Trailmaster Rescue

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Sam Cade

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Sep 9, 2005
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Rural Kentucky, surrounded by Amish
Some time ago I rescued a Camillus produced Trailmaster blade from a life of being thrown at a stump.

Poor thing.

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Cleaned up the tang, stuck a couple small bolts through the holes and cast a composite faux-carta billet around it.

This is going to be pretty dusty.

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Squared off.

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I can get the thickness of the grip pretty close with compression in my vise but I have to make the billet huuuuuuuge if I want to have enough material to cut out an integral guard.

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Heh.... I'm getting pretty good at this.
 

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Did you use the "ugly jeans" for that handle? :D Looks like good work.
 
Did you use the "ugly jeans" for that handle?

I used a pair a brown commercial "bdu" pants that I never wore with a few strips of a black cotton sweatshirt for seasoning.

As soon as I get done with my late morning coffee I am heading to the shop and use the Ugly Pants (note capitals) on your (ever more pointy) 514 kitchen-'chete.


Looks like good work.

It looks damn good at arms length. :D

I'm still having problems with minor cosmetic asymmetries but nothing significant in re. to utility and nothing that cant be fixed by some careful sanding. If I'd slow down and use a belt less aggressive than 60-grit for the last bit I'd probably have less. ;)
 
Wow, this is just a heck of a lot of fun to watch!

It is more fun that pinning on scales, that is for sure.


The only down side is the unbelievable amount of potentially toxic, flammable dust that it produces.

I had to not only move my work area outside my shop proper, but cobble together a shop-vac powered vacuum hood to use while outside just to see what I am doing.
It also sparked a respirator upgrade. *coff coff* :uhoh:
 
I like a powered respirator like Rockler sells. I'm on my second one, though.

'Course, if you can swing it, I'm sure the 3M one that Northern Safety sells is nice. For $600, it should be!
 
If you can scrounge a copus blower from a pawn shop you'll be able to just about build a fume bench to work on.

If you're persistent you can find Powered Air Purifying systems for a lot less than that (still hundreds of dollars, just not as many). You'd be surprised the full systems that pop up on ebay that I've bought and "traded" to knife makers.

Something like this is a great opportunity. http://www.ebay.com/itm/3M-RACAL-BR...ltDomain_0&hash=item3a82307de3#ht_2924wt_1328
 
Sam -- Yup! That's the one! I need a larger size mask than the one that comes with the kit, but it works pretty well. Just makes the bridge of my nose hurt after a few hours.

hso -- WOW. Now that is indeed quite a deal!
 
I keep an eye out for open box, demo, refurb, and used PAPRs. My daughter knew how to inspect, don, and clear a respirator when whe was but a wee thing (and shocked my wife with a practical demonstration of that knowledge and skill when a train derailment across the lake caused them to have to evacuate).
 
I don't know how you guys can wear that stuff - it gets so hot here that I just wore the white masks that cover the nose and mouth. Couldn't stand the respirator!
 
Couldn't stand the respirator!

Don, these are powered respirators instead of negative pressure air purifying respirators. You don't have to suck air through them, the blower pushed clean air into the mask as long as the battery has juice.
 
I know I'm late to the party, but where can I find more information on the faux-carta process? I've recently reassembled my knifemaking tools and I like the idea of one piece handles on working blades.

Great looking work btw!
 
Old military surplus, jeans, or flannel shirts would probably be good choices. I wish I could find a bunch of the Desert Storm night camo cheap...
 
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