improving is pretty neat

[KnivesThatLock]

few things in life provide such a showcase of ones steadily increasing skill like knifemaking does. what seemed completely impossible yesterday will be routine by tomorrow. 

i make almost exclusively lockback folders, figured you guys might fancy a viewing and maybe share some ways to continue improving. i think this is numbers 5 and 6. they take a while, as i make everything right from scrap

the bolsters are made from a bushing i replaced in a caterpillar 906 loader

the liners are a big bandsaw blade

the aluminum was a handlebar riser off a skidoo

the blade is a waferizer knife from an osb production mill (i got like 2 boxes of the things 3' x 3" x 1/4" times 10 per box, crazy hard steel ive never seen anything like it)

it was pretty annoying to find out that even though the bolsters looked brass or at least bronze, solder wont stick to them what so ever. this was found out after i spend a full day working them down to shape...so i figured i would try something different. everything is peened, theres not a drop of solder. 24 rivets total, 3 small ones 1 big one in each piece. if it holds up time will tell. was fun though.

tools used:

disc grinder

angle grinder

drill press

files

heres some unfinished pictures and the finished piece assuming they go in proper order

and a bonus picture of my the next victim. sorry for the potato quality, all i can manage right now.

 

 

 

[SLAG]

Mr. Lock,

Lovely work. 

Good job.

And thank you for the pictures.

SLAG.

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

Welcome to IFI... I always suggest reading this to get the best out of the forum. READ THIS FIRST

Very nice work, I like it.

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

Diffused lighting is best for shiny objects like this. Look up light box. Was this a phone camera or a camera by itself?

Some bushings are sintered, or have oil impregnated into them, so that may have been an issue in soldering. I take it you had the proper flux, and heat for the size part.

 

[KnivesThatLock]

oil impregnation was one of my guesses. i heated a couple bolsters up to retarded temperatures to try and sweat out the oil but still no go. im wondering if its not some sort of work hardening that has made it also solder resistant? its hard to see it being possible but hey you never know. 

thanks for the light box tip. never heard of one before. i will give it a whirl next completed knife. 

 

funny story about the camera. the only camera i have that works is in an iphone 5s. unfortunately that iphone 5s also has been ran over with a d8. it was in soft mud so it mostly is still operable, but to say it made it out okay would be a stretch. 

my current phone has had similar misfortunes

thanks for your time and the kind words. (all 3 of you)