This instruction is about how to do it yourself make a quality hunting knife. As a material, we use a workpiece made of 1080 steel. It is quite strong steel, lends itself well to hardening and processing. The knife is made with simple common tools, the main work is carried out using a grinder with a good supply of circles.
Materials and tools used by the author:
- steel billet 1080 ();
- a grinder with grinding and cutting wheels;
- different sandpaper;
- drill with drills ();
- rods for pins;
- epoxy adhesive;
- wood for finishing pens;
- paper, pencil and so on (for making a template);
- marker;
- whetted;
- heat source for hardening;
- pliers, hammer, etc .;
- domestic oven;
- clamps or vices;
- files for metal and wood;
- preferably a belt sander ().
DIY knife making process:
Step one. We make and transfer the template
First of all, you need to make a template. We find on the Internet ready and print, or we draw ourselves. Next, you will need to cut it, then attach it to the workpiece and draw a marker around it. By the way, if you cut a template out of cardboard, you can hold it in your hands to make sure that the future knife will be convenient.
Step Two Rough work with the profile
Next, we arm ourselves with a grinder and slowly cut out the rough shape of the profile, while always remember that the steel heats up quickly, and this is bad for it. When working with a grinder, be sure to cool the workpiece with water and slowly cut it manually.
Step Three We finalize the knife profile
After rough cutting on the profile there will remain uncut places, these are various roundings and so on. To cut out all these sections, the author used a sharpener. You can also work as a grinder with grinding wheels. As for the case when there is no such tool, you can use files of various shapes and so on. In addition, working with a hand tool is again less likely to overheat the metal.
You also have to form the bevels on the knife. Some do it with a grinder, but it is best to use a belt sander. All the cutting characteristics of the knife will depend on the bevels. The thinner the blade, the better the knife cuts and the easier it is sharpened. First, mark the bevels on the knife and be sure to draw a center line on the future blade. It will allow you to make bevels at one angle.To divide the blade into two halves, you can use a drill of the same diameter as your workpiece.
The author also cuts cloves on the blade. They can be formed with files or a grinder.
Step Four We drill holes for the pins
If you plan to harden a knife, always complete all basic metalwork before hardening. Otherwise, it will work very hard with metal, or you will not be able to do some work at all. So, for example, it is extremely important to drill holes for the pins. At a minimum, there should be two pieces, this is enough for a reliable fixation of the pads. They do more, but it’s more for beauty.
Step Five Quenching
Hardening involves two stages, first, the steel is made as strong as possible, and then softened a little so that it is not fragile, this procedure is called tempering. For hardening, you need a stove or a good bonfire. You need to get a considerable temperature, the workpiece must be heated to a bright red glow, and then cooled in oil, motor or vegetable is suitable. To understand that you have precisely reached the desired temperature, bring the magnet to the workpiece, if it will not be attracted, the steel is ready for cooling.
After hardening, the metal will be very fragile, the knife will easily fly to pieces if you drop it. To make it more resilient, you need to make a vacation of steel. Here a domestic oven will come to the rescue, heat it to a temperature of 200 degrees Celsius and put the knife for an hour and a half. After this, the oven should cool with the knife, do not open it. That's all, the vacation is made, in your hands a very durable, high-quality metal.
Before further work, smooth the surface to a shine.
Step Six Cut the pads on the handles
Now we need to make pads on the handles. We select the right material, it can be wood, animal bones, horns, plastic and much more. Cut coarse workpieces to size, and drill holes for the pins.
Seventh step. Glue the pads
At this step, you will need an epoxy and a clamp, well, or a vice. You must also prepare two pins. The pins can be made of brass, copper and so on, if nothing is at hand, you can even use ordinary nails. We dilute the resin with the hardener and glue the halves. Then hold the handle firmly with the clamp and let it dry completely. Usually epoxy dries for about 24 hours.
Step Eight. Handle handle
When the glue is completely dry, a handle can be formed. First, give her the right profile, you can work with rasps. Also, a grinder or grinder will go, but in this case, be careful and do not waste too much. Slowly display the main profile, and then grind the handle with sandpaper. Gradually reduce the grit size of the sandpaper to make the handle perfectly smooth.
Step Nine. Completion
Another important step is the impregnation of the handle, as the tree actively absorbs moisture, and for a hunting knife this is generally unacceptable. Wood, saturated with moisture after drying, can crack, however, and wet it expands quite strongly, which is also bad. The handle should be soaked with linseed oil, especially if it is boiled (natural drying oil). After soaking, allow the oil to dry, and then polish the handle to a shine. If you plan to store the knife for a long time, grease with oil and metal.
Finally, make a sheath for the knife so that it is comfortable and safe to wear on the belt. You will need thick skin, it will not be difficult to find it. Also tie a “strategic rope” to the knife. Well, and do not forget to sharpen the blade to a razor state, Japanese water stone will help you with this, well, or others fixtures for sharpening. That's all, homemade ready, successful hunting, and fishing ...