What's going on in your shop? Show us whats going on, and talk a bit about your work!

Put together a new kydex press. I wanted evenly distributed pressure, so I went with this big press screw that has its bottom plate mounted with a ball joint on the screw. So the top of the press is free floating. The small black plastic thingies are there to guide it, but not let it catch.
No need for clamps or chains. Just twist and go.

DLs5zrP.jpg
 
Ive been accumulating ground blades and initial glued-up handles pending focusing on sanding and finishing handles(1 - its messier w/ sawdust, 2) better to do sanding chores after metal grinding, to avoid mixing sparks with sawdust). Bottom to top: fishing filet knife for a friend (actually started this late last summer...), a large chefs knife for my sister, a couple damascus steak knives for my son, a santoku for a friend of my son, second from top - that Yanagiba for myself I have been poking away at for a while, and (top), a kitchen "utility" knife for me patterned after an old Sabatier knife. Also, these reflect a mix of steels to experiment (310, S35VN, damascus, CPM154, 26C3 (cant wait to try that Yanagiba!). Hopefully soon I will be able to start posting photos of finished output!
upload_2021-4-12_11-28-1.png
 
Ive been accumulating ground blades and initial glued-up handles pending focusing on sanding and finishing handles(1 - its messier w/ sawdust, 2) better to do sanding chores after metal grinding, to avoid mixing sparks with sawdust). Bottom to top: fishing filet knife for a friend (actually started this late last summer...), a large chefs knife for my sister, a couple damascus steak knives for my son, a santoku for a friend of my son, second from top - that Yanagiba for myself I have been poking away at for a while, and (top), a kitchen "utility" knife for me patterned after an old Sabatier knife. Also, these reflect a mix of steels to experiment (310, S35VN, damascus, CPM154, 26C3 (cant wait to try that Yanagiba!). Hopefully soon I will be able to start posting photos of finished output!
View attachment 1544840

What method do you use for WA handles. Looks like no dowels there? I was just thinking yesterday that the partial dowel method is really a lengthy process.
 
Put together a new kydex press. I wanted evenly distributed pressure, so I went with this big press screw that has its bottom plate mounted with a ball joint on the screw. So the top of the press is free floating. The small black plastic thingies are there to guide it, but not let it catch.
No need for clamps or chains. Just twist and go.

DLs5zrP.jpg
Thats cool, and nice even pressure in the middle.
 
What method do you use for WA handles. Looks like no dowels there? I was just thinking yesterday that the partial dowel method is really a lengthy process.
No ... those are all partial dowels. I dont have a photo of a true unassembled setup, but start with this...
upload_2021-4-12_12-21-26.png
and imagine that the dowel on the right is just long enough to protrude into the main handle body about 1/2" or so (BUT the drilled 3/8" diameter cavity is drilled out to the full length of the knifes tang) . prior to gluing the bolster is notched:
upload_2021-4-12_12-22-56.png

then after gluing you only have something like 1 1/4 inch of buried dowel to drill through and open up. I have found this MUCH easier than the alternatives (in terms of getting the hidden hole opened up enough to properly seat and align the blade prior to seating the tang in epoxy....)
 
No ... those are all partial dowels. I dont have a photo of a true unassembled setup, but start with this...
View attachment 1544868
and imagine that the dowel on the right is just long enough to protrude into the main handle body about 1/2" or so (BUT the drilled 3/8" diameter cavity is drilled out to the full length of the knifes tang) . prior to gluing the bolster is notched:
View attachment 1544869

then after gluing you only have something like 1 1/4 inch of buried dowel to drill through and open up. I have found this MUCH easier than the alternatives (in terms of getting the hidden hole opened up enough to properly seat and align the blade prior to seating the tang in epoxy....)

I didn't see the sloths in your handles so I thougth that you did it without dowels. Was hoping there is another trick I didn't hear about yet.

I am thinking of trying a full dowel next. Glue the handle pieces with CA glue, drill them in one motion, square the pieces to hole if the hole is not perfectly centered. Split the dowel completely, sand down the two dowel pieces to the thickness of tang and glue up with epoxy. Seems much more straight forward then partial dowel and bolster fit up and beding in the tang. Maybe carbon, aluminium or cool/died hard wood for the dowels as another contrast piece.
 
I didn't see the sloths in your handles so I thougth that you did it without dowels. Was hoping there is another trick I didn't hear about yet.

I am thinking of trying a full dowel next. Glue the handle pieces with CA glue, drill them in one motion, square the pieces to hole if the hole is not perfectly centered. Split the dowel completely, sand down the two dowel pieces to the thickness of tang and glue up with epoxy. Seems much more straight forward then partial dowel and bolster fit up and beding in the tang. Maybe carbon, aluminium or cool/died hard wood for the dowels as another contrast piece.
I guess that might work. My concern is that (if I understand correctly) that approach leaves it to the stack up thicknesses of the tang/dowel in multiple dimensions to get the final alignment of the blade to the handle correct. One thing off and t he final product is not straight or is rotated too much. I guess I would myself rather putz with the final glue-up while it sets to get it correct in the end......
 
Put together a new kydex press. I wanted evenly distributed pressure, so I went with this big press screw that has its bottom plate mounted with a ball joint on the screw. So the top of the press is free floating. The small black plastic thingies are there to guide it, but not let it catch.
No need for clamps or chains. Just twist and go.

DLs5zrP.jpg
That’s a neat setup. Need to make me one because I hate messing with clamps.Thanks for posting!
 
Put together a new kydex press. I wanted evenly distributed pressure, so I went with this big press screw that has its bottom plate mounted with a ball joint on the screw. So the top of the press is free floating. The small black plastic thingies are there to guide it, but not let it catch.
No need for clamps or chains. Just twist and go.

DLs5zrP.jpg
What kind of sponge are you using? Looking at this setup it just crossed my mind that I could add two plates to the heat treating press and call it a day, size wise it should be OK for edc knives.
 
Finished these yesterday. The evening light is too kind to the satin finish. Under closer inspection a lot of things to get better but every new knife is a bit better and that makes me happy. 20 cm Gyuto in AEBL and 18 cm Nakiri in 440b. African Blackwood, Mycarta spacers and home stabilized poplar burl.
cPsGaoT.jpg

ZmdVKMt.jpg

WfLqysO.jpg

AmlWnks.jpg
 
Finished this up today after much futzing with the handle flutes. Very happy with the results. Knife is being put to work in a commercial setting so be very interesting to get some feedback on geometry and profile from the pros.
Geometry is improving with each knife, although they still take me an age to grind. NITRO V, G10 and shredded carbon frame
ZmBjxe4.jpg

24kkfqh.jpg

KQ17s2e.jpg
 
Finished these yesterday. The evening light is too kind to the satin finish. Under closer inspection a lot of things to get better but every new knife is a bit better and that makes me happy. 20 cm Gyuto in AEBL and 18 cm Nakiri in 440b. African Blackwood, Mycarta spacers and home stabilized poplar burl.
cPsGaoT.jpg

ZmdVKMt.jpg

WfLqysO.jpg

AmlWnks.jpg

Very nice! Your progress is to envy.

What are you using for that logo?
 
Very nice! Your progress is to envy.

What are you using for that logo?

Thanks for the kind words. I think the progress rate is thanks to the vast knowledge base here and all the responses to questions and good people of BF willing to share their ways of doing things. I am sure if you had the knives in the hand you could be more critical :)

You are going to laugh, but it is a vinyl sticker, salt water solution and a 5v phone charger, FC and perma blue to darken. The 12 v laptop charger stopped working but it was much quicker. 440b seemed particularly resistant to darkening chemically.
 
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