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Drawknife Making Project

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Drawknife Making Project

Postby rxh » 01 Dec 2020, 23:20

This is a project to make drawknives using the tools that I had available. I used a 10" Isaac Sorby drawknife as a guide for the shape and dimensions. However, I wanted a smaller size so I reduced the cutting edge length to 6". WIP photos and description to follow.
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Isaac Sorby 10" drawknife
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Re: Drawknife Making Project

Postby rxh » 01 Dec 2020, 23:29

I started by turning some handles of hornbeam.
20201105_172234A.jpg
Hornbeam handles with brass ferrules.
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Re: Drawknife Making Project

Postby rxh » 01 Dec 2020, 23:39

I bought strips of O1 steel (gauge plate) 6 mm x 25 mm x 500 mm and marked out the basic shape. I drilled small holes at the positions of the inner corners then cut away the waste with a hacksaw. Then I cleaned up with files.
20201107_094356A.jpg
Marking and cutting out the basic shape
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Re: Drawknife Making Project

Postby AJB Temple » 01 Dec 2020, 23:40

looking forward to seeing how you make the blade. And stop the handles pulling off in use.
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Re: Drawknife Making Project

Postby AJB Temple » 01 Dec 2020, 23:40

The blade blanks appeared literally seconds after my post! That is fast work.
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Re: Drawknife Making Project

Postby rxh » 01 Dec 2020, 23:47

AJB Temple - I'm not usually so quick :)
I clamped the blades to the bench and shaped the bevel by filing.
20201108_154302A.jpg
Shaping the bevel
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Re: Drawknife Making Project

Postby rxh » 01 Dec 2020, 23:56

The bends were formed by clamping the tang area in the vice and pulling the rest round to 90 degrees.
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20201108_154145A.jpg
Bends formed.
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Re: Drawknife Making Project

Postby rxh » 02 Dec 2020, 00:01

I shaped the tangs by filing.
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20201109_153538A.jpg
Fling the tangs to shape.
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Re: Drawknife Making Project

Postby rxh » 02 Dec 2020, 00:02

That's it for tonight. Tune in tomorrow to see some more progress :)
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Re: Drawknife Making Project

Postby Mike G » 02 Dec 2020, 08:07

I'm amazed you can bend that size of tool steel cold.

Some draw knives are flat and straight, and some are curved and hollow. Some are flat and hollow, some are curved and flat. What are you going for?
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Re: Drawknife Making Project

Postby Sheffield Tony » 02 Dec 2020, 09:33

AJB Temple wrote:looking forward to seeing how you make the blade. And stop the handles pulling off in use.


That's a lot of work with hacksaw and files. I started making a scorp ages ago, it is still waiting. I need some new files !

The handles traditionally have a through tang riveted over a washer at the end of the handle. I would guess the Sorby one has had its handles replaced. It's worth being wary of drawknives with split wooden handles, usually it means it has been damp, the tangs have rusted and split the handles, possibly leaving you with not enough tang to rivet again. Welding a bit on to the tangs is a bit fraught with tool steel. We do have epoxy now though.

Looking forward to seeing how the heat treatment is done. Looks a bit big for the "blowlamp in each hand" approach :D
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Re: Drawknife Making Project

Postby Pete Maddex » 02 Dec 2020, 10:49

I to am looking forward to the hardening, my guess is barbque hairdryer.

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Re: Drawknife Making Project

Postby AndyT » 02 Dec 2020, 15:58

Very impressive work. I especially like the accuracy of your initial shaping.
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Re: Drawknife Making Project

Postby rxh » 02 Dec 2020, 17:47

Mike G wrote:I'm amazed you can bend that size of tool steel cold.

Some draw knives are flat and straight, and some are curved and hollow. Some are flat and hollow, some are curved and flat. What are you going for?

Mike, I was surprised too - I don't think I am all that strong. It is a flat and straight shape as I thought that would be easiest for a first attempt.
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Re: Drawknife Making Project

Postby Woodster » 02 Dec 2020, 17:56

The bends are very sharp and I would have heated the steel to put the bends in rather than bending it cold.

https://youtu.be/MXzR5p5AMnM
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Re: Drawknife Making Project

Postby rxh » 02 Dec 2020, 18:03

Sheffield Tony wrote:
AJB Temple wrote:looking forward to seeing how you make the blade. And stop the handles pulling off in use.


