this one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loneforge Posted July 21, 2012 Share Posted July 21, 2012 I don't use a vise for blade finishing.....I clamp the blade to a board and clamp the board to the bench. Then I do all my draw filing like that. Clamps are cheap and easy to find. Just a thought. Always anneal after forging and the finishing will be much easier. Cheers and enjoy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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