Red Beard Ops I’ve silver soldered then before. Also done pins and glue like you’ve done here. Man that tumbler is a great idea! Super cool. Did you do a vid on the making of that?
Good job man. I use a tapered reamer for mounting bolsters with pins. They are pressed on. Here’s a vid from my channel on the whole process. th-cam.com/video/Lx01ukYK1YA/w-d-xo.html
few tips that might help: I would tape up that blade when you are grinding on the handle, That can ruin a blade real fast, even though chance is not that high its a small step to keep it in good order. If you want to polish that bolster with a buffer, also tape up the blade because you will get streaks otherwise. For best results I would sand the bolster front ends before glueing them on the knife to at least 1000 grit, but better is 2000. After you done the front, you can attach them and when handsanding the handle you can finish the side parts of it. Buff it, then finish it with a brass/copper polish or something to really get it to a mirror finish.
I've been making knives for 11-12yrs. now and this is about the same as I do it. Your very good at what you do. Thank you for taking the time to put this vid out there.
This looks great, and honestly I think the brushed finish on the bolster matches the aesthetic of the etched and tumbled blade finish. A mirror finish there would be somewhat incongruous I think. Fantastic job.
Hey man good point, really appreciate your feedback! Hand sanding brass can be tough. Lots of J-hooks. Maybe a more fine surface conditioning belt is in order. I think the blue one I have is fine and they make one even finer.
I've made half a dozen knives with brass or aluminum bolsters like that. In each case I sanded to 2000 grit then buffed handle and bolster with compound to get a high polish. They all look great !
I've played around building a few knives from pre ground /heat treated blanks with pretty good results. I would like to step up to making knives from scratch. I'll admit, your work is inspiring.
I wish I had thought of your trick--using a drill bit as a locating pin, when you drill the second bolster hole. That's pretty slick. I'm totally adding that to my techniques. If those buggers are off by the smalles fraction, good luck getting anything to fit and not look like junk! Cool vid. Really enjoyed it.
Hey J. Brand new knife maker here. Have you noticed heat treating prior to bevel grinding wearing on your belts more? In my mind, grinding the steel while it is soft would be less wear on the belt, but I really have no clue. Thanks for your videos. My first couple knives were pretty successful thanks to your help! I’ve watched several other knife makers for assistance but I really dig your process.
Thank you! Glad you're enjoying the videos. I do think the softer steel will grind easier. To this point I've done it both ways and to me it depends on the style knife I'm working on. If it's a super thin chefs knife or a basic 1/8'' skinner I'll just knock off the corners (so like a 1/4'' bevel) pre heat treatment. If it's a thick bowie, I'll go further.
My first and only bolster I just glued and pushed the brass rods through, no peening. After sanding you couldn’t see the brass pins, they just blended in. Love your knife
Wow, what a great idea for a rock tumbler! I've been trying to figure out how to make one for occasional use, and your setup will definitely serve as an inspiration. Thank you.
One thing I like to do is bevel the front of the bolster pieces to 45° before attaching them and you can use cloth backed belt, turned upside down and loaded with compound as a way to polish the brass. Great looking knife like always
How come i didnt see your channel before? Your videos are very informative, to-the-point, inspiring and full of ideas. And separate kudos for video and sound editing.
Thanks a million man! I'm constantly working on upping my editing and video quality. Don't go back too far or you'll be disappointed! Hope to see ya around the comment section.
That turned out great J. We tend to be the most critical of our own work, but I’d say that’s a pretty perfect EDC fixed blade that anyone should be happy to have hang on their belt. 👌👊👍
Hey man, I really appreciate that! I hate to say it but I'm tempted to destroy this knife just to see how well the bolsters are on there... for science! It would be a painful endeavor though...
Red Beard Ops don’t do it, your average knife owner would never put it through such torture as to test the sheer strength of the epoxy and peened pins. You’d end up taking a chisel to separate them and on the third whack you’d be like, “what am I doing, this was a good knife!” 🤦♂️
Looks really good man....when i do brass bolsters i put a slight angel maybe 2 degrees on the bolster where it go's to the handle and that same angle on the handle "flipped of course" so it meets nice and tight so you don't have to use the g10 to make it tight...........Thumbs Up
What i recently found is that some polishing compound just heated with a lighter and spread out on the back side of a thin piece of leather works fantastic for quick hand polishing!! (Just some of the green wax-like bar thingie)
Pretty knife. I like the brushed finish and the scales... great choice of wood. I’ve not seen anyone use JB Weld though vs. soldering the bolsters but I haven’t watched a ton of videos on the process.
