Maybe I got one more knife left in me?

[lemaymiami]

I was away from this thread for a while (running charters back in the saltwater portions of the Everglades...) so I just read everything I've missed and noted something y'all might want to remember. I do a lot of epoxy work building fishing rods (as well as lure-making) so I'm pretty familiar with its properties. Yes, acetone will clean up any extra epoxy - but acetone will also remove any nearby finishes (it's a universal solvent...). To be careful not to mess up anything else I always use plain old rubbing alcohol for cleanup. It will remove mixed epoxy from your work (and your hands) with no ill effects. If needed you can also mix a few drops of detergent (I like Joy) with that alcohol for really thorough cleaning of painted, varnished, etc surfaces without causing any problems. Epoxies (fast, slow, or medium cure) are great adhesives but need to be removed before they set up if clean up is needed.

 

[rcmodel]

+1
Alcohol is all I have ever used for uncured epoxy cleanup.

Works great!!

Acetone works pretty good for getting cured CA (Super-Glue) off your fingers.
As does nail polish remover.

rc

 

[lemaymiami]

Here's a trick with CA that's saved me a lot of trouble... Whenever I'm working with it I keep a custard bowl with a bit of water nearby... any CA adhesive is killed dead in it's tracks by simply dunking your fingers in the water... I use lots of Krazy Glue as a commercial fly tier so I've had my share of mis-adventures with the stuff.... After the 'kill' you'll still have it on your fingers that's when acetone or lacquer thinner comes into play (but it sure is nice to be able to kill its glue properties before that becomes a difficulty when you're doing production work).

 

[Valkman]

On my knives there is nothing else to mess up so I use lots of acetone. Works great on lots of stuff, was a tip from a longtime knife maker. I do use alcohol on lighter stuff like getting marker off of knife edges after sharpening.

 

[rcmodel]

Progress today?
Almost none!

Worked on the lathe gearbox all morning and finally got it working without the carriage feed working until I can get a new gear.
My back went out this morning, so of course I dropped everything I picked up, and had to bend over a get it out from under a bench! :banghead:

MISTAKE #5:
Linen Ivory Micarta!
Should have ordered some Paper Micarta or Imitation Ivory slabs!

(My god! I wish you could still get that old Westinghouse paper Ivory Micarta now!!)

I have wet sanded it 15 times, and every time I get to the final buffing, it leaves black streaks in the fibers.

So, I scrubbed it sparkly white with a toothbrush and Crest.
Then sealed it with CA Adhesive, and wet sanded it again.
TWICE!

Then buffed it out.
Still a couple of spots I need to seal again!! :banghead:

CA Sealed & Buffed out:



Here is where we are at 11:00 PM tonight:



rc

 

[rcmodel]

Also played with blade etching with DC power today.

I got some free stencil mask from an art & sign place yesterday.

Cut a stencil and hooked up a 18V power supply from an old door-bell.

Using vinegar & salt water, with a Q-Tip electrode.

It eats into cold rolled steel in less then a minute, with a very deep dark etch.

However, I am unable to cut a stencil with legible lettering that small!




PLAN B?
I found a Trophy shop in town that says they can Laser Engrave any lettering I want on the blade for around $25 bucks!!

What a deal!!

rc

 

[bikerdoc]

Serious info and education in the last 2 posts.

 

[hso]

I'd be frightened to screw things up gilding the lily when you have something that looks perfect.

 

[Valkman]

Well, there comes a point when I KNOW a knife is done. RC hasn't reached that point yet but he will.

 

[rcmodel]

Progress Report today:
None!

I tried the Iron-On T-Shirt Transfer material to get the pattern on the handle.




Didn't work on Formica / Micarta.



rc

 

[rcmodel]

Then, I tried using Parchment Oven paper.
This really works on wood projects!!



Printed it and rubbed it on with a smooth end tool.

