June 27, 20188 yr Author I have resorted to using the Dremel with drum sanders and hand sanding. Didn’t really know about cratex wheels but I believe I have some now that I’ve searched for it. Just this afternoon I tried using sweeping passes with the sanding drums and the dremel and went from 80 to 120 to 200 grit and got great results. Just have to wet sand after that. This knife design is time intensive...my friend will pay! I’m most excited in the process I’ve stumbled into in which I progress in stages with each piece after I learn what not to do with the one before it. Still making new mistakes but learning a lot. Good times. Thanks for the cratex wheel idea...I’ll give it a go.
July 4, 20188 yr Author I got the first one handled and roughed out. My friend intends to do some shaping with a dremel so I left it unfinished. The handle is leopardwood. Should look cool when finished. I’m not entirely happy with the shape but it does match his picture...mostly. I made many mistakes making this one and I think the next four will be much better. There is some cleaning and polishing do do on the blade as well...I’m aware
July 19, 20187 yr Author I’m as close to done as I’m going to get. My biggest gripe with this entire process has been the impossibility of evenly grinding the blade. I own no tool that can grind those angles. So the areas around the base of the blades have minor but glaring differences in thickness. If I polished to a mirror finish they would create a funhouse mirror effect. I should have kept a notebook on the project to log all of the things I’ve learned in this process. The biggest lesson was mental. I learned that, if I keep my head focused and just get to work, I can accomplish more than I think. I had many moments of doubt thinking I wouldn’t produce anything remotely worthy of being called a knife. These at least earn entry level designation...I hope. My buddy told me he expects highly imperfect work and it’s what he wants. I wish I was aware of his this low bar from the get go.... The handles are only roughed out and ready for his artistic expression. Each was meant to be slightly different but share most of the DNA with the lot. I experimented with handle lengths and hole sizes for different sized people. I also settled on keeping the oblong finger hole. The tighter angles actually made the first one easier to spin...and my buddy wanted them to spin.
July 23, 20187 yr Author Thanks all, I have them to my friend on Friday and he was overjoyed. Apparently I did better than he expected. I'll take it. I'm relatively peeps considering they are my first knives. Now I have the time to finish the San Mai taco you made for me, Jennifer. I have a cold shut to figure out. You told me to work it near welding heat and I did... But the lip at the edge of the mild steel proceed too much. I have a plan though.
July 24, 20187 yr Author I looked it up... In order to erase my mistakes I think I'd have to go to actual toothpick dimensions. Those are pretty sweet though.
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