Just keep doing it the way you're doing it I like it, I have a buffer that i really don't like. It will scratch the brass if there's any dust or contaminated with anything besides the compound. You just can't beat hand finished look that you got there. Great job
Very Nnnice!! I’m a newbie so it will l be a while b4 I attempt bolsters. But I’ll come back to watch this. Thank you for the great job you do on your videos!
Great videos, and your passion for knifemaking really shows. I usually use scotch brite belts on my bolsters and guards, regardless of the material they are made of. You can get a very nice finish on them this way.
Great looking for your first attempt. I pretty much follow a similar method the handful of bolsters that I have finished. As you mentioned I do hit everything on a buffer when coming to completion.
I just purchased a Jet Buffer with a VFD and went to the Combat Buffing Wheels. With it would you’ll make that brass VERY shiny. It also is great for handles and blades alike. Good luck!
Beautiful knife, I love your videos. I use a buffer with green chrome 600 grit rouge. Nothing finer is needed in my opinion for a mirror polish on brass. I also agree the satin finish looks best on this particular knife.
Grind, shape and polish the bolsters to near complete before permanently fixing them to the blade. Your finish on the blade looks good. Thanks for the video
Looks great, you did a wonderful job on it. The only thing I was thinking while watching you grind the bolster and handle is that it wasn’t taped. Lol! Just one slip and it’s ruined so it’s worth the 30 seconds to tape up that blade. If it hasn’t happened to you, it will at some point! Nice job though. I love your rock tumbling jig too!
I feel you! I used to wrap them up, but I feel like I'm able to check handle symmetry better without the tape on there... I go back and forth. Thanks for your comment man! Really appreciate it.
Congratulations, great. good job. may I ask you how did you manage to create the current engraver that you use with the piece of wood to engrave your logo on the blade? thank you
Great looking knife! When I do bolsters and pommels I do as much finishing on the hard to reach spots as I can before I finally peen them on. And a buffer would make things easier but if you have a drill press then just get an arbor that will fit and crank up the speed. It was what I used before I got a buffer. Great vid keep up the good work!
Nice job and I agree the brushed brass looks good. If you want a higher shine, brass is pretty easy to polish up with some 3000 grit wet paper. A buffer is still the easiest/best however. A deburring wheel will get you pretty close as well.
Thank you sir! Sounds like I need some higher grit paper and maybe a small buffer! I think I'd want a VFD on my buffer.... they freak me out a little...
harbor freight has a set of 2 buffing wheels for your drill and comes with 2 different compounds . it works well but the buffing wheels wear out relatively fast but will tell you if its something you want to invest in now or can wait . i can say i sanded to 500 and with the red compound puts a mirror finish on brass quickly. the 2 pack costed me less than 4 dollars
Are the bolster pins you used here hollow? I see black dots on the finished knife. I have never made a single knife, it occurred to me that tapping the bolster holes then peening might allow the pin to compress into the threaded area and provided an even more secure fit up since you end up sanding off the peen.
If you want the bolster to shine, try "Simichrome" polish. It contains cerium oxide abrasive and some sort of acid (oleic, I believe), but it will take that brush finish to mirror in a minute, even by hand. You can find it in motorcycle shops, (and maybe auto parts stores). It is phenomenal on brass and aluminum. It's a little pricey, at $15 or so per tube, but a little goes a long way. Mirror finish. Almost instantly.
After many experiments I have the impression that G 10 does not give a durable bond with any glue. I used two component epoxy glues from various countries, cyanoacrylate glues also failed. G 10 was sanded with coarse sandpaper and thoroughly washed with pure alcohol. Beautiful and well made knife.
Great knife man! I’m sure I’m late to watching this but I wanted to suggest looking into dove tail bolsters. I’m experimenting with them in my own knives. They say it adds strength to the handle to do that.
Any chance you could post a link to where you get your stencils? I tried a search for TUC Industries and came up empty. Thanks. Great videos. Very good instruction without a lot of silly crap that so many think is appropriate for this type video.
Great knife, I really like your etched/stone washed blades. A low cost buffer can be achieved with the buffer attachments for your corded drill, I picked up a set from an auto parts store. To fix the drill in place, I used the handle attachment which fitted on the front of the drill. My Bosch used a thread to screw into the handle to tighten the clamp. I removed the handle and fitted it to an angle bracket I had lying around and used the bench vise to secure the drill. Use the drill on constant run instead of trigger. adjust your speed as needed. Just make sure you have the drill running the right direction or the pad unscrews.
