3D printed "blue knives" for sending to sheath makers?

jacobconroy75

jacobconroy75

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I have a 3-inch Hinderer XM-18 coming in and am sure to want a horizontal belt sheath made for it. My favorite leatherworker doesn't have a 3-inch version and is in another country. I'd rather not ship my knife across the border.

He mentioned that in the past, people have shipped him copies of knives (3D printed) for sheath making. This is a good idea!

My question is: Where on earth do I find someone to scan and copy my knives? I'd love to do this with several folders. Perhaps there is a forum member here that could create the "blue knives"? I'd be happy to pay of course.

Google didn't produce an easy answer. :(
 
jacobconroy75 said:
I have a 3-inch Hinderer XM-18 coming in and am sure to want a horizontal belt sheath made for it. My favorite leatherworker doesn't have a 3-inch version and is in another country. I'd rather not ship my knife across the border.

He mentioned that in the past, people have shipped him copies of knives (3D printed) for sheath making. This is a good idea!

My question is: Where on earth do I find someone to scan and copy my knives? I'd love to do this with several folders. Perhaps there is a forum member here that could create the "blue knives"? I'd be happy to pay of course.

Google didn't produce an easy answer. :(
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3d printing is a rabbit hole that goes deep, so this is going to be a bit convoluted. There is a website named thingiverse.com that provides files, some free some not, that you can download and print yourself. If you do a search for Shaman scales, you will find a file for printing those scales, and in the description the maker references modeling Hinderer scales; the maker's name is makerboz. What I would do is reach out to makerboz and see if he has an XM-18 that he could make a file for printing. I doubt you will find anything just hanging out for the public around the web due to IP reasons, but having it sent directly to you would be different.

Once you have a file you can download to a thumb drive, then you have a couple of options. If your local library is a good size, they sometimes have printing facilities open to the public at cost. If not, there are possibly businesses in your area that can do it for you, though they are rare. If nothing else, look for a local gaming shop, particularly one that sells tabletop games like Warhammer 40K or Dungeons and Dragons, and chat up the proprietor. Board game nerds are absolutely nuts for 3d printing and there could be one willing to run off a file for you for the price of a pack of minis.
 
BitingSarcasm said:
3d printing is a rabbit hole that goes deep, so this is going to be a bit convoluted. There is a website named thingiverse.com that provides files, some free some not, that you can download and print yourself. If you do a search for Shaman scales, you will find a file for printing those scales, and in the description the maker references modeling Hinderer scales; the maker's name is makerboz. What I would do is reach out to makerboz and see if he has an XM-18 that he could make a file for printing. I doubt you will find anything just hanging out for the public around the web due to IP reasons, but having it sent directly to you would be different.

Once you have a file you can download to a thumb drive, then you have a couple of options. If your local library is a good size, they sometimes have printing facilities open to the public at cost. If not, there are possibly businesses in your area that can do it for you, though they are rare. If nothing else, look for a local gaming shop, particularly one that sells tabletop games like Warhammer 40K or Dungeons and Dragons, and chat up the proprietor. Board game nerds are absolutely nuts for 3d printing and there could be one willing to run off a file for you for the price of a pack of minis.
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Warhammer 40K nerds are nuts for 3D printing because the price of the models is insane. But believe it or not, most of us don’t have a 3D printer. We get other people to print our stuff just like everybody else.

I’d say best course would be to look on Etsy for a custom 3D printer (which is very common on there) once you have a file.
 
AntDog said:
Warhammer 40K nerds are nuts for 3D printing because the price of the models is insane. But believe it or not, most of us don’t have a 3D printer. We get other people to print our stuff just like everybody else.

I’d say best course would be to look on Etsy for a custom 3D printer (which is very common on there) once you have a file.
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My youngest son wanted to get a Killa Can just to make and paint, and my eyes bugged out so hard at the price that I almost strained something. I fielded a first edition army of Lamenter Beakies for peanuts compared to the pound of flesh GW charges now. $80 for a non-hero Dreadnought? I call Heresy!
 
I haven't been able to find a 3d model for the knife in question, but my bro-in-law just bought a 3d printer. Maybe I'll need to look into buying a scanner to create my own models.
 
not2sharp said:
Have you checked If the sheath maker has the facilities to print at his end? If so you just need to send him the file.

n2s
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It was a sheath maker that put the idea in my head. He told me that if I get a 3d model printed, mail it to him, and let him keep it, then the sheath would be free.

