Knife workshop

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I’ve been building my shop for the last year and a half now. I have purchased all of my power tools used, or I’ve built them myself over time. I have found that you can buy really nice older tools for pennies on the dollar. I’ve used Craig’s List and picked up three 6x48 sanders, two 14” bandsaws and a 12” disk sander. I built my 2x72 belt grinder, a mini lathe for making handles and a moving mag table for profile sanding my knives. If I were to do it again I would start out with a 2x72 Grinder, a small handheld bandsaw with table and a drill press. That allows you to cut, grind and drill holes in metal for knife making and any other metal projects you might have. A hand held grinder is cheap to buy new so that may be a good choice as well.
 
Here's a thought--and a way to skimp on OSB :) Party door on the backside of the garage that opens to the yard. This way you can have a garage door at the alley plus a door opening to the yard. Hot days, air flows straight through. Or close the alley-side door and keep the party door open if you want some privacy.
Like this:
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NO ChoP! said:
I have found building my shop to be almost more fun than working in it, lol.
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It’s funny that you say that. I have enjoyed making the tools for my shop more than the things I make in my shop. Getting the shop set up properly and making equipment that helps build projects more efficiently is what I’ve enjoyed the most. Today I turned my table saw extension table into a router table with a power lift for the router. Next project is a mag table for my drill press. And as of two weeks ago that same drill press now has a motor on the table for moving it up and down without having to use the hand crank.
 
Lot's of good info in the previous posts. "Dust Collection" made me think that this is maybe a combination wood / metal shop? Here's how I went about creating a starter set for both;

Wood Shop
- Purchased a 10HP rotary phase converter. This opened my world up to nice, vintage, industrial 3 phase machines.
- Planer: My suggestion is a Powermatic 180. Lots of these were made, parts are easily available and many good condition, used buys from vocational schools. Get a copy of the manual using an internet search. Watch some videos online and you'll be good to go when searching the used market
- Table saw; Delta, craftsman, lots of good older brands with heavy castings. I settled on an Oliver 232 vintage WWII. The table itself is 2" ribbed casting with an extension table and micrometer fence, direct drive and 14 inch blade.
- Jointer: Northfield, Oliver, etc.
- Bases with wheels make it easy to move these machines around. Pushed against a wall in a small shop, they free up space for other work.
- Workbench: An excellent first project using these three tools. I settled on a Roubo style...... Gives a lot of work holding possibilities.
- I'm a hand tool guy as well, so jack planes, scrapers, brace and bits, chisels, mallet, etc.
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IMG_1894.JPG


Basic Metal Shop
- Disc grinder: I worked in South America and watched the welder fabricators build everything and I mean everything with a disc grinder and a stick welder. The stuff they built was really first rate! Cutoff wheels, grinding discs and wire wheel to round out the disc grinder arsenal.
- Welder of some sort: Tombstone buzz box or whatever interests you.
- Corded drill or small drill press.
- Plasma cutter or torch

Knife shop
- Depending on experience level, maybe a basic class in forging or sometimes a person can find a class in stock removal knife making. This can help a person decide since most individuals go one way or the other and that determines the shop tools.
- Steel source
- Some type of grinder (a lot of different opinions above)
- Heat source for heat treat. This can be as simple as a forge and toaster oven to temper, or an actual heat treat oven controlled using thermocouples. I'm kinda disinterested in this regard, so I send batches of rough ground knives to Pete Bos, he does the heat treat for buck knives.
- Handle material and a way to rough cut and shape it
- Finishing supplies
- This list is a little vague because there are so many ways to skin the cat in the world of knifemaking.

Good luck, and congrats on the new shop!
 
Regarding heat treat ovens, they’re really pretty easy to build. I built mine using lightweight kiln style bricks and angle iron. No welding needed and the propane burner is also easy to build.
 
I you haven’t listened to the Knifetalk podcast (when it goes to three-host format, not the knifemaker interviews it started as), it may have some tips you like. The three guys talk about tool choices, shop tips, etc. in between the dick jokes.