@@RedBeardOps I bought a 3/4 horsepower motor at an estate sale running at 1340 and mounted it on a 2" thick board. I also picked up a deal that runs with a v-belt and is 18" from the motor. It came from Wards (Montgomery Wards) and has a threaded rod running through with the belt going through the middle with a buffing wheel on each end. I picked up a number of buffs from Gesswein and use those with different polishing compounds. Tripoli would have worked well for this knife I think, as it is designed to remove scratches, etc.from brass and bring the brass up to a great shine. You could fix up a 2 sided setup, running tripoli on one side and red rouge on the other. The tripoli will get a good start and the red rouge will bring everything up to a high luster....really shiny if that's what you want. I have been poor-boying everything but hope to eventually get a set-up similar to yours for knife work, and I think you did a great job on the bolster.I was surprised you didn't tape your blade (like the guy above) . Even though most buffers on the jewelry side run a great deal faster, rpm-wise, I haven't noticed any big problems with the slower speed, even when I am working with silver. It may take a bit longer but not that much. Hope this helps...Also. very good video and narration!
That is an outstanding knife. Your fit and finish are excellent and I really like the profile and size. What belt grinder do you use and does that company offer the thickness sanding attachment seen here???
Thanks for the video, Im just about to do my first full tang bolster as well. Can you tell me what saw you use at the beginning of the video to cut the shape from your stock?
I use the harbor freight corded dremel with a buffing wheel attachment. Works great and I have pretty good control. I’d suggest sanding to like 2000 maybe.
That's a good idea! Nice low cost of entry too. I only went up to 1000 grit before hitting it with the belt so maybe the 2K would work better assuming I'll hit it with a dermal buffer. Thanks for the suggestions!
Hi enjoyed your video in particular your approach to handle construction. I have a question on acid etching? How do you keep the colour consistent on the tang or do you just accept that during the sanding, shaping process you will lose the etch and the tang will be a different colour to the blade? Any thoughts appreciated and I thing a brass bolster may be my next challenge.
Thank you for your comment sir! Glad you enjoyed the video. I put a satin finish on the tang of the knife. If you wanted to have the stone washed finish on the tang you'd have to be able to take your handle apart after shaping to etch. I think this is possible on general scaled full tang knives with some take down fasteners. The difficulty will go up! But possible. Cheers!
So you heat treated then shaped the blade? I guess that helps prevent warping, but normalising, then shaping makes the shaping and sanding easier. Then harden and temper. Thoughts?
Yep, I've moved to doing all my grinding post heat treat. I don't see much difference in belt life and it does seem to greatly reduce the amount of warping issues. I also like not having to get geared up to grind and in the zone twice.
I seen your mini mill and I was wondering what kind it is? And besides the mother board have you had any problems with it? I read that some come with plastic gears, if so has this been a problem for you ? I've looked at a lot of mills and have probably seen this one but do you have a link? And if you have covered this in a previous video sorry but I'm new to your channel. Thanks. THOR.
Knifemakerthor hey man, this is a Sieg X2D mill. Many companies take this mill and rebrand it. Mine came from harbor freight, but there are multiple buying options online. I put a link to one of those options in the description of my surface grinder video. It does have plastic gears, but so far they haven’t been an issue for me. You can get upgrad kits for them at littlemachineshop.com ; they also have a good deal of info on the mill.
They sell a buffing kit for the Dremel that should be good for brass bolsters. Because it is Dremel size, it should be easier to get on the brass without hitting anything else. I am about to try it out on a kit knife build I am working on now if I can ever finish shaping the handle.
Massive hand sanding, yeah. I'm familiar with that. I did 3.5 hours on my first guard getting it flat and and polished - out to 2400 grit, then polished with brasso.
So far so good, Dave. It takes a little getting used to. I don't really like the nose clip, but it's better than the other type of respirator I was using. If you have a beard... this is the way to go.
Looks great and in my case, very timely. I've been wanting to try my first bolstered knife for a while now, but my basic skills are not up to where yours are just yet so I think I have a little bit to go before I venture that direction. Perhaps this Summer I'll give it a go!
Instead of a buffer in a pinch you can also put a worn belt inside out and use polishing compound on it. Or go for an honing belt. We use them in jewelry sometimes. However shiny bolsters show scratches like crazy, satin and brushed finishes hide them better and can be brought back to new much more easily
How do yall attach bolsters on your full tang knives?!
