October Project - Stag Hunter

[BrokenolMarine]

Build along for this if anyone might be interested. I figured it was time after I finished that Display Case project and cleaned up the shop.

01 cleanup from knife case.jpg

I bought the blank and the guard and pommel from Jantz. I plan to use a piece of Antler I got from my daughter and some interesting inlay left over from another project, and maybe some G10 accents. We'll see. If people tell me they want to follow, I'll take the pics and narrate the build. Who am I kidding, I'm taking the pics for MY records anyway. This is the tentative plan.

03 layout for stag and inlays.jpg

Let me know y'all. I have dental in the morning and have to drive to Sulphur. Davis is next door and I need to stop in Jantz and pick up a file or two. Need to shape the junction of the guard and blade, and open up the guard a bit.

Might work tomorrow, might not. Wednesday for sure.... Watch this space, enough Followers, something might appear other than the final pic.

[CT_Shooter]

I'm looking forward to it, Marine.

[Hatchdog]

Bring it on BOM…

Oh by the way, if idle hands are the tool of the devil ole’ Beelzebub doesn’t even know you exist.

Shop looks great now go in there and mess it up!

[BigAl52]

You dont even need to ask. It has an entertainment value all of its own

[BrokenolMarine]

I stopped by Jantz on the way to the dentist and picked up a carbide cutter for the Dremel to help with opening the hole in the guard. I told the nice lady behind the counter it was too bad they didn't make mini mills. She laughed and said they do. "We used to sell them a few years back."

[BrokenolMarine]

"Uh Oh."

Something else to research.

[BrokenolMarine]

BTW, I found a use for that leftover magnet from the display case project... I attached it to the back of the leather shelves, facing the knife desk. It holds a number of tools for this side of the room. Allen wrenches that fit various things, and now the diamond files. They aren't in THIS pic, but I'll show it later with all that stuff.

02 used the extra magnet.jpg

The Blade Blank needed some fine tuning, so I used the filing JIG from Jantz and started working. I squared the blade up in the JIG and used leather strips due to the ridge running down the side of the blade. I made sure the blade was square in the JIG then placed it in the big vise. Worked, and worked. Got it close.

04 file blade for guard.jpg

Next I worked on the Guard, they come with the hole slightly undersize and you fit them. I don't have a mill, so I bought a carbide cutter for the Dremel, and got 'er close, then it's file work. It was close, but no cigar....

05 still a gap.jpg

After another half hour of work with the diamond files... she was good.

06 much better.jpg

[BrokenolMarine]

I started polishing the Guard with the same method I always use. 120 grit, water, and dawn. Elbow Grease. Music in the background helps. Today it's the soundtrack from American Graffiti. I sound great on some songs, Suck on others, but none of you can hear me... so I sing along, and sing out loud and proud. Tina sometimes sticks her head in and asks if someone is killing a cat?

07 begin polishing.jpg

I took the polishing up thru 240, 325, 400... then stopped and marked the guard with a circle template and put it on the disc grinder. Grind, cool in the water bath. Grind (a little) and cool in the water bath. I got 'er shaped.

08 shaped the guard.jpg

A little comparison with the pommel which I haven't begun polishing. It's nickel silver as well... they both came looking like that. The pommel and the guard will be taken up to around 2,000 grit then rouged. But for now, I'll work on removing scratches and worry about shaping and rolling the edges on the guard. Once it's installed there will be areas I can't polish.

09 guard and pommel.jpg

I'll be back at it tomorrow.

[BigAl52]

Is the mini mill on order yet?

[BrokenolMarine]

Is the mini mill on order yet?

Ah, I wish. I saw one at Harbor Freight on line, About $800. No Reviews. Then you start adding in all the bits and cutters.


They go UP dramatically from there. $2,000. plus the bits, cutters and the rest. I can make do with the carbide cutters for the Dremel for the things I need to do... Cheaper to buy another blade if I blow it... than pay for all that.

I'm just a hobbyist here. The one thing I have plenty of?

Time.