TL;DR from what I remember (their tips not mine) - Good PPE, quick release respirator, with a little pen-light clipped to the front. You don’t save money buying cheap tools, in that quality tools are resellable if you don’t like them. For knives, it seems like bandsaws are more used than table saws (for scales), unless you’re going into production, then table saws are great for bucking down sheets of wood/G10. Forge before nice anvil (just find something for a striking surface). Get a 2x72 with VFD, horizontal tilt, adaptable tool rest (I think they like Brodbeck, since it’s bare bones but very adaptable, also a show sponsor). Don’t waste time on cheap sandpaper, use Rhyonwet. Beware of your buffer, it is actively trying to kill you.
 
TheNewMexican said:
Lot's of good info in the previous posts. "Dust Collection" made me think that this is maybe a combination wood / metal shop? Here's how I went about creating a starter set for both;

Wood Shop
- Purchased a 10HP rotary phase converter. This opened my world up to nice, vintage, industrial 3 phase machines.
- Planer: My suggestion is a Powermatic 180. Lots of these were made, parts are easily available and many good condition, used buys from vocational schools. Get a copy of the manual using an internet search. Watch some videos online and you'll be good to go when searching the used market
- Table saw; Delta, craftsman, lots of good older brands with heavy castings. I settled on an Oliver 232 vintage WWII. The table itself is 2" ribbed casting with an extension table and micrometer fence, direct drive and 14 inch blade.
- Jointer: Northfield, Oliver, etc.
- Bases with wheels make it easy to move these machines around. Pushed against a wall in a small shop, they free up space for other work.
- Workbench: An excellent first project using these three tools. I settled on a Roubo style...... Gives a lot of work holding possibilities.
- I'm a hand tool guy as well, so jack planes, scrapers, brace and bits, chisels, mallet, etc.
View attachment 102472View attachment 102473
View attachment 102474

Basic Metal Shop
- Disc grinder: I worked in South America and watched the welder fabricators build everything and I mean everything with a disc grinder and a stick welder. The stuff they built was really first rate! Cutoff wheels, grinding discs and wire wheel to round out the disc grinder arsenal.
- Welder of some sort: Tombstone buzz box or whatever interests you.
- Corded drill or small drill press.
- Plasma cutter or torch

Knife shop
- Depending on experience level, maybe a basic class in forging or sometimes a person can find a class in stock removal knife making. This can help a person decide since most individuals go one way or the other and that determines the shop tools.
- Steel source
- Some type of grinder (a lot of different opinions above)
- Heat source for heat treat. This can be as simple as a forge and toaster oven to temper, or an actual heat treat oven controlled using thermocouples. I'm kinda disinterested in this regard, so I send batches of rough ground knives to Pete Bos, he does the heat treat for buck knives.
- Handle material and a way to rough cut and shape it
- Finishing supplies
- This list is a little vague because there are so many ways to skin the cat in the world of knifemaking.

Good luck, and congrats on the new shop!
Click to expand...
Nothing runs like the heavy vintage cast stuff. Might be overkill, but ya...

Nice looking bench too. I've never seen a leg vice with a crank on it like that, did you fabricate it.

I don't have anything fancy but here is my woodworking leg vice that serves my purposes. I traded for a vintage screw and scrounged the rest. Quick, fast down and dirty type of thing.
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Desert Rat said:
I've never seen a leg vice with a crank on it like that, did you fabricate it.
Click to expand...

It was a kit I purchased. Really cool the way it works, the vice floats parallel in and out. Take a look.

IMG_1895.JPG



Really liked the picture of your vice. A lot of character, time and work on those jaws.
 
TheNewMexican said:
It was a kit I purchased. Really cool the way it works, the vice floats parallel in and out. Take a look.

View attachment 104498


Really liked the picture of your vice. A lot of character, time and work on those jaws.
Click to expand...
Now that is sweet. Looks like the threads are pretty fast too. Mine has the old fashion peg board that I almost never move, but if I did it would be a pain. I don't like to bend down.
 
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