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Knife build thread for the trail cam Best of the Best Contest Prize.

I’ve been at the farm. And kinda away from the day to day. Had no clue what actually goes on behind a knife handle
 
This weeks update is a video of the blade in heat treat & tempering. Pay no attention to the goofy looking guy. Don't forget to enter.

Habitat-Talks September trail cam contest.

Photos submitted for the contest must have been taken by a trail camera during the current month or the month prior. Example= To be eligible for the June 2022 contest, the photo must have been taken with a trail camera during May 2022 or June 2022. Photos must be submitted on or before the last...
habitat-talk.com

 
Once again.... great video. Always cool to see the process of an artist/tradesman.
 
Catscratch said:
Once again.... great video. Always cool to see the process of an artist/tradesman.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the kind words Cat but I wouldn't consider myself either. I just hope people enjoy watching the process start to finish.
 
tooln said:
Thanks for the kind words Cat but I wouldn't consider myself either. I just hope people enjoy watching the process start to finish.
Click to expand...
You don't give yourself enough credit. Your knives are works of art!
 
Another update on the prize knife. Today it's the heat treat temper test. Before heat treating and tempering the steel is not worthy of being a blade. It is soft and will not hold an edge. Heat treating makes the steel very hard but it becomes brittle in the process. Tempering removes the brittleness. 1095 is a high carbon steel so it is magnetic. I heat until it is non magnetic and then let it air cool to below the magnetic state. This is thermal cycling it help to make a very good blade, I do this process 3 times. I then bring the blade back up to temp which will be being above non magnetic and I also watch for the right color. Once the blade gets to this point it goes straight into an oil quench. The quench oil is pre heated to 130-135 degrees, After the quench I check the blade for hardness with a file. Hard blade file skated across soft it digs in. The blade is very brittle at this point if dropped it would possibly break. To remove the brittleness It goes into a tempering oven heated to 425 for a 1 hour cycle, it them removed and air cooled to ambient temp and them it gets another 1 hour tempering cycle. I use a highly modified toaster oven for tempering. As stock oven has to large a temp swing (25-50 degree at 400) to temper properly. I removed the stock controls and made a solid state PID loop and added more insulating to the oven. I can not hold +or- 3 degrees at 450. Once the tempering is done this test is done. Enjoy and don't forget to enter.

Habitat-Talks September trail cam contest.

No offense taken:) I got what you were saying, but I personally put hunting over direct bait in the same category as deer dogging. Don’t like either, but won’t go there in this thread ;) As for your distant friend, shame the government looks at that when there’s so many other egregious offenses.
habitat-talk.com
 
This week's update is etching the blade. My logo goes on one side of the blade and this knife gets a deer head. I can etch just about anything into a blade. A lot of people like their name or initials, some a special date. I first make a stencil and apply it to the blade, the rest of the blade is taped off to prevent any of the etching fluid getting to it. The applicator is soaked into the fluid and then applied to the blade. The blade is hooked to a DC power supply. The combination of current, voltage and fluid eat material from the blade leaving the etch. After the etch is finished the blade is neutralized to remove any etching fluid and then gone over with a brass brush to clean it up. I hope you enjoy the video. Stay tuned for future updates and soon the completed knife will be revealed.

Don't forget to enter.

Habitat-Talks September trail cam contest.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
habitat-talk.com
 
This weeks update is the beginning of the stone wash process. The blade has been polished to a semi high finish. Sorry But I had a brain fart and didn't take of pic of the blade before it was put into the etching fluid. The blade is put into ferric chloride for about 15 minutes. I then pull it out wash neutralize it and give it a good washing with a very fine steel wool pad. It then goes back into the FC for another 10-15 minutes, pull it out and repeat the neutralize & wash. If it's to the color I'm looking for it into the timbers if not I repeat the process.

20220816_155524.jpg

The tumbler is something I threw together and adapted to work with my belt grinder which has a speed control. Nothing fancy just some PVC pipe and some stones. I put a little WD40 into the tumbler with the stones and blade. Tumbling time varies again depending on the end result wanted. I tumbled this blade for about 15 minutes.
Don't forget to enter getting close to the give away.

Habitat-Talks September trail cam contest.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
habitat-talk.com
 
Well I'm back again with another teaser update. I never showed a pic of the finished stone wash but here is one after it came out of the FC soak and before it was tumbled. Your going to have to wait to see the finished tumble.
20220816_161330.jpg
I started to lay out the pattern for the sheath, here's the pattern cut on leather.