I've had this problem for years. Finding artisans that have my knife/pistol/flashlight/whatever on hand to make custom gear is always a pain. If a guy could scan these items, strip away some of the detail in the model (to avoid copyright issues) while keeping them accurate enough to fill the need at hand...I think it might be worth the cost and trouble over the rest of my life.

Some Googling indicates that I can get an app for my iOS devices to scan an .stl file. I might try that this week and ask my bro-in-law to print it. If I do, I'll post some pics about what comes out of the printer. I'm an IT guy that supports several dental offices that do a lot of 3D printing. So, I've had a little experience with it.

Honestly, I'm surprised that someone isn't already making money doing such a thing. Just imagine if you could order a copy of an expensive knife in both the open and closed position to see if you like the ergos and size (for a few bucks). Might be cool.

A related anecdote: Wilson Combat makes a small pistol that I was very interested in. But, it's pricey. I bought a blue gun of that pistol and a holster. Carried around for two weeks. In the end, the blue gun had too many sharp edges and the pistol wasn't a very good fit for me. $100 bucks in plastic saved me from spending $3k for a pistol that would have wound up in the bottom of a drawer with all my Glocks. ;)
 
I hear you. Fortunately, most maker of knives and pistols supply suitable sheaths directly or through 3rd parties. I own a few Busse knives, which I like, and would likely have had another dozen or more if they came with sheaths. Since they don’t bother to do so, I only buy them occasionally on the secondary market, after the original owner has obtain a suitable sheath.

My suggestion was to do exactly what you are doing but to send the file electronically, so it can be printed locally near the sheath maker. It would save on time and postage. Frankly, I am surprised the sheath maker does have his own local printing facility. It would likely be a boon to his business.

n2s
 
weo said:
jacobconroy75 jacobconroy75 - I run a metal shop in a makerspace that has 3D printing capabilities, I'll ask the tech guild if it's doable.
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That would be great. I don't mind paying for the service. The problem is that I simply don't need another expensive hobby right now (like 3D printing).
 
Would the sheath maker accept a low tech solution? Just trace out your blade and cut a piece of foam board or even cardboard with the thickness details written on it?
 
Slice-and-dice said:
Would the sheath maker accept a low tech solution? Just trace out your blade and cut a piece of foam board or even cardboard with the thickness details written on it?
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I haven't asked. Wet-molding a sheath for a folding knife with not-exactly-correct dimensions sounds like it might cause problems for both parties. It might be easier to learn how to make my own sheaths. :)
 
jacobconroy75 said:
I haven't asked. Wet-molding a sheath for a folding knife with not-exactly-correct dimensions sounds like it might cause problems for both parties. It might be easier to learn how to make my own sheaths. :)
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We can sure help ya with that around here!
 
jacobconroy75 said:
That would be great. I don't mind paying for the service. The problem is that I simply don't need another expensive hobby right now (like 3D printing).
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From the tech guild lead: "Yep, definitely generally doable. I'm unsure about the tolerances we'd hit with a phone app, but we have two calibrated printers that should have mm or better accuracy, so we could definitely print positives in house there's a 3D scanning app for the phone, and we have the printing capabilities. "

If interested, send an e-mail to: techguild.pastlives@gmail.com
 
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Some other responses from our Tech Guild:
"One last thing - another (probably better for tolerance / fit) option would be to do a simple silicone mold cast with the blade as a positive."

"I think PolyCam has a high enough resolution to get a good fit for a knife. PolyCam gets more accurate the longer you scan an object. If the knife maker is patient and uses a turntable I think the resulting scan should be sufficient. The one thing to know is it works best on non-reflective surfaces. So for best accuracy he can use masking tape over the blade."
 
weo said:
Some other responses from our Tech Guild:
"One last thing - another (probably better for tolerance / fit) option would be to do a simple silicone mold cast with the blade as a positive."

"I think PolyCam has a high enough resolution to get a good fit for a knife. PolyCam gets more accurate the longer you scan an object. If the knife maker is patient and uses a turntable I think the resulting scan should be sufficient. The one thing to know is it works best on non-reflective surfaces. So for best accuracy he can use masking tape over the blade."
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Thanks Sir. I've read that a turntable would be a good idea, but I had no idea about reflective surfaces. Would it make any difference if I used an app that took advantage of the LIDAR sensor in my newer iPhone?

I'll look into PolyCam.
 
jacobconroy75 said:
Would it make any difference if I used an app that took advantage of the LIDAR sensor in my newer iPhone?
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I don't know the answer, but if you're interested in working with our tech guild, go ahead and e-mail Michael at the address above. Feel free to mention my name (billyO-metal shop guild lead) and how you "know" me. I told him that I saw your question on a knifemaking forum.
 
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