4 inch drop point WIP

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Tyler Atkinson
Posts: 72
Joined: Tue Jan 17, 2012 12:08 pm

4 inch drop point WIP

#1 Post by Tyler Atkinson » Sat Jul 13, 2013 2:50 pm

Hi all,
Here is a bit of a WIP on a four inch drop point I have just finished. It will have a full flat grind and a tapered tang. And sambar stag on the handle
First I trace the stencil onto a flat bar stock piece of ATS-34.
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I cut the blade roughly to shape on the bandsaw and then grind it down to its final profile with 60 grit.
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I mark out the pin holes for the handles and centre punch them
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Drilling the holes in the handle
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Pin holes drilled in handle and holes to lighten the handle.
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Then I grind the small piece of steel in front of the bolster that isn’t going to be ground in the flat grind. And finish to 400 grit
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Here I am hollowing out the handle to do a tapered tang
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I now make the tapered dang flat on each side. The reason for hollowing it out is to make it easier to do the flattening as there is less steel to remove.
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Now I take a few hollows out of each side to do the flat grind. The hollows do the same in this step at they do when I do the tapered tang.
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Here’s a picture of it finished to 400 grit on the grinder. I work through the grits 50, 240, 400grit.
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Now I hand polish to get all the scratches running the one way along the blade, I do this to 400grit before heat treatment.
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Here it is back from heat treatment with another one I had done at the same time.
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I clamp the knife to a piece of timber that I have mounted in a bench vice
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Start to sand with 400 grit. The piece of steel is surface ground on the other side so it is perfectly flat.
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400grit finished
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800 grit finished. I finish the 800 going in a different direction then the 400 so I can make sure all the 400 scratches are out.
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1200 grit finished
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2000 grit finished
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I repeat that on the other side and then go to the cloth buffing wheel.
I use a sown wheel with a medium compound to start
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Then go to an unsown wheel with a fine compound.
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I then start on bolsters. I use 416 stainless.
Here I have marked it out for the cut.
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In the proses of cutting them out
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Cut out and one side sanded flat
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I’ve got one clamped to the knife drilling the 3/32 holes for the pin. Do this to both bolsters
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Here I have a 2.5mm drill bit and I go half way through the bolster. This creates a bit of a cavity for the pin to fill in when it is pened.
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Grinding the front and back to right angles.
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Sanding front to 400 on grinder then to 1200 by hand. Finish on the cloth buffing wheel
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Forgot to take a couple of pics here but IV peened the bolsters on and shaped them to roughly what they will finish at.
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I decided to use some samba antler for the handle.
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I split it down the centre on the bandsaw.
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Outline the knife handle on the inside of the antler.
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Grind down to your handle line and you are left with a thick white bit on the inside.
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I cut the white bit off and then sand it to make sure it is flat.
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Now I cut out some red fibber for my liners and they are ready to glue onto the samba.
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Now it is time to add the red spacer to the antler.
I glue and clamp the red spacer to the antler
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I then flatten the face of the antler up again to bring the spacer flush with the antler
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Then I glue the front spacers on.
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And grind them back flush with the bottom of the first spacer. This makes a nice sharp corner so you don’t have any gap when it comes to the finish.
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I then clamp one side of the handle tang and drill the ¼ inch lanyard hole and the four 3/32 inch holes for pins.
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I also drill out a few holes going through the spacer to the antler so that when the handle is glues there is direct glue contact from the steel tang to the antler.
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Both sides done ready to be glued
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Pins cut and ready
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All glued and in clamps
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Now it is taken out of clamps ready for the handle to be shaped
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Shaped on the grinder with 60 grit
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Shaped on grinder to 400 grit
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Some of the pins stick up a little so i use a dremel tool to take the pin down
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I sand the bolster back to 2000 grit by hand
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Sand the steel around the edges back to 2000
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Here it is ready to be buffed
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Buffed ready for sheath and etching
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Now I do the etching
Here’s my gear that I use, it’s a personalize plus etching machine.
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Here are the stencils i use they get taped to the blade with electrical tape
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In the process of etching. There is a chemical that you put onto the etching pad. This eats the steel away that is through the stencil. And then it is switched to mark and the electrode current is switched around and this puts the black into the mark.
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After etching has finished
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Cleaned the blade off with the cleaner that takes the acid off.
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The drop point and another little one i did at the same time
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Now it’s up to doing the sheath.
I make a stencil out of paper to begin with.
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Then i cut it out to the lines using a band saw. It’s a small GMC one that i have an 18 tpi blade on.
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The knife sitting on the leather cut out
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I then wet the sheath down in warm water to wet mould it to the knife. I wrap the knife in cling wrap so it doesn’t attract to much water
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The sheath moulded around the knife.
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I then cut out the welt. It has a double layer at the top to accommodate the handle better.
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I mark out the sheath with a red pen and then do some stamping on it.
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I use a contact bond to glue my sheaths together. I glue the belt loop on
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I then mark out where my holes will be
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I use my pedestal drill to drill the holes. I use a 1mm drill bit.
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I then stitch it in and put my stamp in the sheath
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I glue the welt in and then i put a rivet in the top which helps to keep the leather together
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A picture of the welt in the sheath
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I use a marking tool that takes a groove out around the edge of the sheath for the stitching to sit in
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I then use a wheel which puts little dints in the groove for the holes to go into
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I then drill all the holes
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And stitch the sheath and here a pic of the knife in it.
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The sheath stained up and finished and with a coat of block out on it. Knife is sharpened up and cleaned.
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Thanks for looking
TJ ATKINSON
HANDMADE KNIVES
AUSTRALIA