Red Beard Ops I’ve silver soldered then before. Also done pins and glue like you’ve done here.
Man that tumbler is a great idea! Super cool. Did you do a vid on the making of that?
@@nolanst29 Thanks man. I do! Here it is - th-cam.com/video/TvzW7ZVGg3A/w-d-xo.html
Good job man. I use a tapered reamer for mounting bolsters with pins. They are pressed on.
Here’s a vid from my channel on the whole process.
th-cam.com/video/Lx01ukYK1YA/w-d-xo.html
@@TonySeverioKnives Hey Tony, thanks for these tips.
few tips that might help: I would tape up that blade when you are grinding on the handle, That can ruin a blade real fast, even though chance is not that high its a small step to keep it in good order. If you want to polish that bolster with a buffer, also tape up the blade because you will get streaks otherwise. For best results I would sand the bolster front ends before glueing them on the knife to at least 1000 grit, but better is 2000. After you done the front, you can attach them and when handsanding the handle you can finish the side parts of it. Buff it, then finish it with a brass/copper polish or something to really get it to a mirror finish.
I've been making knives for 11-12yrs. now and this is about the same as I do it. Your very good at what you do. Thank you for taking the time to put this vid out there.
That is awesome! Thanks James!
I like the flat grind
Thank you! Meeeee too
I really like your rock turning jig! That’s awesome! I really like how the finish turned out.
Glad you like it! Cheers!
I meant to say I really like your work and videos. You are a true craftsman and a terrific teacher.
Thank you very much James! I appreciate your praise greatly!
This looks great, and honestly I think the brushed finish on the bolster matches the aesthetic of the etched and tumbled blade finish. A mirror finish there would be somewhat incongruous I think. Fantastic job.
Hey man good point, really appreciate your feedback! Hand sanding brass can be tough. Lots of J-hooks. Maybe a more fine surface conditioning belt is in order. I think the blue one I have is fine and they make one even finer.
I fully agree!
I've made half a dozen knives with brass or aluminum bolsters like that. In each case I sanded to 2000 grit then buffed handle and bolster with compound to get a high polish. They all look great !
Thanks for the tip Glen!
Great looking knife... I like the satin finish on the brass and pins
Thanks!
You did very good job for a first time. Looks very good.
Thank you very much!
I've played around building a few knives from pre ground /heat treated blanks with pretty good results. I would like to step up to making knives from scratch. I'll admit, your work is inspiring.
Heck yeah, thanks Steve! Really happy you're enjoying it! It's a great craft for sure. Hope your knives go well! 🙌
What are the kind of clamps are you using ?
Those mosaic pins are an excellent touch. Yes, a buffer is a must for the brass. It really polishes the stabilized woods too!
Cheers from Canada
Thank you sir! Cheers from Texas!
Well done! Looks great and thanks for taking the time to take us along for the ride!
Hey Lee, thanks for your comment! I'm having fun doing it!
I wish I had thought of your trick--using a drill bit as a locating pin, when you drill the second bolster hole. That's pretty slick. I'm totally adding that to my techniques. If those buggers are off by the smalles fraction, good luck getting anything to fit and not look like junk! Cool vid. Really enjoyed it.
Glad you enjoyed it! Cheers!
I’m impressed with how good you get your angles without a jig. Very nice. I have to use a jig. 😆
Thanks Daniel! Cheers man
Hey J. Brand new knife maker here. Have you noticed heat treating prior to bevel grinding wearing on your belts more? In my mind, grinding the steel while it is soft would be less wear on the belt, but I really have no clue. Thanks for your videos. My first couple knives were pretty successful thanks to your help! I’ve watched several other knife makers for assistance but I really dig your process.
Thank you! Glad you're enjoying the videos. I do think the softer steel will grind easier. To this point I've done it both ways and to me it depends on the style knife I'm working on. If it's a super thin chefs knife or a basic 1/8'' skinner I'll just knock off the corners (so like a 1/4'' bevel) pre heat treatment. If it's a thick bowie, I'll go further.
I like the look of your pins on that bolster.Good job your finish looked good.
Hey Jim, thanks man. I really appreciate your comment! I like them too.
Very nice build!
Thank you very much Michael!
Very beautiful knife....
Thank you very much!
Great video. Love the subtle humour
Glad you enjoyed it!
That is a beautiful knife. Jeez. Amazing work
Thank you very much!
My first and only bolster I just glued and pushed the brass rods through, no peening.
