ditchman Posted October 25, 2018 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2018 3 minutes ago, TIGHTCHOKE said: Looking very nice so far Mate. Will it be a strong joint or will you need to strengthen it with Araldite or something similar? the opinel knife is made from beechwood........not the hardest of woods but it has worked for over 100 years.........the antler is much much harder so it will wear much longer and be much better than the beech....these handles i am making are truly one off...out of a full set of red headgear i might be able to get 4 or so knives,...this is the limiting factor....and the deer need to be heavyweights in their own class....and being mature the thickness of the outer bone is much more............... 4 hours ago, Walker570 said: Looking very nice indeed .... a little scrimshaw on the antler perhaps not going to do scrimshaw...good idea tho'..........this has a scrimshaw of its own....i have snaded it with fine emerypaper then a bit of stain...then wiped the stain off with thinners and you can know see the history of the rut...where the beast has rubbed the velvet off ,...micro scrtches ...and had a good bust up with another stag trying to get its leg over his girls......so it will be an ivory creamy white with micro scratches ....then backed off with a thich plate or pommel of brass or bronze with a post with an ole for a leather strop... 3 hours ago, Penelope said: You'll get an influx of battered opinels now, by the way I have 3, just saying like 😀 god loves a tryer............ its the correct type of antler that is the limiting factor.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mel b3 Posted October 25, 2018 Report Share Posted October 25, 2018 Now thats cool 😆 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vampire Posted October 25, 2018 Report Share Posted October 25, 2018 Nice work great idea and vast improvement on original,its amazing what comes out of that shed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted October 25, 2018 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2018 4 minutes ago, vampire said: Nice work great idea and vast improvement on original,its amazing what comes out of that shed. thank you.................its only fun if you can share it with someone... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIGHTCHOKE Posted October 25, 2018 Report Share Posted October 25, 2018 1 hour ago, ditchman said: the opinel knife is made from beechwood........not the hardest of woods but it has worked for over 100 years.........the antler is much much harder so it will wear much longer and be much better than the beech....these handles i am making are truly one off...out of a full set of red headgear i might be able to get 4 or so knives,...this is the limiting factor....and the deer need to be heavyweights in their own class....and being mature the thickness of the outer bone is much more............... not going to do scrimshaw...good idea tho'..........this has a scrimshaw of its own....i have snaded it with fine emerypaper then a bit of stain...then wiped the stain off with thinners and you can know see the history of the rut...where the beast has rubbed the velvet off ,...micro scrtches ...and had a good bust up with another stag trying to get its leg over his girls......so it will be an ivory creamy white with micro scratches ....then backed off with a thich plate or pommel of brass or bronze with a post with an ole for a leather strop... god loves a tryer............ its the correct type of antler that is the limiting factor.... Thanks for the explanation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walker570 Posted October 25, 2018 Report Share Posted October 25, 2018 1 hour ago, ditchman said: thank you.................its only fun if you can share it with someone... Actress to the Bishop springs to mind Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted October 25, 2018 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2018 8 minutes ago, Walker570 said: Actress to the Bishop springs to mind That is a true story........the Bishop was "the Bishop of Stifkey"...in norfolk.......he used to throw wild parties with actresses from London...and Prince Edward would attend to...true story Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIGHTCHOKE Posted October 25, 2018 Report Share Posted October 25, 2018 2 minutes ago, ditchman said: That is a true story........the Bishop was "the Bishop of Stifkey"...in norfolk.......he used to throw wild parties with actresses from London...and Prince Edward would attend to...true story And you went too? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted October 25, 2018 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2018 These are the micro scratches i was talking about...........now i could file them all off.............then it would lose its history...i will clean it up some more towards the end..... what i will do is leave the handle longer than the original....i will chop about an inch off before i add the brass pommel as longer does feel better in the hand ...dont it girls.. 2 minutes ago, TIGHTCHOKE said: And you went too? im not that bloody old you wally...im talking about Edwardian era...who became King Edward..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIGHTCHOKE Posted October 25, 2018 Report Share Posted October 25, 2018 Oh I know and I know Stookey too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted October 25, 2018 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2018 26 minutes ago, TIGHTCHOKE said: Oh I know and I know Stookey too! dont tell me when you went there your Mrs said............."dont bring me anything back ...that i cant eat or play with"... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