Didn't work on sanded Formica! :banghead:



So, I'm left with hand-drawing the eagles if I'm gonna do it, I guess??



PS: Using the old linen Mircata I had was a huge Mistake.

I sanded it clear down to bare surface again today and am still getting black buffer streaks in it.
Must have got some bad Micarta scales way back when, as I have never had any trouble with it before like this!

Thinking I may have to Discard the handle and start over again with good quality imitation Ivory.


rc

 

[srtolly]

Maybe some carbon paper and trace what you have.

 

[rcmodel]

Maybe??

Where the heck do you find carbon paper anymore??

I think I looked for it at Office Depot a couple of years ago and they didn't know what I was talking about!!

rc

 

[srtolly]

The small office supply store in my town has it but you may be able to make your own.

 

[rcmodel]

Oh Yea!
Here is another important knife-making tip!

Don't hold on to a burnt-out Dremel tool motor out of the housing and turn it on!!

The cooling fan will cut your finger-tip off when it decides to work again suddenly at 35,000 RPM instantly.

Before you can turn loose of it!! :banghead:



rc

 

[srtolly]

That stinks. I reached into my knife drawer once and took off the tip of a finger on one of my leather working knives.

On the carbon paper, take one of your grandkids crayons and color the back of a sheet of paper to make transfer paper. A grease pencil would probably work better though.

 

[rcmodel]

Another late night brainstorm!
If the Linen Micarta wants to look Dirty instead of white after buffing?

Lets Play Dirty!!

I took another piece of it, and died half of it with Tandy Lt. Brown leather die, then Sealed the other half with Tru-Oil.



When it dries tomorrow, I will buff it out and see what it looks like.

Old real aged Ivory looks like this!



I can scrimshaw cracks and lines in it without a pattern!!

Still want to do the the Eagles though!!

rc

 

[Valkman]

The one time I worked with white micarta I really had a hard time getting all the marks and buffer streaks off of it. Hand sanding is all I can recommend if buffing with white compound doesn't work.

That dye job looks good RC.

 

[hso]

I don't advise faking cracks to make synthetic look like aged ivory. It never looks right.

 

[rcmodel]

Progress today:

Again, not much.
Still fighting the Ivory Micarta.

I did a Dye test on a new chunk of it and it turned out pretty decent I guess.

Dye Test:
Real elephant ivory in the middle, test scale next to the dye bottle.




Dyed handle before sanding & buffing:



rc

 

[rcmodel]

Then, I wet sanded the dye off and duffed it.
No buffer dirt streaks now, but it still looks nasty!

Not near as good as the test piece:



I'm about to toss it in the trash and start over with paper Mircarta or Tru-Ivory.
If they still make it??
Already wasted a week on it trying to get the buffer streaks out of it!!

Made the silver inlaid Sam Browne Keeper Post for the sheath today, and finished the belt clip file work.

Man Jewelry for the handle and sheath is pretty much done!





(On a positive note.)
I found two perfectly good Dremel tools on the junk on the shelf I forgot I had.
One was set up as a router, and the other one is a cordless Black & Decker with three batteries that work!! WOOHoo!!
My luck is changing!

rc

 

[RetiredUSNChief]

I've got some Cocobolo around somewhere that I could send you for this project, if you want. Wednesday I can mail it.

 

[hso]

How much Westinghouse do you need?

 

[rcmodel]

One pair of 3/8" x 5" x 1 1/2".

rc

 

[rcmodel]

Progress today?

Not much again.

* Took the blade to the Laser engraver and crossed my fingers!
He said no guarantees, but he thought he could do it??



Supposed to be done Wednesday.


* Sanded and hand rubbed the handle with MeGuiars Clear-coat polish, and it looks pretty good.
Kinda Antique looking without looking gaudy.

* Figured out how to transfer the scrimshaw patterns I think.
I traced the photos on frosted clear vinyl, then put a white sheet of paper under it and took a photo of the black outline.




rc