how do you cut slots in knife guards?

[oldarmy]

I want to make my own brass knife guards, but I am having a heck of a time cutting the slots.
I can get the holes drilled, but what do you use the mill out the stuff in the middle, while keeping the slot nice and straight?
Any help would be greatly appricated.
Can I use an endmill in a drill press? or can I use one of those side cutting drill bits?

 

[44-henry]

You can buy a drill press vise that works like a milling machine table with X and Y axis. With this you can do some light milling in your drill press. This is not considered good practice and excessive use of your drill press this way will eventually ruin the bearings, but I've done some good work in this fashion in the past. I now have a real milling machine that I use and save my drill press for the task it was designed for.

You can also cut those slots by hand as you mentioned, first by drilling holes, and than filing. A cold chisel will also clean that area out in short order if you use it correctly.

Another thing to consider is that for a lot of this type of work, it may pay to purchase one of the mill drills from Harbor Freight or Grizzly. These will handle a lot of work and are a good buy for a under $1000. For half of that you can buy one of the mini mills which is also capable of doing good work within its size limitations.

 

[PitchyPine]

Here`s how i do it, i drill holes that are just smaller than the finished width you want as close together as possible. Then i take a chainsaw file and file out between the holes until i can get a small flat file in there then carefully file it out to fit.
Good luck with it.

 

[davy]

I want to make my own brass knife guards, but I am having a heck of a time cutting the slots.
I can get the holes drilled, but what do you use the mill out the stuff in the middle, while keeping the slot nice and straight?

Why deal with all that complexity? I just partly finished doing that by drilling and then filing .. still filing and polish to do of course but its not done yet but it is doable and easy ... and this is in mild steel .. NOT brass which should be easier!

Easy enuff ... especially if I can do it! :hmm:


Davy

 

[oldarmy]

thanks guys,
Like everthing else in life..The pics sure make it look easy, until you actualy try it. :hmm:
I will keep working on it.

 

[LRB]

Scribe in the opening you want, drill a series of holes almost touching each other, use a Dremel with a carbide cutting bit to connect the holes, and get close to the scribed lines, then use small files to final fit. Remember, if you are doing early knives, the guard was never soldered on. They were just fitted. It is wise to seal the guard with epoxy, or other sealer, to keep water out of the joint. If you want a really good fit, use a transfer color, fit and file the high spots until it seats down. It is a great help if the tang has a slight taper that terminates at about half the guard thickness. It is also important to have dead square shoulders on the blade for the guard to seat down on. This is done with the use of a file guide. It is also important that the guard face be dead flat where it seats. With patience, one can make a fit that is nearly invisible.

 

[PitchyPine]

Hey Davy that really looks nice, great job, bet that`s going on a big knife. :winking: :hatsoff:

 

[Bill Hall]

Oldarmy, if you're careful you can drill the holes nearly touching and then walk the drill bit sidways to remove material between the holes. Try swaying your drill back and forth with your trigger hand while pulling the drill in the direction you want to go with your other hand. Just watch it so it doesn't walk into your lines. Also, a coarse file works better on brass than a fine one. Bill

 

[davy]

Hey Davy that really looks nice, great job, bet that`s going on a big knife. :winking: :hatsoff:

Now Pitchey .. you KNOW I was gonna wait til I got it finished to show it!
Still a lotta work still to do ... you old bugger! :hmm:

Sheza biggun Davy! :hatsoff:

Davy

 

[PitchyPine]

Lookin good buddy. :thumbsup:

 

[freeonthree]

If your useing brass you can drill a hole and use a scroll saw with very little fileing after your done with the saw because you can get some very fine blades for it. Or you can use the hand version a coping saw.

keepem smoken
Freeonthree

 

[oldarmy]

the dremal carbide router did the trick... :grin: The knifes I am making are real thin.. the blade is only 1/8 thick. so it's hard to find something thin enought to get in and clean out the brass..
These are the first that have my own guards and pommels, they have local Moose antler handels. I bought the blades.. :redface:
they are gifts for my wifes nefews. I will post some pic later..

 

[davy]

the dremal carbide router did the trick... :grin: The knifes I am making are real thin.. the blade is only 1/8 thick. so it's hard to find something thin enought to get in and clean out the brass..
These are the first that have my own guards and pommels, they have local Moose antler handels. I bought the blades.. :redface:
they are gifts for my wifes nefews. I will post some pic later..

Well done .. yeah it is hard to find files that are thin enuff for things like that! :hatsoff:

Davy

 

[oldarmy]

Davy,
Do know where I could find some?? I have a set of chinese made needle files, but they are so fine it takes forever to remove any material, even soft brass..
On a different topic. What do you use to proctect the blades while you are working on the handles???
I have managed to nick up both of these and it makes me mad when they don't come out perfect

 

[davy]

Davy,
Do know where I could find some?? I have a set of chinese made needle files, but they are so fine it takes forever to remove any material, even soft brass..
On a different topic. What do you use to proctect the blades while you are working on the handles???
I have managed to nick up both of these and it makes me mad when they don't come out perfect

I have never built knives afore this one ... so I am frankly not the one to ask ... but I have looked for thin files before ... and they are indeed difficult to find ... Brownells sells some files made for sight adjustment and screw slot adjustment that I saw John Hinnant use once that are bigger & longer than the needle files ... I would look into them.

At this point of building my knife I have not needed to protect my blade yet ( I still have some grinding to do on the blade ) ... but I suppose I would use leather or brass on the vise jaws, & tape the blade with masking tape when the time comes to do so. :hatsoff:

Davy

 

[Runner]

My wife bought a reciprocating file tool that came with a large variety of files and sanding sticks that are perfect for that kind of work in narrow areas. I am not there yet with my blade either, but I am not too far off. The new brand of belts removes the material a little faster than the old ones.

The color in the picture is wrong, but the detail is pretty good.

It is farther along now than in the picture, but no where near ready to be hafted.

 

[LRB]

I ground a double cut file down years ago to do the guard slots. It is now about 1/4" wide, and a bit less than 1/8" thick. It is never used for anything else. For needle files, I get mine from Brownell's. They are swiss made, and double cut. The double cut, cuts twice as fast. Fancy that. The only ones I use are the tri-corn, parallel flat, and half round. They are not cheap, but they last, and they work. It helps to grind off one edge of the flat file, so you will have one "safe" edge for corners.

 

[oldarmy]

Thanks I will check brownells out.. Swiss files are expensive, but I only need a couple of them.
Good tools last a lifetime and make the job much eaiser.
I finished the knifes I was working on. These have TOW Norwegin blades, native moose handles, my own handmade guards and pommels.
The are far from perfect, but they are gifts of my wifes nefews.. ages 11 and 15.
Hope they like them :grin:

 

[PitchyPine]

Nice work, they will love them. :hatsoff:

 

[oldarmy]

Thanks, they are an amerture effort.
A friend gave me this "honkin" big shed.... I built him a small knife and when I went to his house to give it to him. He insisted I take this huge antler with me. I didn't want to at first.
You don't give friend a gift in antisapation of some thing in return.
It was just a gift...
ANYWAY... now I have enought antler for at least 10 kinfes.
These would have finished out almost to an "IVORY" finish if I had taken much more off of it.
Building one for his dad now :grin: