Dust

Hi folks,

This weekend I managed to do some wrap-up. I finished up the sheath for NJJ, and a knife block for Bdoodles (See below for pictures). I did a little work on some of the other pending blades, but all of my grinding belts are worn out at this point and I need to order more to make better progress.

High quality steel eats up grinding belts pretty fast.Even my woodworking belt (only 1) is getting a little tired, but it still works. The drive belt of my band saw is wearing out too. Sometimes I think working with old and worn out equipment makes things more interesting. Sometimes its just a pain in the ass.

Usually when I work in the shop I wear a little bit of safety equipment, ear protection and eye protection. Wearing dust masks makes the safety glasses fog up. This weekend I had to go for ear and lung protection. As I was sanding down the pieces for the knife block, I noticed that my nose and throat were kinda gumming up. It seems that the fine dust of the Blue Mahoe doesn’t get along with me very well. Not the sniffles and irritation that cocobolo gives, but more of a clogging that I haven’t experienced with any other wood dust. As a result I took off the glasses and put on the mask. Maybe I should look into getting a combo set so I can breathe and see. Novel concept.

I think that I have already mentally spent my (hopefully) forthcoming tax return three or four times over, soI guess I will have to prioritize. I’d like my lungs to last for a few more years, so maybe that will make the cut.

Anyway, here are pictures of the finished products. The spec’s will come later.

Bdoodles

Boning/Slicing knife and block

Turquoise and copper detail

NJJ

Knife in Sheath

Knife

Enjoy!

A

Feast and Famine

As is frequently the case, a period of high productivity is followed by a period of low productivity. Such is the case with Hangedmandesigns at the moment. Just after Erica and Autumn made it home from Savannah, we headed up to Colorado for a weekend of Roller Derby, ceasing all shop related activities. It was a tiring trip, two games in two days (which meant a lot of babysitting for me), and quite a bit of driving.

I was also disappointed to find out how expensive custom tang stamps for my knives would cost $186 dollars apiece. Ouch. I could probably take an engraving class for that if I had some spare time. Maybe I will try making my own with my little diamond Dremel tool bits. I’ve got some steel that should harden to the point that it will work. Another project…Sigh.

This weekend is Erica’s birthday, and I still need to do my taxes, so I don’t expect a lot of productivity then either. And the following weekend is more Roller Derby, in Tucson. Three games, two days. I’m not sure if I will be able to go to that one. If I don’t, I will get more done, but not get to see my wife, and I’ll have to babysit. Tough call.

Anyway, I need to finish up a couple of projects soon. Mostly NJJ’s sheath, and a stand/block for Bdoodles, and if I can get some…. Ok, there are always more projects, and I want them all done now so I can start new ones.

C’est la vie… Feast and Famine.

April 2010 in like a Lion

Yesterday, March 31 – 80 degrees, today April 1, 50 and dropping with 35 mile per hour winds. That makes it pretty dusty out here in the desert.

Erica and Autumn made it back from Savannah yesterday, hurray! They had a good time out there and got to play in the ocean a little bit. I got quite a bit of work done too. Now I just need to take some pictures now that the camera is back.

Presuming I manage to do that as soon as I get home and post this tonight, I will go on….



From biggest to smallest in the almost done catagory:

LOR Machete (AR39)– still needs a few coats of finish, and a little polishing and an edge, and a sheath I suppose.

Australian Camp knife (NRJJ) – needs an edge, a lanyard and a sheath.

Kitchen slicer (AR38) – a stand or block

Small kitchen slicer (AR37) – a stand or block

Mini File Dagger (F2) – to have this handle ripped off and a nicer one put on. I was hoping that the Argentina Lignum Vitae would look prettier once it was polished up. The plan is to rip this off and replace it with ebony or one of the many red woods.



And in the handle-less category:

Cleaver – good progress, needs quenching and grinding and handle work, and…. But I
like the shape its in.

Large Dagger (AR32) – The handle is cut out, the scratches pretty much gone from the blade, needs the handle to be attached, shaped etc… an edge, a sheath.

Revised Henkel Santoku – reshaped, and requenched, and reshaped again due to the reaction to quenching. A much smaller knife now. And of course… it needs a handle again.

Puukku’s 1 and 2 – Quenched, still need grinding and handle work, and sheathes of course.

And thats all for now folks...