Big Sawblades make Big knives

[Rancid Crabtree]

This blade is over an 1/8 of an inch thick. I am using a 24 inch diameter concrete saw blade.

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/knives/sawblade.jpg

I cut a chunk of it away with a angle grinder.

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/knives/bigknife2.jpg

This will be a hunting knife with a drop point and a finger guard.

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/knives/bigknife3.jpg

This is a very thick blade.

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/knives/bigknife4.jpg

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/knives/bigknife5.jpg

Next, I heated the blade cherry red and let it cool very slowly to soften the steel. so I could drill hole and grind a bevel and do some file work.

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/knives/bigknife92.jpg

this time I am going to do a "W" pattern on the backbone of the blade. I marked off the spacing with a sharpie.

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/knives/bigknife6.jpg

Then I used a small square file on one side of the blade.

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/knives/bigknife7.jpg

Then turned the blade around and did the other side.

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/knives/bigknife8.jpg

I added a little bluing to bring out the details.

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/knives/bigknife9.jpg

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/knives/bigknife91.jpg

With all the file work done, I heat treated the blade by heating it until it was non magnetic (around 1500F) and then quenched it in 130F salt water. Next I temper it at 400F for one hour. Finally I polish the blade to a mirror finish.

I used curly maple and aluminum pins. I'm calling it "Blonde"

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/knives/bigknife93.jpg

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/knives/bigknife94.jpg

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/knives/bigknife95.jpg

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/knives/bigknife96.jpg

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/knives/bigknife97.jpg

The last step is to make a sheath. I use 7 Ox. Veg. tanned leather and then dye it to the color I want after I sew it.

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/knives/bigknife992.jpg

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/knives/bigknife994.jpg

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/knives/bigknife995.jpg

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/knives/bigknife993.jpg

[Rancid Crabtree]

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/knives/bolster7.jpg

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/knives/bolster8.jpg

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/knives/staghandle92.jpg

[GoodOlBoy]

very nice blade you have there. We have an old man locally that sells "saw mill parts" (and other scrap) from the old saw mills that went out of buisness in the 70s. He right now has four 5' diameter sawblades. I wish I could get the knife making excuse past my wife, but to quote her "Not another unfinished project around the house"

GoodOlBoy

[buckhunter]

You know, guy like you really tick me off. I can't pound a nail straight. You have a lot of talent. Keep up the good work and keep send those PIaX

[Jack]

Beautiful work!

[BILLY D.]

Originally posted by buckhunter
You know, guy like you really tick me off. I can't pound a nail straight. You have a lot of talent. Keep up the good work and keep send those PIaX

buckhunter

I couldn't have said it any better than you did.

Is there any thing this guy can't do short of sticking a cooked noodle up a wildcats butt in a phone booth, and not suffer a scratch?

I envy people like him.

# cheers for Rancid. I love that screen name. I laughed for years over the Rancid Crabtree articles.

Best wishes, Bill

[gold40]

That appears to be first class workmanship. Perhaps you should make a few more for sale to others.

gold40

[popplecop]

I'm in Buckhunter's camp, didn't know nails were to go in straight. Excellent workmanship, keep it up.

[ChadWG]

I'm really impressed by your work and detailed photos. It's not easy to do the project and you even go the extra mile to detail it along the way. I just need more info. If you ever get the time, could you explain the process a little more so I can attempt it? I'm ready to go down to Home Depot's rental office. I've seen them chuck concrete saw blades when they are done with them.

Does the grinding of the blank hurt the edge if you don't plan on heat treating it?

Could you use a plasma cutter to cut the blank?

Is heat treating necessary? If so, how are you doing it? Do you have to own a kiln?

How do you do the grinding for shaping and polishing without effecting the blades hardness?

I guess you can see I'm concerned with how the blade will perform with no heat treating since I don't have a kiln or forge.

[blacktail]

I like the W pattern on the top of the blade

Nice work !!