tjknives@gmail.com
www.tjatkinsonknives.webs.com

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Mick Smith
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Re: 4 inch drop point WIP

#2 Post by Mick Smith » Sat Jul 13, 2013 3:25 pm

Magnificent!! A thing of beauty.
There is no use focusing on aiming if you don't execute the shot well enough to hit what your are aiming at.

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Stickbow Hunter
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Re: 4 inch drop point WIP

#3 Post by Stickbow Hunter » Sat Jul 13, 2013 3:27 pm

Thanks for an excellent build-a-long TJ. You are a talented craftsman.

Jeff

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Ronster
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Re: 4 inch drop point WIP

#4 Post by Ronster » Sat Jul 13, 2013 5:47 pm

Ditto to Jeff's comment, I'm gobsmacked :mrgreen:

Great pics.

Ronster
I would love to be an expert, but experience and lack of knowledge holds me back!

Bows:-
Raven Vanquish 62" TD Recurve 44# @ 28"
Beaver 64" Longbow 41# @ 27"
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andy80
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Re: 4 inch drop point WIP

#5 Post by andy80 » Sat Jul 13, 2013 5:51 pm

WOW. Thanks for sharing, I would love to have a crack at making a knife but don't have the time or the gear. You certainly make it look easy mate. Are you selling that one. The price of custom knives is definitely justified when they are a work of art like that one.

Cheers

Andy

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hazard
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Re: 4 inch drop point WIP

#6 Post by hazard » Sat Jul 13, 2013 6:54 pm

Fantastic!!

I am so glad you did a build along, I use the knife I got from you and it is a fantastic bit of workmanship!!

Keep up the excellent work TJ you have a great tallent.

Hazard
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Never under estimate the strength of a cornered coward.

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bigbob
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Re: 4 inch drop point WIP

#7 Post by bigbob » Sat Jul 13, 2013 6:57 pm

Thank YOU for taking the time to post this build along . You are talented and your creations are worth every cent and more of what you ask. As mentioned in one of my previous posts whenever I get some spare cash then one of your knives will be on my 'must have list.
nil illigitimo in desperandum carborundum
razorbows.com

daniel boon
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Re: 4 inch drop point WIP

#8 Post by daniel boon » Sat Jul 13, 2013 7:42 pm

Excellent build along, and great job on the knife and sheath.