That's a lot of work with hacksaw and files. I started making a scorp ages ago, it is still waiting. I need some new files !

The handles traditionally have a through tang riveted over a washer at the end of the handle. I would guess the Sorby one has had its handles replaced. It's worth being wary of drawknives with split wooden handles, usually it means it has been damp, the tangs have rusted and split the handles, possibly leaving you with not enough tang to rivet again. Welding a bit on to the tangs is a bit fraught with tool steel. We do have epoxy now though.

Looking forward to seeing how the heat treatment is done. Looks a bit big for the "blowlamp in each hand" approach :D

Yes Tony, it was a fair amount of filing - a 14" båstard file was useful for doing the "spadework".
The tangs of the Sorby that I used as a "go-by" look like ordinary ones as found on chisels and, being new to drawknives, I copied their shape. Its handles were of different shapes and were in poor condition so I replaced them a while ago and they have stayed on so far. If I make some more drawknives I shall seriously consider the rivetted method. For the new drawknives I used very well seasoned wood for the handles, "step-drilled" them" and hammered them on well.
Information on the heat treatment and photo to follow shortly.
Last edited by rxh on 02 Dec 2020, 22:24, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Drawknife Making Project

Postby rxh » 02 Dec 2020, 18:18

Pete Maddex wrote:I to am looking forward to the hardening, my guess is barbque hairdryer.

Pete

Pete, you are nearly correct but I used a hot air gun rather than a hairdryer. I made a "barbeque" small enough to allow the ends to be outside it to avoid them getting red hot. I heated the cutting area to red heat and quenched in cooking oil, then tempered in the domestic oven.

Then I clamped the cutting area between two blocks of metal to act as heat sinks. I heated the bend and tang areas with a gas blowlamp and allowed them to cool, the aim being to soften those areas and relieve any trapped stresses in the bends.
20201112_132011A.jpg
Hardening using a little "barbeque".
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Re: Drawknife Making Project

Postby rxh » 02 Dec 2020, 18:31

AndyT wrote:Very impressive work. I especially like the accuracy of your initial shaping.

Thanks Andy - I don't think that a proper smith would do it like this :)
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Re: Drawknife Making Project

Postby rxh » 02 Dec 2020, 18:35

Woodster wrote:The bends are very sharp and I would have heated the steel to put the bends in rather than bending it cold.

https://youtu.be/MXzR5p5AMnM

Yes, I think I would apply heat before making more bends like this.

Thanks for the link - I enjoyed watching that.
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Re: Drawknife Making Project

Postby rxh » 02 Dec 2020, 18:42

20201117_120218A.jpg
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I finished by cleaning up with abrasive paper, grinding on a wet wheel, then sharpening with a diamond plate followed by an oilstone. I hammered the handles well on, cut off the waste, cleaned them up and finished with Tru-Oil. The photo shows a diamond plate in use.
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Re: Drawknife Making Project

Postby rxh » 02 Dec 2020, 18:44

20201123_094658A.jpg
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The finished article.
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Re: Drawknife Making Project

Postby Mike G » 02 Dec 2020, 20:49

My goodness, that is a thing of real beauty. I hope you've got a shave horse and a good use for it!! :)
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Re: Drawknife Making Project

Postby Sheffield Tony » 02 Dec 2020, 21:58

Hornbeam does make rather nice tool handles doesn't it. Is your RXH stamped with letter punches or ...? It looks good.

Seeing your BBQ reminds me we have had a couple of disposable "barbecues" lurking in the garage for ages. This could be the ideal use. My friend Jim improvised a forge with a vehicle wheel hub, a length of pipe and a hot air paint stripper. The beauty is you don't have to light it - the paint stripper is hot enough to light the charcoal on its own.
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Re: Drawknife Making Project

Postby Malc2098 » 02 Dec 2020, 22:21

Nice.
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Re: Drawknife Making Project

Postby rxh » 02 Dec 2020, 22:25

Mike G wrote:My goodness, that is a thing of real beauty. I hope you've got a shave horse and a good use for it!! :)

Thanks Mike - making a shave horse is the next project :)
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