After sanding you couldn’t see the brass pins, they just blended in.
Love your knife
Thanks for sharing your experience sir. And thanks for the praise! I really appreciate your comment.
Wow, what a great idea for a rock tumbler! I've been trying to figure out how to make one for occasional use, and your setup will definitely serve as an inspiration. Thank you.
Glad it was helpful! Cheers
One thing I like to do is bevel the front of the bolster pieces to 45° before attaching them and you can use cloth backed belt, turned upside down and loaded with compound as a way to polish the brass. Great looking knife like always
Thanks for the tip!
Sweet looking blade. It would make a very nice deer dressing knife.
Thank you sir! I foresee a few deer in it's future.
@@RedBeardOps Bow Hunter?
How come i didnt see your channel before? Your videos are very informative, to-the-point, inspiring and full of ideas. And separate kudos for video and sound editing.
Thanks a million man! I'm constantly working on upping my editing and video quality. Don't go back too far or you'll be disappointed! Hope to see ya around the comment section.
Beauty bud. Regardless of the bolsters.
Thank you sir!
That came out great, very pro I like the tumbled look. Nice work!!
Hey Dave! Really appreciate the praise. I like the look with the brass and stone washed too.
Super clean man, love it 👍
Thank you sir! Thanks for watching too. Means a lot to hear your feedback.
@@RedBeardOps Keep up the good work, I watch every vid, last one was a banger for sure
Faraway Forge I appreciate that! It sure was... have a good one!
Beautiful work! That finish is much nicer than a shiny one.
Thank you sir! Glad you enjoyed the video. The finish has grown on me too!
That turned out great J. We tend to be the most critical of our own work, but I’d say that’s a pretty perfect EDC fixed blade that anyone should be happy to have hang on their belt. 👌👊👍
Hey man, I really appreciate that! I hate to say it but I'm tempted to destroy this knife just to see how well the bolsters are on there... for science! It would be a painful endeavor though...
Red Beard Ops don’t do it, your average knife owner would never put it through such torture as to test the sheer strength of the epoxy and peened pins. You’d end up taking a chisel to separate them and on the third whack you’d be like, “what am I doing, this was a good knife!” 🤦♂️
@@griffithshandmade-knives Lol, i think you're right! ... would end up being a painful endeavor.. Thank you sir
Looks really good man....when i do brass bolsters i put a slight angel maybe 2 degrees on the bolster where it go's to the handle and that same angle on the handle "flipped of course" so it meets nice and tight so you don't have to use the g10 to make it tight...........Thumbs Up
Very clever sir! Thank you for your tips and your praise. This one was out of my comfort zone for sure. Cheers man.
You have officially inspired me to try this again. Thank you, I really enjoy your videos
Nicely done! Yes, buffer with green rouge will rock the brass.
Thank you sir!
Beautiful job. I've been scared to try a brass bolster but you make it look easy.
Thank you very much sir! Glad you enjoyed this one!
Absolutely spectacular knife, I actually prefer this brushed finish on the bolster, than a really shiney finish. Great work. Subscribed!
Thanks a million Andy! Glad you enjoyed this one. I think it came out pretty darn good too. Have a great weekend!
great looking little knife
Thanks a million Tom! Glad you liked it
That’s a keeper! Nice job!
Thank you!
Beautifully crafted!
Thank you! Really happy you liked this one. One of my favorites for sure.
What i recently found is that some polishing compound just heated with a lighter and spread out on the back side of a thin piece of leather works fantastic for quick hand polishing!!
(Just some of the green wax-like bar thingie)
Very cool! Thank you for the tip sir.
Pretty knife. I like the brushed finish and the scales... great choice of wood. I’ve not seen anyone use JB Weld though vs. soldering the bolsters but I haven’t watched a ton of videos on the process.
Cheers sir! Glad you liked it. I got that tip from Dave Ferry, the guy is a legend if you haven't checked him out.
Just keep doing it the way you're doing it I like it, I have a buffer that i really don't like. It will scratch the brass if there's any dust or contaminated with anything besides the compound. You just can't beat hand finished look that you got there. Great job
Thank you very much sir! Glad you liked it! I really appreciate your comment.
Very Nnnice!! I’m a newbie so it will l be a while b4 I attempt bolsters. But I’ll come back to watch this. Thank you for the great job you do on your videos!
Hey David, Really appreciate your comment! Means a lot to me to hear your feedback. Good luck on your future builds!
very nice job dude!
Thank you very much Lucas!
I watched this to learn what a bolster is.