panoma1 Posted October 25, 2018 Report Share Posted October 25, 2018 Can you see the soft core of the tine causing any stability issues? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted October 25, 2018 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2018 (edited) 4 minutes ago, panoma1 said: Can you see the soft core of the tine causing any stability issues? being such a mature stag...and cutting the right tine...there is virtuall no soft core at all....what core there is will be cut out when i put the blade slot in............. if you look at the end of the first page there are a couple of end pics which shows how dense it is at the buisness end... Edited October 25, 2018 by ditchman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
panoma1 Posted October 25, 2018 Report Share Posted October 25, 2018 3 minutes ago, ditchman said: being such a mature stag...and cutting the right tine...there is virtuall no soft core at all....what core there is will be cut out when i put the blade slot in............. I see! The reason I ask is because I have made whistles out of tines by removing the soft core, as there is usually quite a thick core! But I understand that an older stag having thicker tine walls and little core would probably eliminate possible stability issues!....cheers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted October 25, 2018 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2018 37 minutes ago, panoma1 said: I see! The reason I ask is because I have made whistles out of tines by removing the soft core, as there is usually quite a thick core! But I understand that an older stag having thicker tine walls and little core would probably eliminate possible stability issues!....cheers! i suppose a more mature stag is going to be a hell of a lot heavier...and therefore grows stronger antlers to cope with the impact of 2 beasts coming together....so there comes a trade off of size and weight of antlers as to the dense strength of the antler....think the antlers get to a certain size each year...then stop and then the densness starts to increase..... i have bits of antler that are from a smaller beast and it is honeycombed ...as what you pointed out...even tis antler im using has a broken point....and that must have taken some doing............................ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mel b3 Posted October 26, 2018 Report Share Posted October 26, 2018 The found in the woods ,or , not too fettled look , is brilliant Simon, mixing it with the precision metak work is making for a beautiful knife.👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted October 26, 2018 Author Report Share Posted October 26, 2018 right......... the time has come i have been putting off................................ CUTTING THE SLOT.............. if i get this wrong .........it is stuffed....it goes in the bin..........soooooo...im going to make a "slot cutting machine"......... as Walker points out....one too many coffee's and i will have the eebbbb...jjeeeebbbbeeee's.......so i have designed summat in my miniscual brain...that i will make and take 90% of the muppet factor out of the equation............... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walker570 Posted October 26, 2018 Report Share Posted October 26, 2018 Another ditchman special coming up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted October 26, 2018 Author Report Share Posted October 26, 2018 well it looks as we have success...........modified the mini grinder...took the handle off it ...replaced it with some box section....took the drill press head off ..."g" clamped the box and the grinder to the drill press table......squared it up with the "T" square....and mounted the antler in the drill press vice...which works as a sliding table....pushed it gently forward....nice straight cut..... put blade and stuff together............everything is fine...most important is the locking mechanism....which is 100% spot on (last 2 pics)....then once i get the blade slot done ...i can order up the brass bar and do the pommell..................the rivet i will make and once that is peened over will draw the end together so it is nice and snug......... will attempt to do the slot now,..................................................... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIGHTCHOKE Posted October 26, 2018 Report Share Posted October 26, 2018 Great stuff, I think the shorter handle looks better! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted October 26, 2018 Author Report Share Posted October 26, 2018 (edited) 4 minutes ago, TIGHTCHOKE said: Great stuff, I think the shorter handle looks better! when it is finished the handle will be an inch" longer than the wooden one.. plus the brass pommell..........so there is a fair bit to come off yet....i like the lenghth of the #9 blade but the handle is a bit short even for me ....so thats why im lenghtening it..... Edited October 26, 2018 by ditchman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted October 26, 2018 Author Report Share Posted October 26, 2018 well......slot cut now.............so thats it for a bit until i get on the net and choose some flat brass bar for the pommell...............all lines up and yopu can see the locking mech' to keep open and closed.......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seadog1408 Posted October 26, 2018 Report Share Posted October 26, 2018 Absolute cracking job! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted October 26, 2018 Author Report Share Posted October 26, 2018 21 minutes ago, Seadog1408 said: Absolute cracking job! cheers... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walker570 Posted October 26, 2018 Report Share Posted October 26, 2018 (edited) Nice!! I have some chunks of bronze about the place. An old bronze book end. I can cut a chunk off if you can use it. Never tried melting bronze but really wants melting and casting so sections can be cut as needed. Also have some tine ends from Chital deer. I will examine and see how dense they are. Edited October 26, 2018 by Walker570 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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