Beginner custom scale making and knife modding for folding knives. What Tools?

J

James Bodin

Joined
Mar 11, 2023
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Hello everyone, first post. I want to start making custom folding knife scales and modding them, what would be the best tools for that? what kind of belt sander, drill press, surface grinder, or any other tool that will be very useful in making custom scales. budget for everything is around 800-1000. i don't mind buying used off of FB marketplace or eBay. I also wouldn't mind using a flat stone and sand paper for a "surface grinder", but will that suffice? I also would love some pointers on what to look for in terms of specs for each tool. like, what horse power is good enough for a drill press or belt sander, or what chuck size is best for a drill press? Or what style of belt sander will be the best for my budget? I am not looking to build anything myself. Thanks!
 
I'm not pro but I've modded dozens of knives and I'd say start basic:
Harbor freight for a 3/8"+ chuck drill press, and a belt sander (with circular sander on the side), and a jigsaw/ bandsaw
a Dremel tool with lots of bits & a router attachment
Tap & die set
Vice & clamps
Super glue and jb weld
some face masks & ear protection
and work outdoors - you don't want to inhale that dust!

But also - learn about the materials you intend to work with, nothing sucks like buying expensive materials only to have them warp or crack!
 
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Welcome James. Fill out your profile so we know a bit more about you and where you live. I see that you are 18, so I suspect that your budget for tools is a big part of the picture.

Pretty much what fishface said - Modding folders can be very simple or fairly complex. You need a simple 1X30 grinder with a side disc (preferably VS), a simple drill press, some hand tools and a set of mini-torx drivers, and some way to cut the material. That can be a hand coping saw to a small benchtop bandsaw. You can use pins or screws to attache the scales, depending on the degree of modification.

Do you have any experience with making modifications or assembling folders? If not, getting a few kits from knifekitss.com or one of the other suppliers is a good idea.

Most important is to have fun.
 
Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith said:
Welcome James. Fill out your profile so we know a bit more about you and where you live. I see that you are 18, so I suspect that your budget for tools is a big part of the picture.

Pretty much what fishface said - Modding folders can be very simple or fairly complex. You need a simple 1X30 grinder with a side disc (preferably VS), a simple drill press, some hand tools and a set of mini-torx drivers, and some way to cut the material. That can be a hand coping saw to a small benchtop bandsaw. You can use pins or screws to attache the scales, depending on the degree of modification.

Do you have any experience with making modifications or assembling folders? If not, getting a few kits from knifekitss.com or one of the other suppliers is a good idea.

Most important is to have fun.
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I do have some experience with shop work and building stuff, but nothing to crazy. I do take apart my knives a good bit and clean them, so I am familiar with how a folder is made but I have never done actual modding or making. Will a simple 1x30 be able to handle metal aswell as softer handle materials like micarta or cf? Budget is a big part. I am a little flexible on budget if something will make my life a whole lot easier. What does VS mean?
 
fishface5 said:
I'm not pro but I've modded dozens of knives and I'd say start basic:
Harbor freight for a 3/8"+ chuck drill press, and a belt sander (with circular sander on the side), and a jigsaw/ bandsaw
a Dremel tool with lots of bits & a router attachment
Tap & die set
Vice & clamps
Super glue and jb weld
some face masks & ear protection
and work outdoors - you don't want to inhale that dust!

But also - learn about the materials you intend to work with, nothing sucks like buying expensive materials only to have them warp or crack!
Click to expand...
Good to know, thank you very much for the help!
 
VS - variable speed.
I would go 2" over 1" belts
Get several grits of good quality belts
Check craigslist for cheap tools?

Practice on cheap stuff first - scrap wood and plastics
 
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Look into good quality drill bits, including number sizes although for the #size bits I got a harbor freight set. 2-56 taps as well( for American made folders, small metric for the rest. Also a way to steady those little taps ( they break easy).Counterbores too, hss are adequate unless you will be working with titanium or stainless.
 
I will look into those things, thanks. I've seen 2 people talk about taps, but usually for the scales you're not making threads, almost always they go into a barrel spacer, backspacer, or the other screw to the other side. So I may encounter one where I will need a tap, but I don't think it will be necessary for most. Unless I'm mistaken?
 
Taps are for when you want to change clip type or location on a knife, for new holes in the steel liners (or if it doesn't have liners then you can take a piece of steel, tap the holes where you want them, and insert the steel into the inner side of the scale).
 
James Bodin said:
I do have some experience with shop work and building stuff, but nothing to crazy. I do take apart my knives a good bit and clean them, so I am familiar with how a folder is made but I have never done actual modding or making. Will a simple 1x30 be able to handle metal aswell as softer handle materials like micarta or cf? Budget is a big part. I am a little flexible on budget if something will make my life a whole lot easier. What does VS mean?
Click to expand...

1x30's are inexpensive and can handle metal just fine. I am using one for knife making and other tasks as I try to save up money for a 2x72 grinder. As others have noted, VS is variable speed and really useful for sharpening and working with wood or other soft materials.

Since you're talking about mainly doing knife scales, you might want to invest in a 2" belt instead so it will be easier to make consistent passes over the length of a scale. A good disc sander would help there also. Many 1x30 belt sanders have a small disc sander as well, which I have used for scales successfully, but I am thinking about getting a dedicated one that is larger.
 
If your budget is $1000 save up and get a 2 x 72 even just a used one, a portaband on a swag table and a decent drill press. You will never regret those purchases, your money will be well spent. Everything else will fall into place from there.
 
A bechtop sander like this can be very useful (picture just for example). The belt unit tilts flat and the belt is wide enough to make flat sanding your pieces relatively easy. A good starter piece for sure. Even better if you can hook it up to a variable speed switch. Not sure exactly what you're modding but in the future some kind of sander with a slack belt option would be something to consider.




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I definitely recommend a portaband style bandsaw with a stand to hold it vertically (swag or rilla ). These are inexpensive and will cut most materials with the right TPI blades. A good set of hand files and needle files are your best friends. Personally, I would wait on the belt grinder until you get your feet wet or start with the cheap 1x30 to get the feel. 2x72 are great but they move a lot of material...and not in a good way if you font have the hang of it. My 2 cents...oh, and welcome to the madness :)
 
ea42 said:
A bechtop sander like this can be very useful (picture just for example). The belt unit tilts flat and the belt is wide enough to make flat sanding your pieces relatively easy. A good starter piece for sure. Even better if you can hook it up to a variable speed switch. Not sure exactly what you're modding but in the future some kind of sander with a slack belt option would be something to consider.




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That is a good idea but think I want something a little more versatile for my belt sander. I can always buy a separate
Thesian said:
I definitely recommend a portaband style bandsaw with a stand to hold it vertically (swag or rilla ). These are inexpensive and will cut most materials with the right TPI blades. A good set of hand files and needle files are your best friends. Personally, I would wait on the belt grinder until you get your feet wet or start with the cheap 1x30 to get the feel. 2x72 are great but they move a lot of material...and not in a good way if you font have the hang of it. My 2 cents...oh, and welcome to the madness :)
Click to expand...
Sounds like some good advice. I may actually hold off on a belt sander and get a dremel attachment or something. It won't be perfect, but at least I will be able to get the feel for doing it. If I can find a really good deal on secondary then I will definitely jump on it, but for now I may go without one. Thank you!
 
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