Lol, thank you sir! Hope I didn't disappoint.
Ha, same here
nice
Great videos, and your passion for knifemaking really shows. I usually use scotch brite belts on my bolsters and guards, regardless of the material they are made of. You can get a very nice finish on them this way.
Thank you! Those belts are awesome!
Great looking for your first attempt. I pretty much follow a similar method the handful of bolsters that I have finished. As you mentioned I do hit everything on a buffer when coming to completion.
Nice! Thanks man... Sounds like I need to pick up a little variable speed buffer for handle work. Have a good one!
Beautiful knife man.. bolsters look great..
Hey Anthony! Really appreciate that. This was a fun one for me for sure. Thanks for your comment.
I just purchased a Jet Buffer with a VFD and went to the Combat Buffing Wheels. With it would you’ll make that brass VERY shiny. It also is great for handles and blades alike. Good luck!
Good to know! Thank you!
that is one beautiful knife
Thank you very much, sir! Have a great day!
Well done...
I don't even like bolsters... but you did a great job here...
Hah, thanks Alexander! Glad you enjoyed the video!
Una hermosura de cuchillo... buena colo!!!
¡muchas gracias!
Beautiful work! Keep it up, I enjoy your content! I glue and then pin...otherwise solder if its a hidden tang knife.
Thank you sir! Have a great week!
Beautiful knife, I love your videos. I use a buffer with green chrome 600 grit rouge. Nothing finer is needed in my opinion for a mirror polish on brass. I also agree the satin finish looks best on this particular knife.
Thanks Travis! I need to get me a buffer. Have a great weekend sir!
Grind, shape and polish the bolsters to near complete before permanently fixing them to the blade. Your finish on the blade looks good. Thanks for the video
Thank you sir and thanks for watching!
Looks great, you did a wonderful job on it. The only thing I was thinking while watching you grind the bolster and handle is that it wasn’t taped. Lol! Just one slip and it’s ruined so it’s worth the 30 seconds to tape up that blade. If it hasn’t happened to you, it will at some point! Nice job though. I love your rock tumbling jig too!
I feel you! I used to wrap them up, but I feel like I'm able to check handle symmetry better without the tape on there... I go back and forth. Thanks for your comment man! Really appreciate it.
Congratulations, great. good job. may I ask you how did you manage to create the current engraver that you use with the piece of wood to engrave your logo on the blade? thank you
Cheers sir - th-cam.com/video/bcg5XB_sG-8/w-d-xo.html - Right here
@@RedBeardOps Thanks so much
That looks gorgeous
Thank you very much, sir! Glad you enjoyed this video and I really appreciate your comment.
Great job beautiful knife!!
Thanks man!
Great looking knife! When I do bolsters and pommels I do as much finishing on the hard to reach spots as I can before I finally peen them on. And a buffer would make things easier but if you have a drill press then just get an arbor that will fit and crank up the speed. It was what I used before I got a buffer. Great vid keep up the good work!
Hey Ben, thanks for the tips! I need to try that out! I appreciate the praise and your comment!
Nice job and I agree the brushed brass looks good. If you want a higher shine, brass is pretty easy to polish up with some 3000 grit wet paper. A buffer is still the easiest/best however. A deburring wheel will get you pretty close as well.
Thank you sir! Sounds like I need some higher grit paper and maybe a small buffer! I think I'd want a VFD on my buffer.... they freak me out a little...
@@RedBeardOps for something like this, get one for the drill to start. It will be a bit slower, but it'll work. Brass is pretty easy to polish up.
@@timetestedtools Awesome, I'll look into this for sure. Thank you for the recommendation, sir.
harbor freight has a set of 2 buffing wheels for your drill and comes with 2 different compounds . it works well but the buffing wheels wear out relatively fast but will tell you if its something you want to invest in now or can wait . i can say i sanded to 500 and with the red compound puts a mirror finish on brass quickly. the 2 pack costed me less than 4 dollars
Nice! Thanks for the tip Adam, I'll look into these. I think buffing may be the way to go with bolsters like this to get a nice even finish.
Great video! Amazing job.
Thanks a million Ted!
Are the bolster pins you used here hollow? I see black dots on the finished knife.
I have never made a single knife, it occurred to me that tapping the bolster holes then peening might allow the pin to compress into the threaded area and provided an even more secure fit up since you end up sanding off the peen.
Cheers Greg! Those are mosaic pins. The black is actually died epoxy. I've been warned against peening mosaic pins, but haven't had any issues yet.