20220818_074234.jpg

I hope your enjoying the update and the build process. Just don't forget to enter for a chance to win this knife.

Habitat-talk's October trail cam Contest

Photos submitted for the contest must have been taken by a trail camera during the current month or the month prior. Example= To be eligible for the June 2022 contest, the photo must have been taken with a trail camera during May 2022 or June 2022. Photos must be submitted on or before the last...
habitat-talk.com
 
Getting real close to running out of updates. Here's this weeks pics of the sheath.

20220821_141516.jpg
20220821_143552.jpg

Remember to enter if you'd like a chance to win this knife.


Habitat-talk's October trail cam Contest

Photos submitted for the contest must have been taken by a trail camera during the current month or the month prior. Example= To be eligible for the June 2022 contest, the photo must have been taken with a trail camera during May 2022 or June 2022. Photos must be submitted on or before the last...
habitat-talk.com
 
WARNING my shirt is for mature audiences only. Snowflakes may, WILL be offended. Here's this weeks video update of the prize knife. Enjoy and don't forget to enter.


Habitat-talk's October trail cam Contest

Photos submitted for the contest must have been taken by a trail camera during the current month or the month prior. Example= To be eligible for the June 2022 contest, the photo must have been taken with a trail camera during May 2022 or June 2022. Photos must be submitted on or before the last...
habitat-talk.com
 
Well here the knife in it's sheath. Not many more updates so don't forget to enter. The very last pic will show the finished blade. 20220822_140203.jpg

Habitat-talk's October trail cam Contest

Photos submitted for the contest must have been taken by a trail camera during the current month or the month prior. Example= To be eligible for the June 2022 contest, the photo must have been taken with a trail camera during May 2022 or June 2022. Photos must be submitted on or before the last...
habitat-talk.com
 
Pretty cool where you have taken this in just over a year. Fun to watch your progress. Nice knife making Mike. I like the features you have added over time.
 
Foggy47 said:
Pretty cool where you have taken this in just over a year. Fun to watch your progress. Nice knife making Mike. I like the features you have added over time.
Click to expand...
I'd like to add a surface grinder to my arsenal, it would be a big upgrade. Today I heat-treated and tempered a blade for a customer. It had a really nice golden tone coming out if tempering which is a good sign. I don't know what the long term results would be but I want to make a blade like this to find out. I think it would give it a neat patina. Here's a pic after the forge scale was removed in my vibratory tumbler.
 

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Here's this weeks update. I made a display stand for the prize knife. It's always best to keep the knife in open air for long term storage. Since the blade is high carbon it will rust if not taken care of properly. Long term storage in the sheath is not a good thing. Leather will retain moisture and moisture is not a good thing on the blade. It needs to be kept clean and dry. Besides what better way to show off the knife you just won than to display it. Good luck and don't forget to enter. There will be one more post with the finished knife on the display so stay tuned. 20220822_120713.jpg

Habitat-talk's November trail cam Contest

Photos submitted for the contest must have been taken by a trail camera during the current month or the month prior. Example= To be eligible for the June 2022 contest, the photo must have been taken with a trail camera during May 2022 or June 2022. Photos must be submitted on or before the last...
habitat-talk.com
 
Ok here it is the final update of the prize knife build. First off I'd like to thank Bill for contacting me and allowing me the build the knife of my choice for some lucky winner. I had a good time both building and posting the build updates, I hope you all enjoyed them. To recap the knife has a white oak handle with a custom made mosaic pin and white oak display stand. The blade is stone washed and has a deer head etched into it. The blade is made from 1095 high carbon steel and will retain its edge and will take a beating. Because it is high carbon it must be kept clean and dry after use. WD40 is your friend for both the blade and handle. The sheath is full grain leather and normal leather care will help it last a life time. The blade profile is something I came up with and it will work great as an all around knife or skinner. I hope everyone enjoyed the update post and again Bill has to have a BIG thank you. As a disclaimer I have no part of the judging or anything else to do the the contest other than the build and update post. Good luck to everyone who entered and if you haven't do so now. To whoever wins if you have any questions please feel free to reach out to me.

https://habitat-talk.com/threads/habitat-talks-november-trail-cam-contest.15045/page-2#post-296844

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