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Fanto
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Re: 4 inch drop point WIP

#9 Post by Fanto » Sat Jul 13, 2013 8:39 pm

Tyler

I have one of your knives. It was extremely impressive to see how you made it. My hat is off to you sir.

Regards

Damian
"So long as the new moon returns in heaven a bent, beautiful bow, so long will the fascination of archery keep hold in the hearts of men" The Witchery of Archery, Maurice Thompson

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otis.drum
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Re: 4 inch drop point WIP

#10 Post by otis.drum » Sun Jul 14, 2013 9:56 am

Stunning!
...otis...

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UPTHETOP
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Re: 4 inch drop point WIP

#11 Post by UPTHETOP » Sun Jul 14, 2013 8:50 pm

Dam just noticed this build along inspirational TJ THANKS FOR TAKING THE TIME TO PUT IT ALL TOGETHER.

A great knife and sheath.

Cheers Wayno
Justastik Arrow Craft, Its all about the Wood.

Peregrine
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Re: 4 inch drop point WIP

#12 Post by Peregrine » Mon Jul 15, 2013 7:58 am

Fantastic crafsmanship and thank you for taking the time to collect build photos and talk us through it. It's very interesting and greatly appreciated! Can't wait to have one of your knives in the collection!
Well done TJ 8)

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AndyF
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Re: 4 inch drop point WIP

#13 Post by AndyF » Mon Jul 15, 2013 9:59 am

Fabulous. Wonderful work.

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Nephew
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Re: 4 inch drop point WIP

#14 Post by Nephew » Tue Jul 16, 2013 12:15 am

Just amazing! You surely are one of Aus' premier knife makers, TJ. I haven't bought a knife in years but I must get at least one of yours, Mate.
Lately, if life were treating me any better, I'd be suspicious of it's motives!

wal
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Re: 4 inch drop point WIP

#15 Post by wal » Tue Jul 16, 2013 11:18 am

I guess he had to learn to build them as he's still a few years off being able to legally buy one, and his Old Man is to
tight to buy him the type of gear he likes............me :biggrin:

They're looking good lad.

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Gringa Bows
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Re: 4 inch drop point WIP

#16 Post by Gringa Bows » Mon Jul 22, 2013 8:01 pm

Very nice :biggrin:

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mikaluger
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Re: 4 inch drop point WIP

#17 Post by mikaluger » Wed Jul 24, 2013 9:30 pm

Awesome mate!!!! great stuff.........I hope my knives come out half as good as those! If i ever get round to finishing them...lol.

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Nephew
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Re: 4 inch drop point WIP

#18 Post by Nephew » Wed Aug 07, 2013 5:41 pm

wal wrote:I guess he had to learn to build them as he's still a few years off being able to legally buy one, and his Old Man is to
tight to buy him the type of gear he likes............me :biggrin:

They're looking good lad.
You must be hugely proud of your boys talent, matey. I know I would be! :biggrin:
Lately, if life were treating me any better, I'd be suspicious of it's motives!

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Jim
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Re: 4 inch drop point WIP

#19 Post by Jim » Wed Aug 07, 2013 7:08 pm

Genuinely impressive craftsmanship and finished product mate. That drop point is amongst the prettiest and more practical looking knives I've seen.

Jim
"Structural Integrity of the entire arrow system is THE most important factor in terminal arrow performance. When structural integrity fails nothing else about your arrow's design matters."
-Doc Ashby

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rodlonq
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Re: 4 inch drop point WIP

#20 Post by rodlonq » Thu Aug 22, 2013 7:19 pm

Fantastic looking knife and sheath TJ, your work is truly inspirational :mrgreen: . Not only does it look great but the end result is a really solid and functional tool that I reckon any hunter would cherish to have in their kit.

Thank you for taking the time to put together an excellent build along, easily the best I've seen yet 8) .

Cheers........ Rod

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