If you want the bolster to shine, try "Simichrome" polish. It contains cerium oxide abrasive and some sort of acid (oleic, I believe), but it will take that brush finish to mirror in a minute, even by hand. You can find it in motorcycle shops, (and maybe auto parts stores). It is phenomenal on brass and aluminum. It's a little pricey, at $15 or so per tube, but a little goes a long way. Mirror finish. Almost instantly.
Thanks for the tip David!
After many experiments I have the impression that G 10 does not give a durable bond with any glue. I used two component epoxy glues from various countries, cyanoacrylate glues also failed. G 10 was sanded with coarse sandpaper and thoroughly washed with pure alcohol. Beautiful and well made knife.
Great knife man! I’m sure I’m late to watching this but I wanted to suggest looking into dove tail bolsters. I’m experimenting with them in my own knives. They say it adds strength to the handle to do that.
Thanks man, I'll take a look!
You could use a Dremel with small buffer wheel and compound to polish the brass bolster.
Thanks for the tip Glen!
Looks awsome! Good job!
Thank you so much!
Do you mean TUS Technologies for the stencils?
Yes sorry about that - www.tustech.com/admin/home
great video. How are you drilling pin holes when your tang is hardened?
I drill before hardening.
beautiful job
Thank you! Cheers!
Nice work
Thank you! Cheers!
thank you! very helpful video!
Cheers man, thanks for watching!
Any chance you could post a link to where you get your stencils? I tried a search for TUC Industries and came up empty. Thanks. Great videos. Very good instruction without a lot of silly crap that so many think is appropriate for this type video.
Hey Chris, this is where I get them. Glad you like the videos! www.tustech.com/admin/home
a dremmel is great for small brass polishing jobs.
Hey Natalie, thanks for the suggestion! And thanks for watching; I may just have to pick me up some wheels for my dremmel.
Simplesmente fantástico seu trabalho parabéns. 👍👍👍👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
Muito obrigado!
Great knife, I really like your etched/stone washed blades. A low cost buffer can be achieved with the buffer attachments for your corded drill, I picked up a set from an auto parts store. To fix the drill in place, I used the handle attachment which fitted on the front of the drill. My Bosch used a thread to screw into the handle to tighten the clamp. I removed the handle and fitted it to an angle bracket I had lying around and used the bench vise to secure the drill. Use the drill on constant run instead of trigger. adjust your speed as needed. Just make sure you have the drill running the right direction or the pad unscrews.
Thank for the tips sir! I agree... I need to get me some of that equipment for sure. Hope you have a great week!
@@RedBeardOps I bought a 3/4 horsepower motor at an estate sale running at 1340 and mounted it on a 2" thick board. I also picked up a deal that runs with a v-belt and is 18" from the motor. It came from Wards (Montgomery Wards) and has a threaded rod running through with the belt going through the middle with a buffing wheel on each end. I picked up a number of buffs from Gesswein and use those with different polishing compounds. Tripoli would have worked well for this knife I think, as it is designed to remove scratches, etc.from brass and bring the brass up to a great shine. You could fix up a 2 sided setup, running tripoli on one side and red rouge on the other. The tripoli will get a good start and the red rouge will bring everything up to a high luster....really shiny if that's what you want. I have been poor-boying everything but hope to eventually get a set-up similar to yours for knife work, and I think you did a great job on the bolster.I was surprised you didn't tape your blade (like the guy above) . Even though most buffers on the jewelry side run a great deal faster, rpm-wise, I haven't noticed any big problems with the slower speed, even when I am working with silver. It may take a bit longer but not that much. Hope this helps...Also. very good video and narration!
That is an outstanding knife. Your fit and finish are excellent and I really like the profile and size. What belt grinder do you use and does that company offer the thickness sanding attachment seen here???
Thank you sir! I use a NorthRidge grinder; I'm not sure if they have a surface grinder attachment or not.
great video thank you! What respiratory protection was that you were using?
It's called the "Resp-O-Rator" - Cheers
Thanks for the video, Im just about to do my first full tang bolster as well. Can you tell me what saw you use at the beginning of the video to cut the shape from your stock?
Nice! It's a Bauer Bandsaw with Swag Offroad Table
I use the harbor freight corded dremel with a buffing wheel attachment. Works great and I have pretty good control. I’d suggest sanding to like 2000 maybe.
That's a good idea! Nice low cost of entry too. I only went up to 1000 grit before hitting it with the belt so maybe the 2K would work better assuming I'll hit it with a dermal buffer. Thanks for the suggestions!
