A Boot Knife Build

[BrokenolMarine]

Back out to work on the boot knife. Before starting to fit the scales, I wanted to give the bolsters a bit of a polish. I started with 600 grit and polished using my tried and true wet with a dash of dawn.

28 600.jpg

Moved on to 1000 grit, I'm out of 800. Slow circles with light pressure, trying to avoid adding any additional scratches and removing the ones from 600.

29 1000.jpg

I made sure to work the rolled edges at both those grits, and again when I moved on to 1500. The water and the dawn are supposed to help get the best finish possible. Once I start shaping the scales, I'll cover the bolster with the blue tape, but then will have to go back and polish a tad more, and might go up to 2000 before moving to the rouge to finish off.

30 1500.jpg

[BrokenolMarine]

If you look in the picture for 600, the dark line you see on the right edge ON the blade blank, is epoxy bleed out. The scalpel will remove that after the 1500 polish before we start on the scales. Gotta have that tight snuggle against the bolster.

[BrokenolMarine]

As I began to fit the scales, I noted that the first one I pushed up tight was off a bit. Not a LOT but it wasn't lining up straight down the slot...

31 A side a tad off.jpg

Tweeked the alignment and marked a tick to show how much it was off. Then we mark the distance we need to change the angle.

32 A side correction.jpg

Off to the benchtop sander and I use the disc sander on the side to carefully sand to the line. TO the line... not over.

33 making the adjustment.jpg

Testing the fit and the A Side is bang on.

34 A aligned.jpg

[BrokenolMarine]

The scale is carefully clamped into position and I trace around the scale, then mark the holes.

a side layout.jpg

Satisfied, I repeat the process for the B side to get a nice layout as well. I center the blade in the blanks rather than on one edge or the other due to the arched shape of the scale blanks. The grain is deeper in the center section and we want that to run down the center of the knife blank.

AND B side.jpg

Time for a break, lunch and rest the hands and the back. Will cut out the scales this afternoon if up to it.

[BrokenolMarine]

The knife keeps pulling me to the shop. I set up the bandsaw for the cuts, but the light wouldn't pick up the markings, so I had to make them darker.

37 setting up the bandsaw.jpg

While I was back at the bench, I had to take the time to make SIX 1/8th by 2-1/4" copper pins for the knife, since I would need then to insure the scales didn't move as I drilled the holes, then for the glue up. First you sand the rough copper rod to insure it's smooth and then cut each pin to length and round the rough ends. Pins.

38 making six eighth inch pins.jpg

Carefully clamping the scale to the blade blank, I moved to the drill press after checking and rechecking to insure it was in position. Then I drilled a hole, checked the position and inserted a pin. Drilled a hole, inserted a pin. I could add a second clamp at that point and continue to drill and insert pins until all six holes are drilled. Once the once side was done, I jumped to the other. Both sides came out pretty nice and the pins were snug.

39 carefully drilled the holes.jpg

The pins were removed and we are ready to prep for glue up. The blade blank and scales have to be sanded on the glue side one last time, then roughed up to help the glue hold. Everything needed for the glue up has to be in place as it's FIVE minute epoxy.

[BrokenolMarine]

As always, I can't let well enough alone, I am trying something new. I am going to add a new aspect to the build and Tint the epoxy used in the scale glue up. I ordered this after the last build, and on this build I'll tint the epoxy to compliment the bolsters. Copper.

40 Tint for the epoxy.jpg

This stuff is very fine powder and you don't need much. I dipped some out on the scalpel blade and ... it looks like a got a bit much.

41 Oops a bit too much.jpg

One thing I can say, it makes the epoxy look metallic when it's wet, we'll see what it looks like when it's dry. The glue up went smooth as silk, but it was messy. I'll post some additional pics when I get it out of the clamps and began the shaping and final finish process. (The metallic looking epoxy.)

42 It's metallic.jpg

The other new technique will be rolling the tops of the pins in the handle, these will be part of the accents. I have to "Make" an anvil to go under the pins, out of a carriage bolt, that can be adjusted up and down to support the pin while it's being rolled, shaped, and polished. You can't order these, yet. I think I have everything I need.

It will give the scales time to set up properly....

I don't weld, so wish me luck. I think I have JB Weld in the shop.

[BrokenolMarine]

BTW, not only did I use too much metallic tint, that's WAY too much epoxy mixed up and wasted. Duh.
(Picture a Gibs Head Slap Emoji here)

[Hatchdog]

I’m liking how you textured the bolsters and the serpentine pattern on the spline is really cool. Nice work!

[BrokenolMarine]

Thanks Hatch. We will soon know if the chances I took paid off. I'll be back out in the shop this morning after coffee... These days I'm fueled by caffine. It's my drug of choice.

[BrokenolMarine]

The coffee got cut short, I had to know if it was going to look okay. I got on out to the shop and pulled the knife out of the clamps and it was a hot mess. Wait, wait, they always look like that and in this case, I expected it. I put extra epoxy in on purpose. Why? You ask. I wanted it to fill those voids from the tooling with copper tinted epoxy as accents to see if it will look good when everything is said and done. If not I can pull it out of there and polish the steel to a bright silver shine.

A hot mess:

43 out of the clamps.jpg

Here is a closer look, a copper tinted epoxy bleed out.

44 closer look.jpg

After working the knife on the benchtop sander and the Oscillating sander for the inside curves.... it's starting to look like something. I also trimmed down those long pins.

45 rough shaped trimmed pins.jpg