A hand-made knife is one of the first tools that man made himself. And although over time everyone had the opportunity to buy at least a dozen knives, some craftsmen still continue to create them themselves. An unnecessary, broken saw can also be converted into a convenient and sharp knife.
Features:
A DIY knife has many advantages.
- It will be much stronger and better quality than an inexpensive knife bought from a Chinese website or a hardware store.
- The product can be made "for yourself", that is, so that the handle fits easily in the hand, and the blade is easy to handle.
- You can add some personality to the product if you make its handle out of an unusual material, such as polycarbonate or some valuable wood like alder. Decorations applied by hand on the handle will make it unique.
And also from one canvas, you can make several blades at once, which will be used for different purposes.
Tools and materials
Rapid steel is often used as a base for knives. This can be a power saw blade. And you can also use steel from a band saw and a two-handed saw. Knives made from chainsaw chains are quite strong. In any case, the knife will turn out to be of high quality, durable and will last a long time. And the old saw will find a new life. To make a knife from an old frame saw, or from a rapid saw, or any other base, you need to have the following tools on hand:
- drill (it is better to take an electric one);
- regular ruler;
- medium hammer;
- Bulgarian;
- turning machine;
- different files;
- a few bars for sharpening;
- several types of sandpaper;
- black marker;
- a small bucket of water;
- some copper wire;
- core.
And also it is necessary to select materials for the manufacture of the knife handle. For this part of the future knife, you can use different blanks: from wood, for example, alder or oak; metal, such as bronze or copper; as well as from organic glass of your favorite color. In addition, one must remember that the handle must be solid, without any pricks or cracks: otherwise, the knife will be inconvenient to use.
Manufacturing process
Using the listed materials, as well as a metal knife, you can make a good quality homemade knife at home. Making a knife with your own hands can be divided into several stages. First you need to make a drawing, choose a material for making a knife. The next step is to create a knife layout and decorate the handle.
Making a layout
To start this stage, you need to determine what shape the finished knife will be. It is important to determine both the length of the blade and what its handle will be. In addition, you need to know exactly for what needs the knife will be used: for hunting or for wood carving, cooking or cutting meat. A simple kitchen knife is much thinner than a durable hunting knife. Next, you need to make a layout from very thin plywood or thick cardboard. When making a layout, you must follow simple rules.
- Avoid making right angles as this can damage the blade itself.
- The shape itself must be chosen so that it corresponds to the purpose of the knife. For example, to work with wood, make a narrow and thin knife, for the kitchen - a little wider, and for household needs - strong, with a wide blade. Since a knife is made from a hand or any other saw, it is important that its size does not exceed the length of the blade.
And also be sure to consider that a knife can be considered a cold weapon. Therefore, when making a layout, it is necessary to choose the correct dimensions: the storage of cold steel will be considered a criminal offense. Therefore, the parameters of the product should be as follows:
- blade thickness should not be more than 2.5 mm;
- in this case, the length should also not be more than 8-9 cm;
- the knife handle itself must be with a limiter.
When the layout is completely ready, you can apply the layout to the saw blade and outline it using a marker of any color.
Making a knife
When all the lines are drawn with a marker, it is necessary to scratch out all the contours on top of them with a core, so that they do not erase during work. Next, you need to take a grinder, put a metal disc on it and use it to cut out a drawn knife. However, at the same time it is necessary to leave at the edges 2-3 mm along the entire length of the contour for a reserve. This is necessary in order to then remove the metal burnt by the grinder. If there is no such tool at home, you can use a regular hammer, as well as a chisel or a metal saw. When the blade is completely cut, you can start turning it. To do this, you can use files of different sizes.
After that, the blade must be processed using a grinder. So that it does not overheat at the same time, the knife must be lowered at some intervals into a bucket of water until the blade has completely cooled. When the blade is completely ready, you need to pay attention to the fact that all the curves are even. If, however, there are some errors, they can be corrected with a fine file. After that, you need to remove all the resulting burrs using sandpaper of any size.
Now it's time to start making a pen. To create it, you can use both wood and other materials that are at hand. The easiest way to make a handle is wood. You need to take a solid, solid piece of this material. You need to make a longitudinal cut in it, and then a few more holes for the nuts. Then you need to attach a handle to the knife shank. Further, holes must also be made on the blade, and then the handle itself must be fixed. This can be done with glue or regular rivets or small bolts and nuts. If bolts are used, they must be completely driven into the wood and then filled with epoxy glue. If plastic is used instead of wood, then the handle will consist of two symmetrical overlays, which are attached with glue or the same rivets. In addition, if you wish, you can decorate the handle with drawings.When the knife is completely ready, it must be additionally sharpened, and also given smoothness.
You can also make a knife from a chainsaw chain, because it is made of a good and dense alloy that can withstand both high temperature and friction. To make such a knife, you need to take a rather heavy anvil, as well as a small barbecue and firewood or coal. To make it easier to hold the blade in your hands, you can use special tongs, which are used by blacksmiths. Before work, you should put on special clothing, as well as a protective mask, and melt the grill. When the fire is well lit, you need to put a piece of chain there. The knife must be solid, that is, its handle will also be made of a chain. It is important to take this into account when estimating the dimensions of the future product. The workpiece must be heated to the required temperature, that is, it must become bright red. In this state, it will be possible to forge a knife of the desired shape from it.
To do this, put the workpiece on an anvil and flatten it in a few strokes so that it remains solid. After that, periodically heating the flattened workpiece, you need to give it the shape of a knife. Then it must be well polished and also sharpened. Next, you need to do the hardening of the knife. It must be heated again well, and then immediately immersed in cool water. Then, with the help of acid, as well as an engraving machine, you can make a complete finish, as well as polish. At the end of work, the finished knife must be thoroughly washed in slightly warmed soapy water. Immediately after that, it can be used for its intended purpose.
Recommendations
You can make a very good knife at home. The product will turn out to be reliable, so it can be used for any purpose. So that in the process of making a knife no trouble happens, and it itself turns out to be strong and durable, you need to adhere to some rules when working.
- All metal blanks must be flat and free from damage. To do this, you need to knock well, as well as inspect them. If the part is solid, then it should make a very sonorous sound. A “defective” knife in such a situation makes a dull sound.
- When cutting and sharpening a knife, you need to try not to overheat the iron. Indeed, as a result of this, it can turn out to be quite fragile. To prevent this from happening, you must constantly dip it into a bucket of cold water. The temperature drop will make the blade several times stronger, that is, it will harden it.
- If the knife is made from a factory saw, then it should be taken into account that it has already passed the hardening stage at the factory, so there is no need to work with the material additionally.
- The knife blade should always be smooth, without corners. And the shank should not be too thin, because it is in this place that the most load falls. Therefore, it must be made stronger.
- To drill holes in the knife shank, you need to use more durable drills, with a victorious tip, since it will be very difficult to do this with ordinary ones, because the saw is made of a fairly strong material.
- During the drilling process, be sure to add a little oil to the place where the rivets will be. This must be done so that the drills do not overheat.
For information on how to make a knife from a saw with your own hands, see the video below.