I like the brushed finish on the brass. If it'll be a user it will show patina and use polish anyway. A buffer could be the ticket to make it shine.
Hey Stan thanks for your comment! It's growing on me!
Hi enjoyed your video in particular your approach to handle construction. I have a question on acid etching? How do you keep the colour consistent on the tang or do you just accept that during the sanding, shaping process you will lose the etch and the tang will be a different colour to the blade? Any thoughts appreciated and I thing a brass bolster may be my next challenge.
Thank you for your comment sir! Glad you enjoyed the video. I put a satin finish on the tang of the knife. If you wanted to have the stone washed finish on the tang you'd have to be able to take your handle apart after shaping to etch. I think this is possible on general scaled full tang knives with some take down fasteners. The difficulty will go up! But possible. Cheers!
Thanks really appreciate the quick response and Satin finish it is.
So you heat treated then shaped the blade? I guess that helps prevent warping, but normalising, then shaping makes the shaping and sanding easier. Then harden and temper. Thoughts?
Yep, I've moved to doing all my grinding post heat treat. I don't see much difference in belt life and it does seem to greatly reduce the amount of warping issues. I also like not having to get geared up to grind and in the zone twice.
Fantastic knife and solid vid...
Thank you very much sir! Glad you enjoyed it.
I seen your mini mill and I was wondering what kind it is? And besides the mother board have you had any problems with it? I read that some come with plastic gears, if so has this been a problem for you ? I've looked at a lot of mills and have probably seen this one but do you have a link? And if you have covered this in a previous video sorry but I'm new to your channel. Thanks. THOR.
Knifemakerthor hey man, this is a Sieg X2D mill. Many companies take this mill and rebrand it. Mine came from harbor freight, but there are multiple buying options online. I put a link to one of those options in the description of my surface grinder video. It does have plastic gears, but so far they haven’t been an issue for me. You can get upgrad kits for them at littlemachineshop.com ; they also have a good deal of info on the mill.
I really prefer that brushed look with the stonewash more than I think I would have enjoyed the mirrored look.
Thank you sir! Me to after looking back!
Nice job, looks great.
Hey Ray, thanks! Really appreciate you comment.
They sell a buffing kit for the Dremel that should be good for brass bolsters. Because it is Dremel size, it should be easier to get on the brass without hitting anything else. I am about to try it out on a kit knife build I am working on now if I can ever finish shaping the handle.
Good idea! Cheers Todd!
Massive hand sanding, yeah. I'm familiar with that. I did 3.5 hours on my first guard getting it flat and and polished - out to 2400 grit, then polished with brasso.
Great Video as always! Is that a Wen WEN BG4270T 10-Inch Two-Direction Water Cooled Wet/Dry Sharpening System
?
Thanks man. It's this one - th-cam.com/video/mN21B_OOg7w/w-d-xo.html
Also always another great video! How goes the respirator now that you have had it for a while?
So far so good, Dave. It takes a little getting used to. I don't really like the nose clip, but it's better than the other type of respirator I was using. If you have a beard... this is the way to go.
Muy buen trabajo, yo te felicito, me he suscrito, un fuerte abrazo 🤗 y saludos cordiales desde Chile 🇨🇱
¡Muchas gracias!
Beautiful work!!!!!!
Thanks a million for your praise!
Came out beautiful. Love the fit and finish. Where did you purchase your makers mark?
Thanks! Right here - www.tustech.com/admin/home
Looks great and in my case, very timely. I've been wanting to try my first bolstered knife for a while now, but my basic skills are not up to where yours are just yet so I think I have a little bit to go before I venture that direction. Perhaps this Summer I'll give it a go!
Good luck sir! They do add another layer of complexity. I really like the way they came out though.. Have a great week!
beautiful knife
Instead of a buffer in a pinch you can also put a worn belt inside out and use polishing compound on it.
Or go for an honing belt. We use them in jewelry sometimes.
However shiny bolsters show scratches like crazy, satin and brushed finishes hide them better and can be brought back to new much more easily
Cheers Van, I agree... I kinda like that satin.
Awesome video, thank you! Question - as a bearded guy, what type of respirator are you wearing?
The one I used to use (hobbyist) - Resp-O-Rator - amzn.to/2M6PMN7
Pro one I use now - 3M Versaflo Respirator - amzn.to/3O6nZK9
Where did you get that little clamp you used on the bolster
I have a link to the Kant clamp in this video's description. Cheers!